Alexandria Park Tiny Home Village. Image Courtesy of Lehrer Architects
In February, Lehrer Architects completed Chandler Boulevard Bridge Home Village, its first transitional housing project. Alexandria Park Tiny Home Village, the second deployment of the experimental solution, this time at a scale twice bigger, is nearing completion and will accommodate 200 residents. A third transitional housing project is currently under construction. The developments represent an intermediary step in the city’s strategy of helping homeless people access permanent housing. The defining feature of the projects is the use of colour, which turns the strictly functional solution into a visually stimulating space that can foster a community.
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It’s a rather unfortunate platitude that good design and government programs don’t mix. More than unfortunate, it’s also untrue, as a new initiative from the City of Los Angeles demonstrates.
The newly launched Accessory Dwelling Unit (ADU) Standard Plan Program offers homeowners 20 eye-catching, pre-approved designs for the increasingly popular typology, which many see as a viable alternative to costlier mid-rise apartment buildings. Administered by the Los Angeles Department of Building and Safety (LADBS) in United States and featuring designs from firms including SO – IL and LA-Más, the program is a bid to fast-track permits for these humble, backyard homes better known as ADUs as well as making them “more accessible, more affordable, and more beautiful,” said L.A. Mayor Eric Garcetti in a press statement.