HOMES FOR THE FUTURE This project innovates a replicable, sustainable housing solution that is resource-conscious and future-minded, and creates housing that occupants will be happy to call their home for years to come. The building presents 28 low-income units which are revolutionary on multiple fronts. In a city with a radical shortage of affordable housing, this West Hollywood building aims to become a landmark project in residential – or any building – typology.

It uses brand-new “atmospheric water extraction” technology to harvest water from the air, producing enough water for all the occupants’ use. This will be in combination with high-efficiency solar panels targeted to produce 60-80% of the residents’ needs. Furthermore, the layout of one-, two- and three-bedroom units, which have been interspersed (rather than siloed) throughout the building, is a deliberate strategy to encourage families of different sizes to build community amongst themselves.

This community-forward approach is reflective of the client’s hope to shift low-income housing from something regarded as only temporary to something long-term. A place to raise a family and to foster a better future. Creating this kind of never-before-seen solution for multi-unit, low-income housing, is an approach the developer hopes to not only replicate himself but to also provide as an inspiration and a role-model for other projects. He is a truly passionate innovator: a zealous revolutionary, if you will. We believe good design can create a future that is greener, a future for better living through good green design. A future where all families can flourish. We aim to create Homes for the Future.

This 28-unit multi-family residential housing is an entirely low-income housing project that will benefit people who urgently require help – and a proper home. · The project hopes to provide a landmark model that fulfills the pressing need to house people in this city. The aim is to help underserved people, not to maximize profit — a radical re-envisioning of how to create developer projects for a better future. · Densification: this project reimagines the building typology of the neighborhood.

The address is across from another recently approved 6-story housing project, on a street that is otherwise 2-4 story buildings. It will house many more families while minimizing—even reducing—the resource load compared to its smaller neighbors. · With the guidance of a sustainability consultant on the cutting-edge of the field and equipped with extensive regional knowledge, we will be using brand-new atmospheric water extraction technology to harvest water from the air to produce enough water for the occupants’ use. It will connect to the municipal water supply as a backup only. · Similarly, solar electrical panels will produce 60-80% of the residents’ needs. · Mechanical systems will include low-impact, highly flexible HVAC units for each apartment.

This differs from the massive rooftop package units so often placed on multi-residence projects. · The project has 14 parking spots in semi-subterranean parking. While these are not required by code, they attempt to ease the transition to public transportation as a primary means of travel in a neighborhood that is sensitive to parking issues and is presently unserved by LA Metro’s trains (trains lines are projected to reach the neighborhood in 2047). On-site parking means fewer cars will be parked on the street, reducing visual pollution and increasing space and visibility for bikers.

Design · All balconies face south, east and west, and their railings will incorporate a colored solar panel product, designed to be uniquely aesthetically pleasing while providing peak performance. · A rooftop common open space will welcome community events and provide private open spaces that will be shaded by a substantial solar panel array. · The solar railings and rooftop canopies provide form and function; “beauty and brains” as a deliberate design move. · The units are one-, two- and three-bedroom units, the mix of which ensuring that the occupancy will be centered on family and multi-person groupings that differ from the more common SRO (single room occupancy) housing stock in this category Developer · The developer is a twenty-something entrepreneur who is passionate about prioritizing sustainability in his work.

His goal is to provide housing solutions that are not only sustainable through the environmental lens but also through the lens of community. He believes that when we design and build housing that prioritizes human interaction, we create opportunities for those occupants to grow-in-place and thus build a resilient community. This leads to ideal outcomes such as: reduced consumption through mutual aid, localized social support networks that require less transportation and are more functionally resilient through crisis events, and increased area safety in the vein of Jane Jacob’s theory of “eyes on the street”. · This truly innovative solution for sustainable and sensible low-income housing is an inspiration that the developer hopes will be a role-model for many other types of projects.

Category:Green ArchitectureYear:2024Location: West Hollywood, California, USAArchitects:Sander Architects, LLC.Lead Architect:Whitney SanderClient:Maison Susgenix Foundation