2021 First Place Award International Design Competition
We are overjoyed to announce that our “Green Alley Housing” concept received a First Place award in “Low Rise: Housing Ideas for Los Angeles,” an ideas competition sponsored by Mayor Garcetti’s Office with Christopher Hawthorne, Chief Design Officer. https://lowrise.la/
Thank you Michael Kimmelman / New York Times for featuring Green Alley Housing!:
https://www.nytimes.com/2021/06/22/arts/design/los-angeles-housing-crisis.html
Thank you Carolina Miranda / LA Times for such a great piece!:
Thank you Lucy Wang / Dwell Magazine for covering our project's sustainable design:
https://www.dwell.com/article/los-angeles-low-rise-design-challenge-winners-1e31dae1
A special Thank You to our Community Partners!
Garvanza Improvement Association https://www.facebook.com/Garvanza/
Highland Park Heritage Trust www.hpht.org
Highland Park Ad Hoc Committee on the NE Community Plan https://highlandparknc.com/hhpnc-northeast-community-plan-ad-hoc-committe/
Project Overview: “Green Alley Housing” proposes to convert underutilized public alleys in the historic neighborhood of Garvanza to sensitively add new housing. Our design process included early outreach and feedback from our community partners in the neighborhood. With our proposal, old public alleys can be reimagined as pedestrian friendly Green Alleys that foster a sense of community and promote micro-enterprises in a small-scale live/work environment. The proposal points to a way to add housing density while preserving historic fabric.
To help combat climate change, more resilience would be built into the community via Net-Zero designed infill housing with EV infrastructure and Solar Battery backup systems. Reimagined pedestrian friendly “green alleys” with permeable paving would capture stormwater runoff and help reduce air and water pollution. The Green Alley Housing concept would lead to greater, more equitable home ownership opportunities, more affordable housing and could be replicated in other neighborhoods over Los Angeles’ whopping 900 linear miles of public alleys.
A giant thanks to the team!:
Urban Planning: Antonio Castillo and Garen Yolles
Interns: Aang Castillo, Galin Aghkyan and Don Chavez (Cal Poly Pomona, College of Environmental Design)
Sustainability Advisors: Dr. John Van Leer and Robert Frischmuth
