Understory
Low-Rise: Housing Ideas for Los Angeles
Honorable Mention
This housing proposal begins with the landscape and the grounds upon which new homes sit upon. The Understory gives much of the lot surface area back to California’s native landscape, creating a network of agricultural fields that weave between compact housing units to simultaneously increase shared open space and density on proposed lots. This new landscape is a generative landscape: it grows food, collects rainwater, provides shade and private open spaces for its residents - questioning the role of current ‘green space’ in typical Los Angeles neighborhoods and pushing the present-day indoor-outdoor thresholds of the home and garden. In a post-pandemic environment where the identity and purpose of The Outdoors has evolved, it is more important than ever to provide equitable access to high-quality outdoor space.
The Suburban Lot
The suburban lot solves for many an American’s desire for a front lawn, a backyard, a safe piece of land for their own. Although the suburban lot addresses the household’s needs at the scale of an individual lot, its replication across city neighborhoods has proven unsustainable. How can the critical assets of the suburban home be rearranged to create a dense, sustainable, and pedestrian-oriented living experience? What can the suburbs give back to its occupants and the community, at the scale of the individual lot, but also at the scale of the neighborhood?
The Understory
The Understory is a living network, giving much of the lot area back to California’s native landscape, and creating a sequence of shared agricultural plots and gardens that weave between compact housing units. This new landscape is generative: it grows food, collects rainwater, and provides shade. Like the understory of a forest, this flowing strata is resilient and diverse, probing the role of current ‘green space’ and compartmentalized yards in typical LA low-rise neighborhoods.
Can shared gardens foster a stronger community?
Can planting be used to create outdoor rooms?
Can the landscape create safe spaces for gathering in a post-pandemic world?
Can rooftop solar photo-voltaics provide both power and shelter?
Can paved lot area be reduced entirely to create lush, calming environments?
Can car parking be integrated into the landscape?
Can shared gardens foster a stronger community? Can planting be used to create outdoor rooms? Can the landscape create safe spaces for gathering in a post-pandemic world? Can rooftop solar photo-voltaics provide both power and shelter? Can paved lot area be reduced entirely to create lush, calming environments? Can car parking be integrated into the landscape?
The Understory creates three types of outdoor space of varying size and utility: the Community Porch, the Generative Gardens, and the Solar Canopy.