For leading firm KTGY, architecture has a purpose and power to address some of society’s biggest challenges. And with its Los Angeles studio just blocks from Skid Row – where 4,000 people sleep on the street each night – the firm’s R&D Studio developed The Essential, a scalable housing solution, inclusive of social services, to attack the main drivers of Los Angeles’ homelessness crisis, such as the lack of affordable housing and poor mental health resources. By repurposing 14 vacant sites in the neighborhood, Skid Row could transform into a supportive environment for a total of 4,690 individuals.
While securing coverage for architectural concepts like The Essential can be challenging, we were confident the vision, combined with the news cycle and LA Mayor Karen Bass’ commitment to tackle homelessness, created a strong and timely hook for an in-depth feature of KTGY’s vision.
Securing the exclusive with Fast Company was a conversation months in the making. We shared the concept as an exclusive under embargo, and hosted freelancer, Patrick Sisson, at KTGY’s LA studio for an in-person interview with Principals David Senden and Mark Oberholzer, followed by a walking tour of Skid Row to see the vacant spaces and parking lots where The Essential could be constructed to help bring the story to life.
The Fast Company feature, titled “This Radical Proposal Totally Reimagines Skid Row Housing,”
highlights insightful quotes from KTGY leadership and sparks a comprehensive conversation around the complexities of the homeless housing crisis, and how reimagining housing solutions through a holistic lens can put resident’s long term support and wellbeing at the forefront. The piece reached over 16 million readers and was promoted across Fast Company’s social channels.