Early 20th Century Architecture Poverty Analysis

This paper aims to discover how poverty influenced the use and development of residential architecture in the early twentieth century. By looking at both personal accounts as well as government documents from 1900-1929, the following paper will attempt to clearly depict how poverty and architecture were linked. To answer this question, we will focus on how architecture was influenced by poverty through the increase in density of and within architecture, the change in the use of architecture, and the decrease in building maintenance in areas of high poverty, leading to a decrease in street appeal and overall area value.

Slums were very much present prior to the 20th century. In fact, the term for slums originated around 1820, which,

Overcrowding within London began during the Victorian Era. Between the years of 1851 and 1871, 107,000 people moved to London, a 6.8% increase in population. During this time, London was booming with railroad construction that resulted in the displacement of many current residents. The increase in construction coupled with the increase in population led to a housing shortage, which in turn lead to the creation of slums. Slums brought with them distinct housing types. These types include cellar-dwellings, lodging-houses, and tenement houses. Cellar dwellings were possibly the lowest of the low in terms of housing within the slums. These dwellings were described as dark, damp, and airless and were the origin of the dirt and disease which sullied the industrial towns. These dwellings sat directly on the soil beneath the above house with no water or sanitation, therefore residents had to bring waste to the street above to be dumped. Lodging-houses were houses where individuals and families could stay a night, week, or even months when they had nowhere else to go. Their design was similar to that of modern day hotels, however, the use and conditions within them were completely different. In Lodging-houses differing ages and sexes were not separated, rather they were crammed together in tiny rooms, often with five or six beds scattered along the floor of each room. Tenement houses were similar to lodging-houses but were meant for longer stays. It should be noted however that the line between lodging-houses and tenement houses oftentimes became blurred as people used them interchangeably. Although some tenements were built during the Victorian era, most were found within existing and oftentimes old houses that used to be a