"The housing crisis in Los Angeles also has a significant impact on education and healthcare access. As families are forced to move further away from city centers in search of affordable housing, they often find themselves in areas with underfunded schools and limited healthcare facilities. This, in turn, perpetuates cycles of poverty and inequality, affecting future generations. To address the multifaceted implications of the housing crisis in Los Angeles, a comprehensive and innovative approach is needed. Solutions must not only focus on creating affordable housing options but also on fostering a sense of community and connection among residents, promoting sustainable and inclusive urban development, and addressing the broader social and economic challenges faced by the city. By tackling the housing crisis, Los Angeles has the potential to create a more equitable, resilient, and thriving city for all its residents, ensuring that the City of Angels remains an emblem of opportunity, diversity, and innovation for years to come."
Why Hawthorne Plaza?
Our site, once a thriving mall, has sat abandoned for nearly 25 years. While numerous proposals suggested converting it into high-end retail and demolishing the existing structure, our team envisions an alternative future for the parking complex. Instead of following the retail narrative, we propose reimagining this former community hub to address affordable housing concerns and pioneer new approaches to urban mobility, dwelling, and collectivity.
BASE/CUT/FILL/STITCH
Cut
In the initial step, we propose cutting through the center of the parking structure to (1) create a pedestrian corridor connecting the north and south ends of the site, (2) form two bar massings with distinctive street-facing and backyard elements, and (3) allow sufficient natural light for the conversion of the structure into high-density housing. The existing structure’s three 35-foot-wide structural bays enable us to perform this operation without compromising the building’s integrity. An additional cut to the north retains a portion as parking for adjacent local offices northeast of the site.
Stitch
Moving to step two, we utilize the existing parking ramps to establish a multi-modal throughway crossing the site from east to west. Over the 25 years of vacancy, the structure has become a significant barrier to mobility in that direction. The parking ramps not only stitch the floor plates together but also provide seamless pedestrian and vehicular connectivity, eliminating the need to travel to the north or south of the site. The ground floor remains a 110-space garage with a multi-modal ramp, while the upper floors are transformed into dwellings interconnected by the existing ADA-compliant ramp.
Fill
In step three, we leverage the existing 20-foot-wide structural bays to layout 62 2-3 Bedroom Townhouse Units and 76 accessible 1-2 Bedroom Apartments. This housing configuration accommodates over 338 beds within a compact 36,000 sq. ft. footprint. Each townhouse unit features a garage, private patio, and balcony, along with spacious interior common areas on every floor. All these amenities are thoughtfully designed to fit within a compact 700 sq. ft. footprint. We firmly believe that the future of Los Angeles Affordable Housing lies in reimagining how Angelinos’ love for gathering space and outdoor lifestyles can flourish in townhomes and alternative housing typologies.
Competition Team: Michael Chang, Adrian Corbey, Mindy Ma