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News > DP Festival > The Architecture of Us : A DesignPhiladelphia Festival Exhibition

The Architecture of Us : A DesignPhiladelphia Festival Exhibition

Rowhomes are where generations of Philadelphians have built their lives, and where newcomers have made this city home. But this exhibition asks a bigger question: as Philadelphia faces a housing shortage and an epidemic of isolation, how should we live, together, in the place we call home?

The Architecture of Us traces the story of Philadelphia's rowhome, from its origins housing immigrant communities and multigenerational families, to the pressures reshaping it today. The exhibition explores small-scale housing types, including accessory dwelling units, co-housing, and single-stair apartment buildings, that offer more affordable, more connected ways to live without abandoning the human scale of the block. Featuring real Philadelphians who need these housing options, purpose-built communities designed around connection, and award-winning designs from the 2025 Stewardson Design Competition, the exhibition makes the case that "Missing Middle" housing, once common in cities like Philadelphia, New York, and across Europe, could be part of the city's housing future once again.

Organized by DesignPhiladelphia, AIA Philadelphia, and the Community Design Collaborative. The Architecture of Us is on view October 1–31 at Village of Industry and Art, 320 S. Broad Street, Philadelphia, PA 19102. Hours 10am – 5pm, with exceptions for evening events.

This exhibition is sponsored in part by AIA National and AARP, in support of the Community Design Collaborative's Stewardson Design Competition.

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