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.
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.
In partnership with Mayor Garcetti’s Innovation Team and Council District 1, 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 handcraft visible — all while accommodating the homeowner’s desire to blur the lines between “natural” and “manmade.”
This project was completed as LA-Más. At the completion of this pilot the City adopted a new ADU ordinance and launched the LA ADU Accelerator.
2020 AIA | LA Residential Architecture Award recipient
Project Partners: Mayor Garcetti’s Innovation Team and Council District 1.