California architecture firm Brooks + Scarpa has designed a low-cost housing development in Los Angeles to accommodate displaced service members.
Commissioned by Skid Row Housing Trust, a local homeless-advocacy group, The Six offers low-cost, permanent housing for homeless and/or disabled veterans in the region.

Veterans make up three per cent of LA's population, but account for 11 per cent of the city's homeless demographic.
The infill five-storey development is situated in MacArthur Park, one of the country's densest neighbourhoods.

Intending to cultivate community among tenants, Brooks + Scarpa allotted much of the available area to public spaces.
From the street, a set of stairs at the east facade ascends along a terraced garden to a communal courtyard on the first floor. The elevation from street level aims to strike a balance between privacy and connection with the surrounding neighbourhood.
"De-emphasising a reclusive, isolating layout in favour of a community-oriented, interactive space, a large courtyard orients tenants to social and public spaces and provides a secure circulation space from the street to their apartment," the firm said.
"The building's public courtyard is lifted above the street by one level, which provides a pedestrian-oriented street edge and visual connection/physical separation for the tenants."

Large apertures along the south and east facades, as well as a gap in the ceiling, bring natural light into the building.
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