Housing
Project Partners: Mayor Garcetti’s Innovation Team, Los Angeles Council District 1
2017
Los Angeles, CA
We designed an ADU to serve as a model for future ADU development.
In 2017 a new ordinance made it possible for Los Angeles residents to build a second home in the backyard of their single-family property. This new housing typology, known as an Accessory Dwelling Unit or ADU, opened up the opportunity for half a million single-family lots to be a part of the housing solution.
This ADU Pilot Project aimed to demonstrate a thoughtfully-designed backyard home that also served as a model for affordable construction and financial loan innovation.
The ADU is a newly built 1,025 sq. ft, two-story, two bedroom home located in Highland Park. The Craftsman-inspired design is a playful take on contextual architecture of the neighborhoods.
The design approach is a reinterpretation of the Craftsman values of natural materials, simplicity of form, and making handcraftmanship visible — all while accommodating the homeowner’s desire to blur the lines between “natural” and “manmade.”
Informed by this project, the City adopted a new ADU ordinance and launched the LA ADU Accelerator at the end of 2019.