USC ARCHITECTURE REPORTS ON MODULAR MATRIX
Amid Los Angeles’s ongoing housing crisis, a team of designers—including USC Architecture students and alumni—have submitted a forward-thinking design to the Small Lots Big Impact competition.
The competition is a step towards creating a sustainable urban future for Los Angeles - one where a new generation of homeowners has the chance to thrive in more resilient neighborhoods. The competition asked designers, architects, and students to propose homeownership models on a selection of the city’s small, overlooked, and forgotten lots.
The project, titled Modular Matrix – A Structure for Resilient Living, was developed by USC architecture student interns Bellamy Burrell-Stevenson and Sebastian Lee, along with USC graduate Jose Botello-Herrera, who interned and now works full time at StudioHAU.
The team worked under the guidance of USC Architecture faculty Yo-Ichiro Hakomori, founder of StudioHAU, who led the design effort. Bellamy and Jose executed the majority of the design drawings in close collaboration with Hakomori, while Sebastian contributed to the presentation drawings.
At the heart of the proposal is a flexible system of prefabricated cross-laminated timber (CLT)—a renewable material known for its strength and sustainability. The three-story housing prototype rests on a compact footprint, using a modular structural grid of mass timber columns and beams to define living spaces that are easily adaptable to different family sizes and user groups.
Each floor includes integrated outdoor terraces, maximizing light, air, and connection to nature. Modular interior spaces can be reconfigured for evolving lifestyles, and every unit is designed for energy efficiency with operable windows for cross ventilation and ceiling-mounted HVAC units powered in part by rooftop photovoltaic panels. A central staircase connects the vertical living spaces, promoting circulation and visual connectivity. The site layout features three separate residential structures linked by a communal walkway and a shared open-air garden courtyard. The landscaping uses fire-resistant plantings, and stormwater is managed through detention ponds that allow for natural absorption—further minimizing environmental impact.
In total, the design not only explores innovative construction techniques and sustainable materials, but it also responds to broader urban challenges. By creatively utilizing underused small vacant lots, the team proposes a model for gentle density that aligns conceptually with policies like the promotion of Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs) in single-family zones. This kind of incremental, design-forward densification could be key in addressing the region’s housing needs without relying solely on large-scale developments.
The full project and its design details can be found here.
This is an exciting example of how emerging architects from the USC School of Architecture actively rethink the possibilities of residential design—both for resilience and for community.
Visit the full article here: USC Article