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Idea by

MUTUO with Urb-in and Miguel Nobrega

http://www.thisismutuo.com

1340 E 6th Street, Los Angeles, United States of America
M u t u o was established by Jose Herrasti & Fernanda Oppermann in Los Angeles in 2014. Since then we have explored common grounds in our passion for design; in finding extraordinary uses for ordinary materials and methods; in discovering new perspectives; and in creating meaningful impact through architecture.

Call for ideas 2020

Boyle Tower


Re-purposed precast concrete culverts for micro-unit tower

Boyle Tower


Re-purposed precast concrete culverts for micro-unit tower
Our design team researched a new housing typology to be used as a novel tool in the ‘affordable housing toolbox’ to propose a more affordable way of building and as a result contribute to alleviate the affordable housing crisis.
File under
Type of project
  • Systemic changes

We are proposing reinforced precast box culverts commonly used for infrastructure projects as a viable
solution for building modern, compact, affordable-by-design housing (micro units).
We are testing the idea with a one story pilot plan and will replicate the pilot project stacking five units into a tower configuration on Boyle Avenue. Our basic pilot plan unit is composed of 4 interlocked boxes, one for each space: living, kitchen, bathroom, and bedroom. Each box (3 meter wide x 2.5 meter deep x 3 meter high ceiling) interlocks with the next creating a long and narrow unit. Combined they form a 30 square meter interior unit.
The owner of the property decided to keep the existing building to avoid displacing the residents. The alternative was to build a second building in the available narrow strip on the property.

Pilot plan diagram and typical floor plan

Site plan

Section. The building steps with the land

Model

We collaborated with an artist to include a mural on facade

Boyle Tower


Re-purposed precast concrete culverts for micro-unit tower

Boyle Tower


Re-purposed precast concrete culverts for micro-unit tower
Our design team researched a new housing typology to be used as a novel tool in the ‘affordable housing toolbox’ to propose a more affordable way of building and as a result contribute to alleviate the affordable housing crisis.
File under
Type of project
  • Systemic changes

We are proposing reinforced precast box culverts commonly used for infrastructure projects as a viable
solution for building modern, compact, affordable-by-design housing (micro units).
We are testing the idea with a one story pilot plan and will replicate the pilot project stacking five units into a tower configuration on Boyle Avenue. Our basic pilot plan unit is composed of 4 interlocked boxes, one for each space: living, kitchen, bathroom, and bedroom. Each box (3 meter wide x 2.5 meter deep x 3 meter high ceiling) interlocks with the next creating a long and narrow unit. Combined they form a 30 square meter interior unit.
The owner of the property decided to keep the existing building to avoid displacing the residents. The alternative was to build a second building in the available narrow strip on the property.

Pilot plan diagram and typical floor plan

Site plan

Section. The building steps with the land

Model

We collaborated with an artist to include a mural on facade

Idea by

MUTUO with Urb-in and Miguel Nobrega
1340 E 6th Street
Los Angeles
United States of America
M u t u o was established by Jose Herrasti & Fernanda Oppermann in Los Angeles in 2014. Since then we have explored common grounds in our passion for design; in finding extraordinary uses for ordinary materials and methods; in discovering new perspectives; and in creating meaningful impact through architecture.
View other ideas