IMPACT OPPORTUNITY
OUR STORY
The daily life of one family dedicated to the indigenous people along the Amazon river of Santa Rosa Island was the catalyst for LifeArk. With houses built on stilts, here was a community spending eight months of the year battling flooding (with water levels fluctuating up to 8 meters)—trapped in a cycle of poverty generation after generation. As architects we sought to solve this fundamental problem through good design—a process through which we realized there was a global crisis.
OUR PHILOSOPHY
We believe good design has the potential to solve some of society’s biggest issues.
L IF E ARK
DURABLE Building material’s natural viscious, elastic and germresistant characteristics provides resilience in extreme conditions. Optimal thermal performance provides comfort in extreme weather conditions.
CUSTOMIZABLE LifeArk’s modular design allows for infinite configuration possibilities, allowing end users to customize each unit according to their needs
SELF-SUSTAINABLE
RELOCATE/RECYCLE
LifeArk units are designed with integrated systems to provide clean water and energy off-grid, allowing the configurations to be deployed anywhere around the world.
LifeArk units can be easily disassembled, relocated and reassembled as needed. At the end of their use, they can be 100% recycled.
FLOATING LifeArk Water module hulls are buoyant, allowing units to float, creating a new paradigm for living on water.
COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT LifeArk will secure basic infrastructure needs for a community while providing a number of new economic development platforms.
M AR K ET SI Z E
58,000
7M
2B
LOCAL
NATIONAL
GLOBAL
Los Angeles County Homeless Housing
US Affordable Housing, Coastal Cities, Flood Zones
Flood Zones, Urbanization, Disaster Relief, Refugee Housing
L OC AL
58,000
Homeless Individuals in Los Angeles County (2017).
25,000
New permanent supportive housing units needed.
$1.2 Billion
Funds approved through Measure HHH to provide permanent supportive housing for the homeless (Nov 2017).
“LifeArk has presented an innovative way to address the needs of our most vulnerable populations. They understand we do not have a homeless problem; we have a housing problem. Their innovative way to address the high cost of housing is a game changer for years to come. As a leading nonprofit addressing homelessness, Illumination Foundation is a proud partner of LifeArk. Together I’m confident we can find a solution to one of the most pressing societal problems of today.” -Paul Leon, Illumination Foundation CEO
NAT I ON A L
500,000
Homeless individuals nationwide (2016).
4 million
Affordable homes needed for Extremely-Low Income (ELI) Renters.
2 million
Homes nationwide at risk of being underwater by 2100.
G L OB A L
21 Million
Individuals affected by river flooding annually.
54 Million
Expected number of individuals affected by river flooding by2030.
1 Billion
New housing units needed to house growing urban population in developing nations by 2060.
URBAN GROWTH PER HOUR
60%
of the land projected to be urban by 2030 has yet to be developed. (UN Environment)
C ONS Q UICKTRUC & A FTI FO ORNDSACBL H ED E UL E C OM P A RIS ON Months
A fraction of the cost & time of other building methods.
T IMELI N E
LifeArk selected as a Semi-Finalist for the Buckminster Fuller Institute Challenge
LifeArk Community Prototype Lindale, Texas
HUD/HCD Certification
2013
2016
2017
2018 Illumination Foundation Partnership
Research & Development
LifeArk team visits Santa Rosa
2019
LifeArk Home Prototype Los Angeles, CA
LifeArk Community Pilot Santa Rosa, Peru
CONTACT
www.lifeark.net info@lifeark.net