IVRV House by Habitat for Humanity Los Angeles + Darin Johnstone in Westmont, California

Project: IVRV HouseArchitects: Habitat for Humanity Los Angeles + Darin Johnstone Location: Westmont, Santa Barbara, California, United States
Area: 1,185 sq ft
Photos by: Joshua White

IVRV House by Habitat for Humanity Los Angeles + Darin Johnstone

Discover SCI Arc's remarkable collaboration between Habitat for Humanity Los Angeles and Darin Johnstone, which challenges traditional notions of sustainable and affordable housing. This innovative project emerged from a partnership between the Southern California Institute of Architecture (SCI-Arc) and Habitat for Humanity, uniting their missions to educate future architects and provide decent, safe, and affordable housing for all.

The IVRV House, designed and built by students, questions traditional residential programs in an unexpected way. Located in South Los Angeles, it maximizes protected living zones while maintaining a compact footprint. The design rethinks the traditional gabled block through deliberate operations to transform conventional forms. The entry courtyard features a unique multi-layered 'ecological screen' that creates a secluded outdoor space combining sustainability and aesthetics.

The IVRV House is the result of a collaboration between the Southern California Institute of Architecture and Habitat for Humanity. It represents the convergence of two additional missions: to educate architects who will imagine and shape the future, and to provide decent, safe, and affordable housing for all. The house aims to challenge the status quo of sustainable/affordable housing both in form and content. Designed and built by students, it seeks to respond to typical residential programs unexpectedly. The collaboration began with a studio at SCI-Arc in September 2014. During the competition, the IVRV project was selected among 16 student works. The student project developed and constructed under the guidance of instructor Darin Johnstone was completed in spring 2016.

The lot in South Los Angeles is located in an area where chain-link fences surround homes to prevent crime. The main functional concept of IVRV was to maximize the protected living zones (interior and exterior) while maintaining the square footage of typical one-story HFHLA homes (3 bedrooms, 2.5 bathrooms on 1200 sq ft). To achieve this goal, the house captures the allowable width of the lot in the form of a two-story gabled block where external spaces were 'subtracted.' The traditional form underwent a series of operations to make it distinct from an ordinary house. The southern end (back of the house) is pitched to increase wall thickness for better insulation and shading of inset windows. The northern roof end (front of the house) is cut out to provide northern light onto the balcony, bedroom, and entry courtyard. The resulting design uniqueness is not merely novelty; it's a form following the goal through process.

A multi-layered 'ecological screen' was developed for the entry courtyard to enclose the garden area. This arose from a desire to create a secure outdoor environment within the gabled structure, allowing families to enjoy all benefits of California's climate and lifestyle. The design aims to synthesize sustainable features into an overall aesthetic style; the 'ecological screens' protect the entry courtyard with a new kind of lattice that shades the courtyard, captures energy, and cleans the air.

We hope this project can serve as an example and contribute to the city. It is a small-scale project embodying the idea that design innovations are necessary for creating housing that is affordable, sustainable, safe, and beautiful. According to Habitat for Humanity principles, 'everyone deserves a decent, safe, and affordable place to live.' Imagining the future, SCI Arc students went beyond mere decency to create something that is also pleasant, wonderful, and inspiring.

–Habitat for Humanity Los Angeles