Blog — House Cosmopolitan

Pride And The Next Five Years

A reflection on the first five years of House Cosmopolitan, an architecture and urban design practice focused on housing and creating places where people belong.

Andrew HoustonJune 28, 2024

Meet Me In The Middle Housing: An Intro to the Seattle Six-Flat

Now that HB 1110 passed, what is possible for neighborhoods across Washington? I break down the details and provide a look into what one solution could be.

Andrew HoustonJune 14, 2023

Milan: A City In Style

I spent some time walking the streets of Milan to distill down some of the qualities of the city that make it a beloved home to millions and create a place where a high level of design is the standard and not outside the norm.

Andrew HoustonJanuary 31, 2023Comment

Zurich: Designed Over Time

I set to dig into what exactly makes Zurich as great of a city as it is and what other cities can learn from the cozy canton on the lake in order to make their own cities just as great.

Andrew HoustonJanuary 24, 2023

Bordeaux: Building Beyond Wine

What are the lessons that can be learned from one of the smaller cities of France that can be applied to towns and cities of all scales and sizes? Here are four lessons I learned from Bordeaux.

Andrew HoustonJanuary 19, 2023

Paris: The City That Works

This is part one of four reflections on four cities I visited while in Europe, this first writing on what I learned while visiting Paris - the city that works.

Andrew HoustonNovember 6, 2022

ST/SST 2040: A Green New Deal Proposal for Seattle and the Puget Sound

The sky is orange today. That is not normal. There is something we can do about it.

Andrew HoustonSeptember 12, 2020

GSBA x Ventures Incubator

Andrew HoustonMay 1, 2020Seattle, Business, Accolades

Indy Can Be A Great Urban Place, And You Can Too!

“I believe there are four items in particular that are important to recognize in Indianapolis—and in your own community—that mean you are on the path to creating great places where people want to be.”

Urban DesignAndrew HoustonFebruary 7, 2020Indianapolis, Urbanism, Urban Design

Eyes on the Future of Design

“ In talking about creating much more sustainably and to combat the climate crisis, I believe that over the next decade we have to think about three important points”

Andrew HoustonNovember 19, 2019

Seven Statements That Made a Sustainable Impact on Me

Both of these events had a major impact on myself and my interest in designing inclusive places that are environmentally sustainable as much as they are socially sustainable; as such, here are seven quotes to note that left a sustainable impact on me.

Andrew HoustonSeptember 17, 2019

Young Architect Conference 2019 - PDX and Jupiter NEXT

Experiencing the future of architecture and the architects that will lead it, a quick photo essay on the Young Architect’s Conference.

ArchitectureAndrew HoustonAugust 30, 2019architecture, conference

"Who Do You Think You Are?" with Ace

Seven short stories from founder and head of design, Andrew Grant Houston!

House MembersAndrew HoustonAugust 23, 2019Ace, Who Do You Think You Are

A New Emerald City: Banning Exclusionary Zoning, Introducing 'Green Zoning'

In order to right the wrongs of the past,

In order to address the housing crisis of the present,

In order to combat the climate crisis that will end our future,

We must end exclusionary zoning.

Urban DesignAndrew HoustonAugust 9, 2019Urban Design, Urbanism, Ace, Zoning Comments

La Vida En Rosa: A More Liveable San Francisco, Inspired by Paris

One of SF’s nicknames is “Paris of the West,” and there are most definitely aspects of truth to the moniker as it is a fairly dense city ripe with culture, great views, and delicious food in every neighborhood you come across. Still, the city gets in its own way when it comes to becoming a global city with the same grandeur of Paris.

Andrew HoustonAugust 2, 2019