Housing Development in Los Angeles by LOHA

Historically, the city of Los Angeles has not been known for its economical use of space. Consequently, almost all available land for subsidised housing is now considered unfit for development. In 2018, the city decided to sell some of its 1,700-plus city-owned properties to private investors. Many of these properties are located alongside major urban motorways or are divided into several sections, which makes them difficult to plan for.

To the west, the residential complex borders a small green space. The ground floor, which is one and a half times the height of the upper floors, houses shops and offices. © Eric Staudenmaier

Lorcan O'Herlihy Architects view these plots as an opportunity to address the city's housing shortage. The Isla Intersections project is the second that they have planned for the non-profit organisation Holos Communities. Located in the shadow of one of the world's busiest motorway junctions, where Interstates 105 and 110 meet. The approximately 2000 m² triangular plot of land previously served as a traffic island and railway yard. Now, 54 prefabricated residential units are located here, grouped into two- to five-storey blocks and accessed from the interior of the site via pergolas.

Open pergolas, © Eric Staudenmaier

The buildings' height is in keeping with the urban environment: on the main road to the south, they rise to five storeys; to the north, towards the area of single-family homes, they drop to two storeys. The extra-high ground floor houses shops, offices, and training rooms for clients. Residents can take advantage of counselling services and professional training opportunities here. The apartments themselves consist of three welded steel containers and, unlike many modular buildings, they have open floor plans. Each apartment features a wheelchair-accessible kitchen, bathroom, living area and bedroom. According to the architects, prefabrication reduced the construction time from 45 to 30 months. The client had raised beds installed on the roofs of the container buildings to increase the local supply of fruit and vegetables.