Building the Dream

Statement

Like many coastal cities across America, San Francisco faces an acute housing shortage—one that paradoxically limits the very workforce needed to build its way out of the crisis. California Dreamin’ proposes a pragmatic exchange: it attracts immigrant construction workers by offering them a modest yet functional place to live while they contribute to the city’s growth. Each unit doubles as rentable advertising space, helping to fund the initiative by selecting ads that reinforce the visibility of those who build the city from behind the scenes. Designed as a modular unit for a single resident, the housing unit is part of a larger system that forms a supportive community. The building provides spaces where workers can refine their skills, access employment and immigration resources, and build connections. Shared amenities foster social interaction, while office spaces ensure continued support even after residents move on. The unit itself embodies a transition from disorder to clarity, with a spatial sequence that moves from messy to clean—both physically and metaphorically. Windows punctuate this progression, framing glimpses of a future that is not just imagined, but built.