Bridging the Gap
Name
Bridging the Gap
Type
Housing
Location
Los Angeles, California
Year
Fall 2023
Credits
Partner Project
Teammate: Matthew Schroeder
Buildner Los Angeles Affordable Housing Competition: Shortlisted🔗
DESCRIPTION
Confronting the Crisis
Los Angeles faces a growing housing shortage driven by rising costs and widening income disparity. As affordable options disappear, the city continues to develop unevenly. This project identifies the LA River as an underutilized urban condition with the potential to address this imbalance.
Creating Real Estate Where None Existed
Bridging the Gap reclaims overlooked river adjacencies and transforms them into viable housing infrastructure. By introducing affordable development into unused space, the project expands access to housing while working within the city’s existing footprint.
Closing the Social and Economic Divide
The proposal focuses on more than housing alone. It frames residential development as a tool for community, pairing affordability with shared public space to encourage inclusion and everyday interaction.
The Design
The project is organized around a modular, prefabricated housing system along the river banks. Flexible units support a range of occupants while maintaining a cohesive and adaptable architectural framework.
BAY
Robust structural bays are placed in alignment along the LA River, each supporting up to 20 residents in modular housing units. What sets these modules apart is their innovative design feature: extendable walls. Walls can be adjusted to indicate occupancy and manage density, allowing each unit to adapt to the needs and preferences of its residents. This flexibility not only maximizes space efficiency, but also visually represents the changing dynamic of the community.
BREATHING FORM
During times of lower occupancy, the walls retract, creating open and shared spaces that blend with the surrounding environment. In periods of higher density, the walls extend outward, providing additional privacy and personal space for inhabitants. This dynamic feature of the modules serves as a testament to the project’s commitment to adaptable, responsive living spaces.
