Playing a critical role in addressing Los Angeles’ housing crisis, Central Ave Apartments provides safe, supportive, and affordable housing for individuals experiencing or at risk of homelessness. The five-story community located near downtown Los Angeles delivers 57 apartments alongside four on-site social service offices.
Beyond housing, the project offers an environment with spaces for connection and recovery, including a ground-floor indoor community promenade with seating, a recreation room, and a podium-level outdoor deck—all designed to foster dignity, community, and stability for residents
Architectural Vision
The design of Central Ave Apartments transforms what was a narrow urban infill site into a welcoming vertical-oriented community. The architectural concept centers on a framed “cube and cradle” module that defines both the large-scale building massing and the smaller-scale details such as lighting and signage. This motif is repeated throughout, creating a sense of rhythm and unity while framing communal and private spaces.
The project’s terraced outdoor gardens are one of the project’s defining features, activating the relationships between residents and their community. These layered outdoor spaces progress from an at-grade meditative garden to a larger second-floor community garden, to a series of overlapping small gathering terraces above. Each terrace is visually and spatially connected, creating opportunities for solitude, small-group interaction, and larger community gatherings.
Natural ventilation and open-air corridors enhance daylight and air movement throughout the project, while bright yellow- and orange-hued exteriors transform the building into a warm, inviting beacon at night.
The lobby further anchors the community with New Day, a mosaic mural by artists Rachel Modi and Michael Chavez, Jr., echoing the building’s exterior palette and infusing the entrance with color and meaning. These design elements work together to foster wellness, belonging, and pride among residents.
Sustainability
Sustainable strategies were integrated throughout the project, from daylighting and natural ventilation to efficient systems that reduce energy use. Durable, low-maintenance materials extend the building’s lifespan and minimize waste, while terraced gardens offer health and wellness benefits, reinforcing the link between nature and community.
Awards and Other:
Pacific Coast Builders’ Conference (PCBC) Gold Nugget Awards – Grand Award (2025)
Pacific Coast Builders’ Conference (PCBC) Gold Nugget Awards Best Supportive/Transitional Housing (2025)
BALA Silver Award – Best Affordable Multifamily, Garden/Lowrise (2025)
National Association of Home Builders – Gold Award for Best Affordable Multifamily, Garden/Low-Rise (5 stories or less) (2025)
