Higherdensity can foster deeper connections, promote sustainability through sharedresources, and bring life back to the streets through daily neighborlyinteraction. But densification should not come at the cost of the qualitiesthat make LA unique.
Thedesign grows from a simple but powerful idea: an equipped wall. This linearcore houses all essential infrastructure—stairs, bathrooms, kitchens,mechanical systems—concentrating complexity into one efficient band. Livingspaces then attach flexibly to this spine, allowing for a wide range of unitconfigurations and adapting to varied site conditions across the city.
Thissystem enables prefabrication, speeds construction, and creates a clear fireseparation between units. The central band is constructed from fire-ratedconcrete and can be enclosed with non-combustible assemblies, providing arobust fire barrier and ensuring code-compliant separation between adjacentunits.
Afour-unit housing model – over a five-unit one- prioritizes livability overmaximization, balancing built and open space through thoughtful proportions anda deliberate interplay of positive and negative space.
LivableOutdoor Spaces Include:
1. Communal front and back gardens
2. Pedestrian streets
3. Patios
4. Balconies
5. Opt. Bonus: Rooftop gardens
Sideentrances use setbacks not as voids, but as activated living spaces,transforming what would typically be residual zones into a rich gradient of privacy throughinterconnected outdoor areas.
Opt.Bonus Adaptability: Through vertical plot division, the system can operate as aduplex, triplex, or more—enabling up to five or more owners.Ownership can besectorized both horizontally and vertically by disconnecting portions throughthe central spine, fostering community while allowing independence.
The result is a housing model that is both deeplyrooted in Los Angeles’ heritage and adaptable to its evolving future—a sunlit,open, and socially cohesive urban strategy designed to meet the city where itis and take it where it needs to go.
