The Axolotl Housing / Yu2e

In our project, we went from what would have been 4 dwelling units and eight parking spaces by right to 7 dwelling units and 4 parking spaces with TOC.  1 unit is deed restricted for the low-income tenant.  Our design approach was to maximize the opportunities afforded by the TOC incentives to create more livable dwellings at a more affordable cost.  Reducing parking requirements eliminates the costs of a subterranean level.   Additional benefits cascade through the building allowing dwelling units on the ground floor and larger private open spaces like balconies and roof decks for the upper floors.  

Larger exterior spaces combined with large floor-to-ceiling sliding doors allow for more outdoor utility and generous natural light and ventilation inside. Tactical distribution of these decks throughout also reduced the overall bulk and scale of the building minimizing impact to the street level and adjacent neighbors.  While a unifying central courtyard was not tenable in this arrangement, the common access corridor is designed to create a sense of community and shared space by utilizing alternating panels and openings in lieu of a typical dark and uninviting double-loaded corridor.  

The units are efficiently organized into the limits of a type V three-story building at grade with a single stair core, which keeps costs lower while also making possible the kind of open layout units and multiple wall openings and windows on all sides. With characteristics taken from bungalow courts and dingbat apartments, our project is an evolutionary hybrid of Los Angeles middle housing. The dwelling units are at once cozy and livable, breezy with ample access to the outdoors, while benefiting from the cost efficiency of multiple units collectively sharing spaces and resources to create community.