7th & Whitmer
SITE ANALYSIS
MASTER PLANNING
ARCHITECTURE
DEVELOPMENT CONSULTING
INTERIORS
ART & DESIGN
BRANDING
LOCATION: LOS ANGELES, CA
SIZE: 63,364 SF | 76 units
STATUS: COMPLETED
PROGRAM: Mixed-use affordable housing & commercial
PARTNERS/CONSULTANTS: Architecture provided in partnership with Hatch-Colasuonno Studio.
AWARDS: Finalist for Jack Kemp Excellence in Affordable and Workforce Housing Award by ULI 2020
7th & Witmer is a 76-unit apartment complex designed as a permanent supportive housing solution for individuals experiencing chronic homelessness. The six-story, mixed-use building in Downtown Los Angeles features three ground-floor retail units—one of which is a Metro bike-sharing station. Located in an urban infill site two miles from LA’s infamous Skid Row, this project not only provides critically needed housing, but it is also part of a larger urban development to improve sustainable mobility along the 7th Street corridor.
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A game-changer in the development of affordable housing, this project achieved significant accomplishments:
Delivered a (land+hard) cost per unit of $330,000 (compared to LA's average of $450,000) while providing commercial prevailing wages to all construction workers
LEED for Homes sustainability certification that includes the first greywater system in the City of LA that uses both stormwater and graywater to supply toilets and irrigation
At the forefront of addressing the housing crisis, this project is strictly for the specific population of chronically homeless individuals who are currently on the streets and not in shelters or other living arrangements
In partnership with the City of Los Angeles, it is part of larger sustainable transportation/mobility improvements and urban greening along 7th Street
In recognition of the difficulty and sensitivity associated with residents transitioning out of homelessness and into permanent supportive housing, the building was designed to provide a comfortable, warm, familiar, and welcoming environment. To further acknowledge the streets from which many residents came, the project includes a collaboration with Cero Design of Puerto Rico, featuring a large tile mural in the lobby — a vibrant interpretation of the City of Angels and its network of streets, freeways and neighborhoods. As part of a larger street improvement effort, the concept of the mural is aligned, cheerful, and recognizable to the Angelinos who will now call this building home.
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