It
RECOVERY HOME
The single family home can be broken down into 4 key components: housing, financial
110 L Ri v i 10 i 5 i 5 5TH STRE R ET S SAN PEDRO STREET Soup Men’s Lobby Exterior Plaza Interior Plaza er i 10
design an accessible housing initiative
women
the
surrounding
create enhanced views for
women
children
are designing for, off ering hope
a better future. In an eff ort to create a healthier, sustainable, more natural environment for our users, we plan to implement a terracing system stemming from the existing Downtown Women’s Center courtyard which will erode and cascade up along the back of our building. The facades fronting the two major roads along our site will take on a rigid structure, mirroring the facade of the adjacent Downtown Women’s Center in order to create a protective barrier from the rest of Skid Row that shelters our users in a rejuvenating environment. The site is composed of the existing Downtown Women’s Center - a permanent supportive housing provider for women in LA - and the adjacent parking lot. The building is protected under the National Historic Registry. The new massing, and the facade of the Women’s Center continue to wrap around a central courtyard, following the street and level with the surrounding buildings. The interior is raised by extending the existing central courtyard. Now, the height of the new massing can be raised above the surrounding skyline. This is necessary to give residents a better view of the city in addition to providing adequate space for units. Then, the mass is eroded for multi-level terracing. Breaking up the interior provides private yards for residents to overlook the lower courtyard. The red indicates the entry point into the interior and the frame that looks out onto city views. Void A is an opening that divides the old and the new structure. Void B opens the interior courtyard to the downtown LA skyline, and opens the interior for ventilation.
is our intent to
for homeless
and mothers that responds to
compressive nature of the inner city by elevating our design to a greater height than that of the
buildings. This new height will
the
and
we
for
security, home security, and recreational space. When identifying these elements throughout Skid Row and downtown LA, it is evident that these components are isolated from each other. 78’ 162’ DOWTOWN LA HIGHRISES B A sheltered vertical green-scape for Skid Row’s Homeless women and children Design for Well-being By arranging our units around a central, terraced greenscape, we are able to create backyards and gathering spaces for all our users, providing them with flexible spaces that bring nature back to downtown LA. Units further up also have access to balconies, ensuring that all our users have the right to natural light and ventilation. Large windows, balconies, and slender units offer natural ventilation and light, reducing the need for artificial with operable shutters, giving users control of their space while also further cooling interior areas. Shading opportunity for solar panels, further reducing energy redistributed back to the terraces when they need water. Our goal is for the women and children of Skid Row to reestablish a sense of certainty and refuge. The architecture holistically fosters an interior community where women can live and work, and for families to find relief from the pressure of a inhospitable environment. Los Angeles, California Unit Composition Units 210Sheltered 30 Bedroom units 35 2 Bedroom units 10 3 Bedroom units 1 2 3 4 5 6 1 2 3 4 5 6 Entry from Street to Patio Entry from Interior to Patio Second Floor Ground Floor Primary Air Circulation Exterior Facade Interior Facade Solar Panels Floors 10 - 14 Floors 3 - 9 Morning Sun Afternoon Sun Evening Sun NAMES: Angela and Rob TIME HOMELESS: 1.2 years UNIT GROUP #1: SINGLE FEMALE NAME: Taylor AGE: 19 TIME HOMELESS: 8 months REASON: Kicked Out Ground NEEDS: Loft UNIT GROUP #2: SINGLE MOTHER + INFANTE NAMES: Heather & Sebastian AGES: 24 TIME HOMELESS: 2.5 Years REASON: Domestic Violence NEEDS: NAMES: Jen, Julia, John AGES: 28 ; 4 ; 2 TIME HOMELESS: 8 Months REASON: Economic Hardship NEEDS: Ground Loft NAMES: Amy + Lauren AGE: 37 ; 17 TIME HOMELESS: 3.5 Years REASON: Drug Addiction NEEDS: Ground Loft NAMES: Phyllis, Rita Krystal AGES: 43 ; 37 38 TIMES HOMELESS: 5-7 Years NEEDS: UNIT GROUP #3: SINGLE MOTHER + TODDLER UNIT GROUP #4: SINGLE MOTHER + MULTIPLE CHILDREN UNIT GROUP #5: SINGLE MOTHER + YOUNG ADULT UNIT TYPE #6: GROUP HOUSING AGE: 21 and months REASON: Unemployment NEEDS: Green Space Child Care ICON LEGEND Education Park/Play Space Food Security Job Security Housing Security Healthcare Community Involvement Counseling Life Skills Privacy Reinforced Concrete Column Utility Line Void Concrete Slab Heating Cable Insulation Insulation Finish FloorWooden Laminate Reinforced Concrete Wall Vegetation Growing Medium Drainage Waterproof Membrane Steel Beam Concrete Column to Slab Concrete Wall to Metal Beam Daycare Center Health Clinic Soup Kitchen Daybreak shelter Reservoir Restaurant