flexiblefullpage -
billboard - default
interstitial1 - interstitial
catfish1 - bottom
Currently Reading

Veterans Village supplies 51 units of supportive housing for U.S. military veterans in Carson, Calif.

Multifamily Housing

Veterans Village supplies 51 units of supportive housing for U.S. military veterans in Carson, Calif.

Withee Malcolm Architects designed the supportive housing community for developer Thomas Safran & Associates.


By Withee Malcolm Architects | February 8, 2021

An inviting courtyard adds to the sense of community at Veterans Village of Carson, Calif. PHOTO: JIM SIMMONS

Veterans Village of Carson is an affordable housing development offering 51 one-, two-, and three-bedroom units as well as onsite case management and supportive services to U.S. military veterans and their families.

Located adjacent to the 110 freeway in Carson, a low-rise urban section of Los Angeles, the project team addressed the specific needs of its residents.

3 Withee Malcolm Veterans Village_9810A5_Front Elevation.jpg

 The designers flipped the units around to keep the living areas buffered from the noise from the adjacent 110 freeway. PHOTO: JIM SIMMONS

 

WITHEE MALCOLM ARCHITECTS CREATES FULL AMENITIES PACKAGE

Designed by Torrance-based Withee Malcolm Architects for developer Thomas Safran & Associates, the three-story, mixed-use development employs Type V over one-story podium construction. Unit features include kitchens and bathrooms with granite countertops and solid-wood cabinetry.

It has a fitness center, outdoor areas at the podium level and second floor, and a 3,500-sf new community room equipped with a full kitchen, spacious seating areas, a computer lounge, pool table, piano and TV room.

Other amenities: laundry facilities, outdoor barbecue area, a children’s playground, and resident gardens. The gated community features secured access and on-site management and maintenance staff.

Care was taken to ensure community areas were welcoming and warm by including the addition of natural wood, stone accents, and comfortable seating.

 

2 Withee Malcolm Veterans Village_9603A5_Community Room.jpg

The community room at Veterans Village of Carson. Natural wood and comfortable seating was purposefully designed into the setting. PHOTO: JIM SIMMONS

 

TURNING UNITS TO BLOCK NOISE FROM THE NEARBY FREEWAY

The 1.15-acre site lies adjacent to the 110 freeway, a main north-south corridor connecting Pasadena and downtown Los Angeles with San Pedro and the Ports. The design team minimized noise to the interior living spaces as well as exterior community spaces.

Units located along the freeway side of the property were turned so that active windows and living spaces were oriented toward the interior courtyard and away from the noise source. In essence, the backs of the units were used as a sound buffer for interior landscaped courtyards and other residences.

4 Withee Malcolm Veterans Village_9674A3_Living Room.jpg

Living room at Veterans Village. The project offers one-, two-, and three-bedroom apartments, with priority to veterans and their families. PHOTO: JIM SIMMONS

 

COMMERCIAL SPACE OPENS UP ADDITIONAL LINK TO THE NEIGHBORHOOD

Commercial space on the corner of the building opens to an outdoor plaza to further encourage interaction between residents and the neighborhood.

Through design details and paint in light colors, the arrival experience mimics a parking court rather

than car garage, making the experience equally enticing for residents and retail shoppers.

To mitigate costs associated with additional parking, stalls for both residential and commercial uses were located on the ground level, screened from view by the commercial component, the main entry lobby, and abundant landscaping. Keeping the parking on grade also allowed natural ventilation and light.

6 Withee Malcolm Veterans Village_9395PA4_Courtyard.jpg

The structure wraps around a central courtyard . "We put extra effort into the design, aesthetics, landscape, and finishes," said Thomas Safran & Associates’ Tyler Monroe. PHOTO: JIM SIMMONS

 

SUPPORTIVE SERVICES PROVIDED BY U.S. VETS

At Veterans Village, U.S. VETS, a service organization whose mission is to end homelessness among veterans, provides supportive services to residents, including occupational training, access to medical/dental care, and point-of-retention services.

Veterans Village of Carson is a Tax Credit property that accepts Housing Choice (Section 8) and VASH vouchers. Preference is given to U.S. military veterans. The community was developed in collaboration with the City of Carson.

5 Withee Malcolm Veterans Village_9747PA5_Entry.jpg

Lobby at Veterans Village. Support services to residents is provided by U.S. VETS, whose mission is to end homelessness among U.S. veterans. PHOTO: JIM SIMMONS

 

‘EXTRA EFFORT’ TO CREATE AN ‘UPLIFTING’ EXPERIENCE

Designing the spaces for these services in ways that evoke home has encouraged veterans to take advantage of assistance that benefits them and the larger community.  “We look for every opportunity to make these projects special for the people who live there,” said Thomas Safran & Associates’ Tyler Monroe. “We put extra effort into the design, aesthetics, landscape, and finishes."

