⧵ Over
⧵ Los Angelels, CA ⧵ 2025 ⧵ Competition Entry
⧵ Over
⧵ Los Angelels, CA ⧵ 2025 ⧵ Competition Entry
Units: 35 units
Density: 188 units/acre
Status: Competition Entry, 2025 (Small Lots Big Impacts Competition)
Confronting the spatial, regulatory, and economic realities of multifamily development, both in Los Angeles and nationwide, this proposal retools the conventional “5-over-2” logic into a smarter, efficient but more spatially generous “6-over-1.” Working within the height limit, the building uses a single level of Type IA construction of pozzolanic concrete at grade, topped by six stories (technically five plus a mezzanine) of Type IIB panelized cold-formed and recycled steel framing to expedite construction.
Above, units are organized as two-story stacked flats split into public and private floors alternating vertically and connected by a simple, prefabbed spiral stair. Exterior walkways at alternating floors enable single-loaded access, generous daylighting and cross-ventilation while remaining efficient. The vertical stacking within units further enhances cross-ventilation, privacy, and provides spatial richness within a constrained footprint.
At the street, a muted but articulate elevation of corrugated fiber-reinforced concrete panels expresses the rhythmic stacking and shifting of unit volumes. Simple fiber cement siding wraps the remaining facades—economical, fire-resistant, and low-maintenance. The southern walkways and stairs, doubling as awnings for shade, reveal the project’s circulation spine and extends an invitation to the community through oversized landings designed for pause and conversation. Stairs, guardrails and windows provide a playful expression against an otherwise muted color pallet.
The uppermost units incorporate mezzanines and outdoor living rooms, enabling light, air, and a sense of spatial generosity often missing in efficient, mid-rise housing. Ground-level units are single-story and designed with accessibility in mind. Unique alternates of each unit type address the angled street façade. Together, the combination offers a diversity of dwellings.
This is not just an exercise in code compliance—it’s a rethinking of domestic life in a city that needs to be more vertical by necessity. In a place historically shaped by horizontal expansion and the single-family ideal, this project proposes a future where density is both livable and transformative.
Density: 188 units/acre
Status: Competition Entry, 2025 (Small Lots Big Impacts Competition)
Confronting the spatial, regulatory, and economic realities of multifamily development, both in Los Angeles and nationwide, this proposal retools the conventional “5-over-2” logic into a smarter, efficient but more spatially generous “6-over-1.” Working within the height limit, the building uses a single level of Type IA construction of pozzolanic concrete at grade, topped by six stories (technically five plus a mezzanine) of Type IIB panelized cold-formed and recycled steel framing to expedite construction.
Above, units are organized as two-story stacked flats split into public and private floors alternating vertically and connected by a simple, prefabbed spiral stair. Exterior walkways at alternating floors enable single-loaded access, generous daylighting and cross-ventilation while remaining efficient. The vertical stacking within units further enhances cross-ventilation, privacy, and provides spatial richness within a constrained footprint.
At the street, a muted but articulate elevation of corrugated fiber-reinforced concrete panels expresses the rhythmic stacking and shifting of unit volumes. Simple fiber cement siding wraps the remaining facades—economical, fire-resistant, and low-maintenance. The southern walkways and stairs, doubling as awnings for shade, reveal the project’s circulation spine and extends an invitation to the community through oversized landings designed for pause and conversation. Stairs, guardrails and windows provide a playful expression against an otherwise muted color pallet.
The uppermost units incorporate mezzanines and outdoor living rooms, enabling light, air, and a sense of spatial generosity often missing in efficient, mid-rise housing. Ground-level units are single-story and designed with accessibility in mind. Unique alternates of each unit type address the angled street façade. Together, the combination offers a diversity of dwellings.
This is not just an exercise in code compliance—it’s a rethinking of domestic life in a city that needs to be more vertical by necessity. In a place historically shaped by horizontal expansion and the single-family ideal, this project proposes a future where density is both livable and transformative.
