This competition entry investigates modular housing and the creation of public space to reinforce links between Durham’s neighborhoods.  As stated in the competition brief the success of cities today often result in the gentrification of neighborhoods resulting in the displacement of existing residents who cannot afford to live in housing intended for an affluent demographic.  This issue is the driving force behind the “Crossing Lines” competition submission. The modular housing idea is not a new concept, but this proposal takes a unique building form; the hexagon to express an architectural vocabulary and create unique unit layouts.  The mix of affordable housing and market rate condos can be achieved using only a handful of repeated “pods”.  These pods can be placed in surprising ways and can also be offset from one another vertically to allow for expanded private outdoor space.  The proposal also encourages the public from around Durham to experience the site as pedestrian passages are designed to link the West End and Brightleaf neighborhoods to Downtown and the American Tobacco Campus.  The passages double as parks and open plazas at the north end of the site to take advantage of the existing Home Security Life Insurance Building (HSLIB).  The street edge along Chapel Hill Street is continued with a western expansion of the HSLIB structure and the northern edge of the site is utilized as a commercial center which would serve residents of the new development.  All parking would be located at a lower lever to maximize open pedestrian space.  Chapel Hill Street is a major east west street in central Durham and this proposal punctuates its relationship to this busy street with two iconic moves.  Residential pods engage the HSLIB at the northeast corner and a public plaza and commercial district form the northwest corner.  This competition entry is sensitive to the urban context of the site while addressing the challenges of growth through an innovative modular housing plan.