The Project

We are undergraduate architecture students at The Academy of Art University in the B.Lab program. As fifth-year students, we are excited to design and build out a community room for the formerly unhoused in West Oakland. Our goals are a vibrant communal space for residents of the Mandela House. We have spent the first half of the semester working with the current residents by hearing their stories and collaborating with them on a design that focuses on community.

The final design will foster healing, connection, and empowerment, while honoring residents’ experiences. Through flexible furniture, this installation will help create a community room in Mandela House.

Who Is It For

MANDELA HOUSE

Mandela House is located at 3650 Mandela Parkway in West Oakland. Currently, the property has been converted into interim housing, offering 105 units that can accommodate up to 150 individuals or couples. It allows People, Pets, and Partners and serves people who were displaced from some of the city’s largest encampments. By 2026, the building will be converted into 125 units of permanent supportive housing, operated by HCEB. Residents will have access to essential support services—such as mental health care, rental assistance, and case management—to support their transition toward stable housing. As part of the Oakland City Homekey & Rapid Response Homeless Housing, this project aims to be a Bridge to Long-Term Stability.

Who We Are

The B.lab program at the Academy of Art University in SF was founded in 2018. Through robust partnerships with neighbors, kids, and local nonprofits, the program has built 7 projects throughout the Bay Area.

At its core, the B.lab is a design-build program promoting spatial justice for local communities and advocacy for future designers. Through radical listening and co-creation, we empower and hope to bring positive change to the built environment.