Born in Alabama and currently based between Portland, Los Angeles, and Atlanta, Jennifer Bonner founded MALL in 2009. MALL is a creative practice that stands for Mass Architectural Loopty Loops or Maximum Arches with Limited Liability—an acronym with built-in flexibility. By engaging “ordinary architecture” such as gable roofs and everyday materials, Bonner playfully reimagines architecture in her field.
Jennifer Bonner is Associate Professor of Architecture at the Harvard University Graduate School of Design. She is a 2021 United States Artist Fellow, recent recipient of the Architectural League Prize for Young Architects + Designers, Emerging Voices Award (AIA/ Young Architects Forum), Progressive Architecture (P/A) Award (Architect Magazine), and was selected for the Wallpaper Magazine Young Architect’s Directory 2019.
Jennifer Bonner/MALL responds to Los Angeles’ need for Accessory Dwelling Units with Big Circle ADU, a project referencing all-American “white house, black trim” while also reinterpreting two Los Angeles architectural mainstays: the stucco box and the exaggerated false front. At its core, Big Circle ADU offers a flexible, affordable program. Designed to meet city building codes and achieve ample daylight and cross-ventilation no matter its orientation, the 2-story, 600-sf home with 135-sf roof terrace can rotate to accommodate diverse lots and landscapes and is constructed from standard building materials and construction techniques that can be easily adapted.
Drawing from stucco boxes, bungalows, and art references, Big Circle ADU offers a hybrid visual language that complements a wide range of LA front houses. The overall form is a textured black and white stucco with a metal shed roof, spanning 11- to 20-feet in height. From the north elevation, the roof has a gentle 3:12 pitch, while the south elevation reveals a large, black circle and makes room for a terrace
offering occupants an outdoor experience while maintaining privacy from the front house.
Email: jennifer@jenniferbonner.com | Website: jenniferbonner.com
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