Los Angeles launches affordable housing competition

The city of Los Angeles has announced a design competition to create sustainable, low-rise housing in the city.

The competition is being organised by the Los Angeles’ mayor’s office, along with the city’s chief design officer and the department of water and power.

In the competition press release, the organisers comment that low-rise projects are more socially beneficial than larger scale developments as they increase a sense of community, offer more residents access to gardens and shared outdoor spaces.

There are four categories in the competition:

• Fourplex: A four-unit design with a total floor space of 4,500 sq ft
• Subdivision: A standalone, single-family property on a 2,500 sq ft lot
• (Re)Distribution: Breaking up an existing property into a four units
• Corners: A combination of two lots offering six to 10 units, including a corner shop.

Twelve winning proposals will be selected, three for each category: $10,000 awarded for first place, $3,500 for second place and $1,500 for third place.

The deadline for submissions is February 2021, more information is available here.

Images courtesy of lowrise.la