This letter is in response to the letter “Math and Money” (PDN, July 7).
I totally support the writer’s point about cost-benefit to solve Port Townsend’s low-cost housing shortage.
But I would like to take the issue a step further.
In my opinion, Port Townsend’s decisions make for good press but seem incredibly impractical and boring.
The recent project to tow the box of apartments from Victoria to Cherry Street (PDN, March 27) is lovable.
The New York Times had an article about the concrete masterpiece which is “Habitat” in Montreal for Expo ’67.
Written by someone who lived in it, it is 158 apartments created by 365 cast-concrete boxes stacked 11 stories high and assembled by crane.
It was designed by a young Canadian architect, Moshe Safdie.
Compare that design to what is being contemplated here.
The Times also reported on the design of affordable housing (July 6, 2017) by Vietnamese architect Vo Trong Nghia.
The cost for what was described as their prefabricated “S house“ design that would fit many different environments was $3,000 per unit.
Port Townsend would do itself and the community a favor by doing a little more research for current architectural solutions that can solve our affordable housing shortage and provide our community with well-designed, attractive and cost-effective structures.
Bart Kavruck,
Port Townsend