Affordable housing, he said, “should look as good, if not better, than anything else in the neighborhood. It should be uplifting, enriching, and contribute to the environment and its residents.”

4a Withee Malcolm Veterans Village_9845PA4A_Front Dusk.jpg

The complex at dusk. As one resident, a Navy veteran, said, "It's like a resort." PHOTO: JIM SIMMONS

 

HOW ONE RESIDENT VIEWS HIS NEW HOME

For Navy veteran and resident Ross Schenck, even restrictions put in place by COVID have not dampened the experience. “It’s beautiful there….it’s like a resort,” he said. “I love the views, the location, and I’ve loved getting to know almost all of my neighbors.”

See the video with interviews with U.S. Army veteran Major Stewart and others:

Major Stewart, U.S. Army.png

 

Related Stories

Mixed-Use | Jun 29, 2023

Massive work-live-play development opens in LA's new Cumulus District

VOX at Cumulus, a 14-acre work-live-play development in Los Angeles, offers 910 housing units and 100,000 sf of retail space anchored by a Whole Foods outlet. VOX, one of the largest mixed-use communities to open in the Los Angeles area, features apartments and townhomes with more than one dozen floorplans.

Sponsored | Multifamily Housing | Jun 29, 2023

Hello Atlanta!

Multifamily Housing | Jun 29, 2023

5 ways to rethink the future of multifamily development and design

The Gensler Research Institute’s investigation into the residential experience indicates a need for fresh perspectives on residential design and development, challenging norms, and raising the bar.

Office Buildings | Jun 28, 2023

When office-to-residential conversion works

The cost and design challenges involved with office-to-residential conversions can be daunting; designers need to devise creative uses to fully utilize the space.

Multifamily Housing | Jun 28, 2023

Sutton Tower, an 80-story multifamily development, completes construction in Manhattan’s Midtown East

In Manhattan’s Midtown East, the construction of Sutton Tower, an 80-story residential building, has been completed. Located in the Sutton Place neighborhood, the tower offers 120 for-sale residences, with the first move-ins scheduled for this summer. The project was designed by Thomas Juul-Hansen and developed by Gamma Real Estate and JVP Management. Lendlease, the general contractor, started construction in 2018.

Affordable Housing | Jun 27, 2023

Racial bias concerns prompt lawmakers to ask HUD to ban biometric surveillance, including facial recognition

Two members of the U.S. House of Representative have asked the Department of Housing and Urban Development to end the use of biometric technology, including facial recognition, for surveillance purposes in public housing. 

Apartments | Jun 27, 2023

Average U.S. apartment rent reached all-time high in May, at $1,716

Multifamily rents continued to increase through the first half of 2023, despite challenges for the sector and continuing economic uncertainty. But job growth has remained robust and new households keep forming, creating apartment demand and ongoing rent growth. The average U.S. apartment rent reached an all-time high of $1,716 in May.

Apartments | Jun 27, 2023

Dallas high-rise multifamily tower is first in state to receive WELL Gold certification

HALL Arts Residences, 28-story luxury residential high-rise in the Dallas Arts District, recently became the first high-rise multifamily tower in Texas to receive WELL Gold Certification, a designation issued by the International WELL Building Institute. The HKS-designed condominium tower was designed with numerous wellness details.

Multifamily Housing | Jun 19, 2023

Adaptive reuse: 5 benefits of office-to-residential conversions

FitzGerald completed renovations on Millennium on LaSalle, a 14-story building in the heart of Chicago’s Loop. Originally built in 1902, the former office building now comprises 211 apartment units and marks LaSalle Street’s first complete office-to-residential conversion.

Urban Planning | Jun 15, 2023

Arizona limits housing projects in Phoenix area over groundwater supply concerns

Arizona will no longer grant certifications for new residential developments in Phoenix, it’s largest city, due to concerns over groundwater supply. The announcement indicates that the Phoenix area, currently the nation’s fastest-growing region in terms of population growth, will not be able to sustain its rapid growth because of limited freshwater resources. 

boombox1 - default
boombox2 -
native1 -

More In Category




halfpage1 -

Most Popular Content

  1. 2021 Giants 400 Report
  2. Top 150 Architecture Firms for 2019
  3. 13 projects that represent the future of affordable housing
  4. Sagrada Familia completion date pushed back due to coronavirus
  5. Top 160 Architecture Firms 2021