With Los Angeles being one of the most expensive places in the U.S., it’s encouraging to see architects and designers tackle the area’s affordable housing crisis head on, even if it’s one house at a time. Check out the IVRV House in West Athens in southern L.A., the latest home built by Southern California Institute of Architecture (SCI-Arc) and Habitat for Humanity of Greater Los Angeles, as part of a joint initiative to redevelop neglected properties into homes for low-income families.
The design, conceived by students in SCI-Arc faculty member Darin Johnstone’s studio, features a striking "eco-screen" that’s supposed to filter air and provide a shade for the courtyard towards the front of the house. The lofty home full of large openings is bared-pack inside, marked by stucco walls and concrete floors.
As Inhabitat reports, the recently completed home was just sold to a U.S. Army veteran, who will be living in it with his family. Though the specific price was not disclosed, the house was offered as part of Habitat L.A.’s existing homeownership program, which specifies that the property will be sold without profit and financed with zero-interest loans. Read more about the initiative here.
- Habitat LA and SCI-Arc students complete an affordable, eco-friendly home for a U.S. veteran [Inhabitat]
- First-time homebuying 101: Tips for buying your first home [Curbed]
- Starter homes in the U.S.: By the numbers [Curbed]