Thinking outside the cardboard box. A course in homelessness

LOS ANGELES - Homelessness is as synonymous with Los Angeles as palm trees, sunsets, and Hollywood. As with most of the country, the homeless crisis is getting worse and the population has reached more than 43,000 of the 500,000 homeless in the country.

Madworkshop has collaborated with The USC School of Architecture to think outside the cardboard box.

The Homeless Studio is a new course that explores the architect’s role in solving the homeless crisis in Los Angeles. They focus on transitional, temporary, modular, and expandable solutions that will be devoted to the design of a 30-bed modular shelter for women for Hope of the Valley Rescue Mission.

Students learn about design, hands-on fabrication, and the complexities of the homelessness while also visiting the Skid Row Housing Trust, Los Angeles Men’s Place, and the Downtown Women’s Center to speak firsthand with those who have recently experienced homelessness.

Watch the video to see how one homeless man is turning the street into his paradise.