User:MainlyTwelve/ACT

Aluminum City Terrace (also referred to as ACT) is a housing development located in New Kensington, near Pittsburgh. Walter Gropius and Marcel Breuer designed the complex during their relatively short period as collaborative partners. It was originally designed as affordable housing for workers in nearby defense plants. These workers were mostly employed by Alcoa, an aluminum conglomerate headquartered in Pittsburgh. The complex originally contained 250 residential units, an elementary school, and a community center. The Modern design of the complex proved controversial, and local residents opposed the construction.

History
The FWA commissioned Aluminum City Terrace in order to provide housing for industrial workers. An increase in employees at plants near Pittsburgh as part of the build up to the United State's entry to World War II had created a housing shortage, necessitating new units.

The FWA commissioned Modernist architects such as Walter Gropius, Marcel Breuer, Oscar Stonorov, and Richard J. Neutra to provide "modern" housing for workers. This focus on Modernist and Internationalist architects was colored by the hope that the developments, which included then-rare shared amenities such as play areas for children, laundries, and areas for playing sports, would foster a sense of community, and render more traditional urban and suburban arrangements (referred to as "isolated") unappealing. Beyond ACT, examples of such housing include Techwood Homes, in Atlanta, and the Carl Mackley Houses, in Philadelphia.

Alcoa, New Kensington's primary employer, expressed skepticism over FWA plans for Aluminum City Terrace due to fears it render unionization efforts among its employees easier. Soon after construction ended, the complex's individual buildings were derisively referred to as "chicken coops".

The community is still extant today, and remains affordable, with monthly assessment fees ranging from $330 and $350.