Pivoting Transitional Housing
HKS, Inc. Richmond Firm: Nick Cooper, AIA, Dorian Sosa, Zachary Wolk, Assoc. AIA, Chen Zheng, and Esther Jeong
A community is defined by its occupants and changes with time. It changes with the people - as some leave, many come in and create new spaces.
The Pivot is a transitional, mobile housing unit that is designed to be implemented in a series of different spaces in London for working-class immigrants. The solution aims to utilize a series of empty spaces for short term accommodation while responding to the need for a safe, hygienic, sanitary and affordable alternative to the streets. Our solution allows its guests to work, unfold and live in a way that feels more permanent than temporary. Its core modular unit contains all the necessary functions of a working person that just needs rest and security after a long day of work, no matter where it takes them. Its attached walls slide out and unfold elegantly to completely enclose the unit at a dimension of 8’ x 8’. But its opportunities also lie in the public realm. It’s wheels and unique double-acting hinges allow each wall to turn 180 degrees. With only two of the walls bound to the actual unit, this gives each user a countless amount of ways to arrange the unit and interact with their neighbors.
