Instructors: Mimi Zeiger and Casey Rehm

Equitable housing has become a critical issue in Los Angeles. ​AI and the Future of Housing ​ critically considers the fundamental tools and approaches undergirding housing in a densifying city like LA. How is housing development changing? What are the significant requirements driving housing in contemporary urban culture? How do current trends in housing evolve in response to cultural desires—are these reflective of changing lifestyles or are they symptomatic of economic imbalances. Students will address these questions, specifically looking at intervention housing models like rezoned renovations of existing building stock and ADU units. These projects will force students to consider issues of accessibility, finance, speed of construction, sustainability, customizability, and desirability in housing.

The aim for this course is to explore housing issues from three directions, utilizing automation and artificial intelligence to assist in the generation of new design and analysis solutions. First students will develop research into emergent typologies and the policy and economic factors driving the current housing shortage. Based on that research they develop a position on the future of housing. Concurrently, students will work with platform-based design and fabrication strategies to propose and prototype new forms of housing. Finally, students will work with AI based platforms to analyze and map potential sites for intervention in Los Angeles based on economic and policy feasibility.