Our design team (M u t u o + urb—in) researched a new housing typology to be used as a novel tool in the ‘affordable housing toolbox’. Our goal with this project is to propose a more affordable way of building and as a result contribute to alleviate the affordable housing crisis in Los Angeles.
We are proposing reinforced precast box culverts commonly used for infrastructure projects as a viable solution for building modern, compact, affordable housing (micro units) in Los Angeles.
We are testing the idea with a one story Accessory Dwelling Unit (ADU) pilot plan and will replicate the pilot project stacking five units into a tower configuration on Boyle Avenue. Our basic pilot plan unit is composed of 4 interlocked boxes, one for each space: living, kitchen, bathroom, and bedroom. Each box (10’wide x 8’deep x 10’ high ceiling) interlocks with the next creating a long and narrow unit. Combined they form a 320 sf interior unit.
The five units on Boyle have an average 350 sf interior space. Through fruitful collaborations between developers and architects design can play a fundamental role in alleviating the affordable housing crisis in Los Angeles.