HED worked to create a functional and safe space for the Angeles House in Los Angeles, California.

Located in South Los Angeles, Angeles House offers a beacon of hope for women and children in need of help. The three-story facility provides interim housing, support services, and a path to permanent housing for up to 340 women and their children.

The guiding design principle of Angeles House is the creation of a home-like environment that moves beyond the traditional stigmas of shelter housing. The HED team achieved this goal by transcending the “dorm style” typical of traditional shelter housing. Instead, Angeles House provides 86 spacious living areas with private bathrooms, storage, functional furniture, acoustic and visual privacy, and an abundance of natural light.

Our team developed creative solutions to additional common challenges, including the lack of storage, privacy, and physical and emotional control. By integrating communal spaces throughout Angeles House, residents are encouraged to reconnect with each other.

The facility also features community rooms, a garden, day-use areas, communal kitchen, and recreation spaces, a library, and office space. Supportive services, including education, job training, daycare, and medical and behavioral health services will provide residents with the tools they need to start anew.

Above all, Angeles House fosters an environment of healing, one that empowers, uplifts, and restores the dignity, confidence, and self-worth of its residents.

Design: HED
Photography: Greg Epstein