Co-living building by LOHA adds "much-needed density" to West Los Angeles

Living units have been arranged around a central courtyard in Barrington 1503, a residential project by California studio LOHA that was designed to skilfully address the "complexities of communal living".

For a rectangular site in West Los Angeles, the studio designed a complex that consists of four distinct but connected volumes totalling 24,200 square feet (2,248 square metres).

Facades are clad in charcoal-coloured aluminium panels and raked plaster.

The four-level complex offers 79 private bedrooms – spread across 18 apartments – along with shared spaces for cooking, dining and lounging.

According to LOHA, the project introduces "much-needed density" to a neighbourhood that is filled with college students and new residents. The University of California, Los Angeles campus and Santa Monica College are located in the area. A more typical development would have accommodated far fewer residents, said LOHA.

Communal living projects offer an "essential and viable alternative" to the traditional housing models in Los Angeles.

"Los Angeles faces dramatic increases in the cost of living, further exacerbated by the overwhelming prevalence of single-residence homes," said LOHA.

"The co-living model is growing rapidly, driven by increasing demand for affordable housing and a stronger sense of connection among residents."

Barrington 1503 was designed to offer a mix of social and private spaces, with layered transitions between the two realms.

"At the heart of Barrington 1503's design is the concept of a spatial social gradient," the team said.

"As underscored by the Covid-19 pandemic, the success of co-living depends on skillfully balancing shared community spaces with well-defined private areas."

The building reads as a cube that was carved up to form the four volumes, which vary in size and shape. The volumes are set around a central courtyard that is open to the sky and ushers in sunlight.

Dappled light falls upon the site's network of exterior corridors and stairs, which are lined with white railings and connect the four volumes. These circulation elements facilitate both movement and social interaction.

"These pathways are more than just thoroughfares," the team said. "They are spaces of connection, allowing for chance encounters and fostering an organic sense of community."

Each of the building's 18 apartments contains a kitchen, living space, and either four or five bedrooms. There are between two and four bathrooms in each unit. All units come furnished.

The bedrooms range in size, from approximately 104 to 130 square feet (9.6 to 12 metres). Each comes with a full-sized bed, although a queen-sized bed could fit in most of the rooms, according to LOHA.

While the units will likely be attractive to students, the building is open to all types of residents.

The units stray from the typical rental apartment in a couple of ways.

First, they come with more bedrooms than are commonly found in a conventional apartment in America. Second, a tenant rents an individual room and is then paired up with roommates. In a more conventional context, tenants band together to rent a full apartment, rather than renting individual rooms.

The architects used various tactics to distinguish between public and private realms in the apartments.

In the living rooms, sliding doors and windows open toward the inner courtyard, providing a connection to the building's social life. In contrast, bedroom windows were placed along perimeter walls and look out toward the city.

Interior finishes include plywood cabinetry and wooden floors. The team used colour tones to signal transitions between public and private zones.

"A soothing sage green coats the kitchens and living areas, evoking lightness and tranquility, while the hallway walls darken as they lead to the bedrooms – subtly signaling a transition into more restful, intimate spaces," the team said.

Overall, the complex's design is meant to serve as a model for future co-living projects.

"The project thoughtfully addresses the complexities of communal living, providing an environment that supports both interaction and solitude in equal measure," the studio said.

"Barrington1503 not only embraces the promise of co-living but brings it to life with architectural precision, creating a model for 21st-century urban housing that is as functional as it is inspiring."

Other co-living projects in America include a complex near Hollywood by Bittoni Architects that is clad in white stucco and contains 23 bedrooms, and a pale pink building in Massachusetts that contains 30 units and a host of shared amenities.

The photography is by Eric Staudenmaier.

Project credits:

Architect: Lorcan O'Herlihy Architects (LOHA)
LOHA team: Lorcan O'Herlihy (principal-in-charge), Brian Adolph (project director), Nicholas Muraglia (team lead), Kenji Hattori-Forth (project team)
Client: Rize Alliance

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