Los Angeles City Planning Commission has unanimously approved architecture, urbanism and landscape-design firm Studio One Eleven’s design for supportive housing in Venice. Developed by Venice Community Housing Corporation, the four-story, 40-unit apartment building at 2467-2471 Lincoln Boulevard will serve transition-aged youth and people experiencing chronic homelessness. The new structure builds upon and expands the existing home of Safe Place for Youth currently on the site and will include on-site opportunities for work experience, within their offices and at their planned micro-enterprise space.
Rendering by Studio One Eleven of interior courtyard.
“By housing young adults experiencing homelessness while providing paths to employment, Safe Place for Youth will amplify the crucial work this organization performs. At the same time, individuals and families with disabilities facing long-term homelessness will find a place to permanently call home,” said Studio One Eleven Senior Principal Michael Bohn, AIA. “The contemporary design is in keeping with Lincoln Boulevard emerging as a mixed-use corridor. At the same time, it integrates with the adjacent community with roof heights that step down in scale towards the neighborhood behind it, and by providing ample and varied landscaped gardens, patios and terraces.”
A portion of the existing building fronting Lincoln Boulevard as well as the mural of Nelson Mandela holding a dove by artist David Flores are intended to remain. The mural was painted in various shades of blue to suggest calmness and serenity, qualities associated with Mr. Mandela. “We were inspired by the beautiful tones of blue and used them to highlight the entry doors to residential units within the courtyard,” said Bohn.
Rendering by Studio One Eleven of building from Lincoln Blvd.
The development received its entitlement approval by the City Planning Commission and is pending certification by the California Coastal Commission, anticipated by end of summer, 2020, with construction starting next year. It is expected to use cost-efficient modular wood construction. The housing will be a mix of studio, one- and two-bedroom residences. In unanimously approving the project, Los Angeles City Planning Commission acknowledged the design, its contribution to the community, and its role in mitigating the city’s homeless crisis.
Commissioner Dana Perlman stated, “We need these projects in all neighborhoods including Venice. Each one of these drops in the bucket will add up to get us out of this crisis.”
And Commissioner Helen Leung said, “I fully support this project. It should be a model for the rest of the city.”
Project funding includes Proposition HHH, the bond measure passed by Los Angeles voters in 2016 to build supportive housing, and predevelopment financing from Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC).
Studio One Eleven is an integrated practice of architecture, urbanism and landscape design dedicated to creating vibrant communities. We believe that architects and planners play a crucial role in the making of cities and that we have a responsibility to craft our built environment in ways that support our current and future collective well-being. Studio One Eleven finds ways to make cities more environmentally responsible, resilient, and prosperous while addressing livability and equity for all residents. For more information, visit http://www.studio-111.com/ or connect via Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn
