LA couple builds backyard cottage, then moves-in from main home

Paul and Yuki Gasiorkiewicz bought a nondescript 1930s bungalow in LA’s Echo Park and rather than trying to convert it into something better suited to their tastes, they tore down the garage in the backyard and built their dream home in its place.
Wanting to preserve some backyard, they limited the home to a similar footprint as the garage, but built up. They also added substantial overhangs to the home so give added space to the upper floor.
Using large wood-framed windows across two walls of the lower floor, the home doesn’t need air conditioning and takes full advantage of its views of Los Angeles. Influenced by Japanese tradition, the couple built a wooden veranda, or “engawa”, around the home that they use for outdoor seating and “moon watching”.
Gasiorkiewicz believes that the ability of Californians to create ADUs (accessory dwelling units) in their yard can change how we build and live.
faircompanies....

[@stuartmarshall7099]

I bet the neighbours are thrilled

[@denisephillips9269]

Surprised LA code allowed the building . Agree neighbors must be sooooo thrilled looking at this behemoth box.... hahahahaha

[@uroparopa]

Why should your neighbours get to decide what you do with your own land?

[@whosnezq7966]

Him: look at this greeeeaaat view!!! Neighbor: yeah, i love this new white wall.

[@gondolin12]

I'd rather see wall than bald head of my neighbor

[@romelsual4124]

Noticed that one too. The neighbor on the driveway side. Which before they might have a little of the view coz it was only a garage before. But now that its 2 story high. So the backyard house now totally blocked it. Nice whit wall though.

[@PepeDeezNutz]

romel sual I agree

[@nancyhong2416]

Looking at 1:16 makes me feel bad for the neighbor... maybe they can use it as a projector wall but it won’t make up for the loss of view and probably a drop in property value.

[@junskey]

Nancy Hong lmaooo wow they completely destroyed their neighbors view. i wonder how they’d feel if someone built a back house obstructing their view 😂

[@bobgruner]

If you look at 0:24, again at 0:45, and especially at 1:15 you can see that the second floor of this house is directly in front the neighbors' original view south towards downtown from their second floor windows. In addition, the owner-architect boasts at 1:03 that he was able to take over the footprint of the garage and thereby evade current setback requirements, meaning that the 2-story structure is even more intrusive than it really ought to be. Finally, this new structure is to southwest of the neighbor's yard which I assume dramatically reduces the sun reaching their backyard from the middle of the day onward. I don't know how this got permitted for 2 stories.

[@cas1128]

the couple either have connections or friends who do zoning and permits or the neighbors signed off on it either way sounds fishy and still kinda a dick move on the builder part

[@chrisbabbitt4202]

I recently moved from the L.A. area and trust me they must have greased some serious palms to get that approved. What really bothers me is they act like just anyone can do it when it's not true at all. Most backyards in L.A. are not big enough do it. What also bewilders me is how they were allowed to get rid of the garage. You are not allowed to remove a parking space and not replace it elsewhere on your plot. Otherwise everyone would turn their garages into an ADU and then the streets would be filled with parked cars. There is some seriously fishy things going on here. But yeah, complete asshole neighbor to build that two story home and completely block off their neighbors view, essentially massively devaluing his neighbors homes to boost his.

[@nonebiz2132]

A deck with no railings? He's blocked more than just his neighbors view. He tied into the city sewer with another house as it's bigger than a granny unit can be and he looks down into everyone's backyard...? There is NO WAY this got through the permit process legally.

[@yearight6294]

also 5:19 and 8:47

[@gregpendrey6711]

@@cas1128 happens to the ones lucky to be in the loop with the permitting.

[@giojared]

One could grow a great garden on that roof.

[@Hrmn8tor]

Steven Strain smarter to put the panels in the original residence. Plenty of space and exposure on that roof.

[@lorah1712]

Agreed--not a shade garden though!

[@offthemap9582]

Los Angeles: With all the existential threats (water scarcity, earthquakes, heatwaves, extreme wealth inequality, air pollution) that will endanger life in this mega metropolis, it is the last place to invest in a house for any sane person. For a great garden get out of the city to where there is actual rainfall.

[@SSL0707Star]

I agree.

[@12233445566abc]

superbly done

[@hundegaga]

would be funny if the original house turns to a garage

[@bentnickel7487]

Just makes sense.

[@_gita]

I saw on documentary once that those rich people in Silicon Valley built their mansion in the back and use the old front house like that as some kind of decoy so that any burglar wannabe would not want to come because those old house is just uninviting. Or you could just rent it if you want/need the money.

[@rosett3487]

I thought that too!

[@Cyborgnation2006]

_ Gita j

[@jonothandoeser]

HOW people think *increased density* is still COOL with the breath of a global pandemic yet breathing down their necks, I'll never know. Here's a clue: SHARING STUFF makes you much more susceptible to sharing germs and endangering the whole planet! And the closer packed you think we should be, the more dangerous you are! People in large apartment/condo structures live in petri dishes. People who share cars or pack into public trains or buses are being transported in communal petri dishes. People who put their hands onto shared electric scooters are potential *disease vectors.* WAKE UP! You were wrong!!

[@juliagregory922]

14:44 "feels almost rural" LOL!!! You are on top of all your neighbors!!

[@johnnohobear8634]

Really nice design. One of my favorites. Wonder how the neighbors who lost part of their view feel though?

[@psykloneja]

The garage was there, now there's a house. They couldn't see over the garage anyway. Although they might lose some natural light...

[@BRIANCOSTELLO土澳]

Every man for himself, dog eat dog, kill or be killed etc.

[@RevdUp.Art.Fotografer]

They may not have even thought about it. It might depend on the grade of the hill whether of not they had one to begin with.

[@gwenowens6727]

I do like the house, I could live there quite happily but their ideal home and great views are at the expense of neighbours and their right to light and amenity. I can't understand how that was allowed by planners.

[@pepperpepperpepper]

Google California ADU, a recent law intended to make housing cheaper by allowing this kind of development. "The Legislature further updated ADU and JADU law effective January 1, 2020 to clarify and improve various provisions in order to promote the development of ADUs and junior accessory dwelling units (JADUs)."

[@1lebero]

Very good point!!!!

[@adamspful]

I think you should be able to ask "what's been the response of your neighbors?" "How much was your budget?"

[@nikkis.6656]

It looks so out of place for the neighborhood 😩

[@cliffdariff74]

@@nikkis.6656 actually it looks "in place", sun, views, light, windows, outdoor area, etc... but n'bors probably complain.

[@Cecelovesbirdie]

@@nikkis.6656 that's the first thing that came to mind

[@salemdesigns65]

True. Too big. And code allowed this and that wooded walkway hanging over the cliff without a railing? As a neighbor, I would have been kinda pissed blocking MY views. Typical entitlement mindset. 🙄

[@skyak4493]

@@salemdesigns65 Hundreds of videos of small and tiny homes -NONE of them are legally built! This is the first time I see a legally built small home (with over sites you mention) thanks to APU exception. The sad part is that obviously if neighbors do the same this house will lose it's charm and value. There is no "air rights" for APU.

[@AndreasMitchell]

I got mad on behalf of the neighbors watching this. The impact on their light and amenity of this two story development is massive. It would never be allowed anywhere in the suburban UK. Don't get me wrong, I liked the build, but a follow up interview with the adjoining property owner would she important light (pardon the pun) on other aspects of experimental builds.

[@nyarlaaa]

Planning permission in the UK is pretty shit but stuff like this makes me kind of glad we have it

[@whatif8408]

@Shayne Punim I live in Texas and it is like this for my area too, especially if you want to build a two-story dwelling, because then you can see into your neighbors' yards and a lot of people don't like that.

[@hannahhudson8386]

Yea I pretty much hate this guy, he obviously had no consideration for his neighbors AT ALL.

[@bololo2000]

on the other side one can say that houses like bungalows are a waste of valuable land. Two storey houses with flat roofs (without roof terrace) usually have similar maximum height to ordinary bungalow type of house with pitched roof

[@pepperpepperpepper]

I've seen a couple of infill developments like this on this channel in Canada. As for California, there is a new, statewide law intended to make housing cheaper, and allows this assault on the neighbors. The one positive is that the neighbors can do the same thing.

[@giuliorasi]

I love your channel, there’s a zen calmness to all these house visits

[@DrgnMage2536]

Great small house design. Small, functional and feels quite large. I hope they invite their neighbors over for gatherings.

[@gregpendrey6711]

Clever. Befriend the enemy.

[@salemdesigns65]

Probably not.

[@tinadudley5318]

Yes that would be nice so they can see the view they dnt have anymore.🤣 And maybe they will yard. A house in there back yard.

[@5ledan]

Amazing view. Their neighbors used to have a similar view.

[@FredMcIntyre]

Awesome house! 😃👍🏻👊🏻

[@phrozen4life]

I'll bet your new neighbors just absolutely love you! Who would have thought they would be lucky enough one day to look out their back window to discover their view being obstructed by a huge concrete structure!

[@ciaobella8963]

I find it hard to believe that the city planners allowed this build which clearly blocks the light, air flow and the view from at least two neighboring houses. But then again, it's LA. And let me add that I'm 100% sure that not having a railing on the outer deck that has a seriously high overhang, is non-compliant with building codes. Guaranteed.

[@griffin2263]

This is exactly what I thinking the neighboring houses are blocked from there views and replaced with a huge white wall ..

[@offthemap9582]

Los Angeles: With all the existential threats (water scarcity, earthquakes, heatwaves, extreme wealth inequality, air pollution) that will endanger life in this mega metropolis, it is the last place to invest in a house for any sane person.

[@nonebiz2132]

@@griffin2263 They altered the skyline for many of the houses on the adjacent hill... This is a big NO-NO in California. That and the no railings on the deck make me think this did not pass permits legally...

[@gregpendrey6711]

@@offthemap9582 try the big island everyone is screwed

[@olly-kai]

@@offthemap9582 on the other hand there is strength in numbers and more social services available here to people who might need it. That said, I am I getting out of Los Angeles for the very reasons you mentioned!

[@vampireslayer1989]

Looks like they obstructed their neighbor's view. How did they permit the height?

[@Ichiu562]

F the neighborhor

[@Zalley]

Yes, wonder what the neighbour thinks of the new building.

[@Ichiu562]

@@Zalley hopefully not anything bad. Accept change if not keep your old house looking like shit and say something negative only because you can't afford something. Typical California mindset.

[@sadzoo2771]

it has the height of a tree and a modern architecture language

[@jennnyandjeffs]

@Flat Eric not all Americans

[@mystarmach]

Lovely, but I feel sorry for the neighbours who's beautiful view has now been obstructed

[@cherylanderson3340]

It's decent of you to be thoughtful, but maybe there's not much of a loss, as most homes around them are single story homes, so wouldn't see much - if any of the elevated view these home owners now have, just due to the siting of those single story homes, surrounding trees, shrubs & other plantings, & the positions of their windows. @ 8:58 min you can see an elevated view, & only one house, to the right has a 2nd floor, so that & maybe one more, in back of that house, if they could see over the nearest house., which may have lost a view. If it's a home used for rentals, then only the upstairs apartment lost some, but maybe not all of it's view.

[@Xunxunism]

They must have approved it. I believe American lawsuit culture would have made people make things legal proof. My guess, I am not American. I just know Americans like to sue.

[@margaritoamargo6347]

@@Xunxunism Well this is California so that is doubly true.

[@artetface]

mystarmach what view they probably were looking straight at another house

[@judith4158]

@@actontreadway1168 I live in another county but there are straight regulations on every aspect of building anything. Therefore, it is allowed there, many small homes in LA are added on to with a second floor. It's just they way it is in a city that lacks more space to build.

[@FlyWithMe_666]

Next episode: LA couple built backyard cottage right in front of my windows, now we move-away from main-home

[@barbaradace7952]

Yeah...I’m afraid this reminded me of the lovely view my parents *used* to have out their back windows-could see the Hollywood sign and the Griffith Observatory on a clear day-then the back-fence neighbors built a 3 story monolith that now looms over the backyard. Goodbye, view-and privacy, too

[@olly-kai]

@@barbaradace7952 in most parts of LA they are not allowed to simply build and block your view. As a neighbor you have a right to enjoy your property as well, and if the neighbors new building encroaches upon your rights including your view, you can have it stopped and modified.

[@gnohzgnohz6576]

I would think proper legal work and approval hv already been obtain prior to construction?

[@jmk1962]

Yes, I was thinking that if his neighbour did the same he would lose his beautiful view.

[@seejjordan]

over population. In the last 40 years, the population has doubled. Nowhere else to go. Sucks people make so many more people.

[@olivertan7461]

This house is the best especially the tropical combined with Japanese garden it is soo relaxing and enjoying a view while sipping coffee. Awesome !

[@exist270]

Honestly, I've followed your channel for years just for inspiration to design a home. Such amazing spaces.

[@bigskiesmontana7267]

"we get this borrowed view", says the man who permanently borrowed his neighbors view.

[@davidbartolini]

I was thinking the same thing, how a tall structure blocks light from reaching the neighbor's back yard and obstructs their view. Unless they discussed this building with the neighbor before construction. Otherwise, it is the epitome of selfishness.

[@ho2cultcha]

what do the neighbors think? that's quite the impact!

[@WaterspoutsOfTheDeep]

You'd think they never had any view from the start which is why the city approved it. Otherwise that's pretty messed up, I wonder if they could sue the city for approving that shit and lost property value?

[@benjibumble]

Seems to tower over the neighborhood and grandfathering the tiny setback must have really gone over well with the neighbors

[@aloevera7422]

@Robin Young yikes so who gives one about you?

[@kt9495]

I don’t know RE, but I would think it would only add to the value of the neighborhood. It’s a beautiful build.

[@brandnewcadillac]

They should be able to paint that huge white wall as that's all they will ever see again

[@ascomycotinazzz]

LA couple: We got fairly nice morning sunlight.... Neighbour: There goes my sunlight...

[@jonothandoeser]

Not only that... he's advocating this as a model for everybody! He's basically saying, "Let's double the density of LA." *HELLO?* Traffic? Road maintenance? Landfill capacity? Water usage? Electrical Grid? Pollution? Do people even THINK before they propose these cockamamie notions?

[@lukerabin5079]

@@jonothandoeser LA is not exactly the poster child for urban planning in any sense.

[@jonothandoeser]

@@lukerabin5079 So... from bad to worse?

[@lukerabin5079]

@@jonothandoeser no. Worse would be permitting more hills monstrosities, worse would be making certain that only the wealthy who don’t contribute to the tax pool ensure that infrastructure decays even more.

[@jonothandoeser]

@@lukerabin5079 What's a hills monstrosity?

[@helidude3502]

The have a great view..... At the cost of the neighbor’s view . A nice build 👍

[@jasonbeedon9867]

Helidude350 location, location, location

[@petervisser9017]

Brilliant design.Eye candy!

[@rainbowl4745]

I am surprised there is no regulation to build up from that location. 😅

[@jimmypopp2695]

I usually have too much to say but all I have to say is ......WOW!!!

[@dartology]

Who would really consider this a Cottage? What a self-important couple.

[@swyoon104]

this design is actually smart and interesting. Well done!

[@megancurley5579]

This is one of my favorites. Amazing.

[@ericbass2084]

One of the Best and Most Beautiful and architecturally functional houses! Its inspirational to see a space making everything around it better!

[@mikeembe1261]

... " I really liked my neighbour's view , it was fantastic , so I stole it from them " ... mb ( UK )

[@TheDoosh79]

Someone should throw up an even bigger white box just at the end of this guy's garden, blocking all his view and light. That would be hilarious.

[@TocSlew]

Looking forward

[@thomasvan3786]

Are there no regulations regarding height of buildings in LA ?

[@bevtrue6937]

@@thomasvan3786 I was wondering that!!

LOL

[@FakeName39]

Very first thought, neighbors with a second story probably hate this guy because they had a view too, then he blocked it with his other house and now the neighbors stare at the trees and his house Not very neighbourly

[@bradyhunsberger]

totally agree. I would have insisted it be one story.

[@fmcdomer]

No two story houses in 1930s in this area. You’re just making up a point that doesn’t exist

[@peterkoval]

Was thinking the same thing when I saw that drone footage. The neighbor is now boxed in and doesn't have a view. This guy sounds like he might be a selfish douche.

[@erynnlongenecker9619]

My first thought as well

[@davidbacon9223]

so, invite the cranky neighbors over for a cold, dead fish/(a.k.a. sushi) and let them sleep on the roof, once-a-month!

[@nozunamnella6101]

At 1:20ish and 5:15ish, and other times, you can see how the neighbours view has been minimized due to the size of the new construction. Nice design, but it benefits only one homeowner.

[@notspace8487]

not really as there was a garage there before allready and they allready coulnt see over that.

[@naughtysauce4323]

A molotov cocktail would solve that in a heartbeat 😭😂

[@elainexox123]

@@naughtysauce4323 A hallowed out foundation will work too. 🤗🤗

[@sashastarshanti3599]

I love this homes architecture, I love everything about it. Being a white wall devotee, I especially love the black walls!

[@usafdirtboyz2797]

Amazing.............love the simplicity............tired of all the blocking of the neighbors views comments....wawawawa....

[@ninamo3523]

But it's blocking the all the neighbor's views. Now they have to see a giant clunky white block.

[@clarino2]

Yes, it clearly blocks the view of one immediate neighbor. And the other immediate neighbor does have to look at that building looking down on them in their backyard.

[@-jec-6334]

@@fallingalice2601 Yes it is

[@kymkryptic]

That was my immediate thought, too.

[@somguy5035]

Its true, but this is the reality of high-value city residential That's why its important to open a dialogue with the new owners asap so you can either influence their plans or sell

[@markangel8480]

Not only does it block the view. No sunshine and blocked the wind. No fresh air. Selfish people. I have a neighbor that did me dirty and they don't care either.

[@Anza_34832]

I like when he said that it was a modest budget. The result certainly is superb.

[@gardenboots7464]

I can't help wondering how the neighboring houses are experiencing this new building. They definitely lost their view of the horizon, and it looks pretty congested having that big box raised up.

[@happity]

@@TruthQuest4700 pssh look at 8:50. Look out their windows to a stucco-ish wall.

[@happity]

@@TruthQuest4700 no, look at how much view and light are lost. The garage was like 10 ft tall and nearly at the plot line.

[@nicolewilliams7508]

I was supposed to find this video. Your last words really spoke to me. Thanks for the tour and inspiration.

[@Ryo-qk7md]

Great view! Neighbor: yeah until you built that monstrosity.

[@robnorwood3591]

Unless you are 3 floors up you don't have that view.

[@simplelife5786]

i can see how great the architecture is

[@ericwright2073]

"We had a modest budget." 🤣

[@6ixConfessions]

Very nice. Functional yet aesthetically pleasing in every aspect.

[@nb44444]

Damn I would have been so sad if that was my window and then someone came and built a cube in front of it. That is LA for ya!

[@SoCalFreelance]

Living that ideal SoCal lifestyle 🌴☀️🏄‍♂️🤘

[@Raky2427]

This is one of my favourite modern houses. It really looks so comfortable and serene.

[@user-xp3vd9ux5t]

Love it....simple and balance of space.

[@BLEURfangers]

I really like the house in its own right, but it is a total affront to the neighbors and the neighborhood, in that sense an incompatible selfish design. If the house next door builds a similar large block in their yard, the views from this house will be seriously diminished.

[@NJ-sx5hn]

I hope they do, these guys finish the video talking about adding essentially another floor. He says it will be cool not adding a railing but I bet it’s another loophole in the codes that will take more views away from his neighbor.

[@orlandov.5537]

It is LA afterall.

[@Cyborgnation2006]

Floyd -19 i

[@EnjoyPlantPower]

My thoughts exactly. This kind of planning permission can ruin neighbours lives and the neighbour will struggle to sell too to get out of the situation. Such a shame.

[@72Dexter72Manley72]

It was approved by the city sooo to bad.

[@michaellawson6298]

Nice design. I like the rooftop space. What would make it better is if they made it into a green roof. A rooftop garden would be awesome.

[@Dain75]

With solar for sure. The rooftop garden would reduce heat, so you wouldn't need the air conditioning as much. They should be everywhere, even on skyscrapers to make green space, and save on cooling costs. Every roof that has space and sun should have solar panels. I wonder if it would be possible to put wind power on skyscrapers. It's very windy on the top and even the sides (upper-middle floor dedicated to wind energy?). I don't know if it would work, but society really need to think about sustainable power. There are so many power outages that things have to change. Making your own power is one solution. If you make too much power for yourself you can sell it back to the grid. It should be funded for individual homes. Businesses would save on power costs. I hope that is possible in the future to use fewer or more rare metals to make solar panels. Innovation comes with more use and potential for profit. Unfortunately, oil companies would rather sustainable energy didn't exist and will pay tons of money to stop it. Corporations pay politicians vast amounts of money to vote keep oil making vast profits. The amount corporations can donation should be severely limited or it's a country run by corporations, especially those who extract fossil fuels.

[@zoehansen_]

What’s a modest budget? I

[@zefanyamendoza6193]

Right???

[@supercomputadora]

like nice budget

[@boogiedownbronx73]

In LA 1 million

[@chrisbabbitt4202]

@Justin K I would say close to 1m.

[@MrPhatties]

350-450k if not more including the landscaping.

[@sumitbali9194]

Very well designed. Makes most of the available space. One of the best homes featured on your channel

[@lordy7933]

Diamond in the Ruff 💍 I absolutely luv this home💥

[@friermama]

Wow!!!! What a gorgeous second house! I love and appreciate how they kept the design simple.

[@darreldoomvomit]

I don't know that I have ever seen a house that screamed "no-one matters but me!" more than this one. Wow. I echo some of the previous comments...this would be great on an acreage in the forest or in the desert. In the middle of the city it is a narcissistic eyesore. Or do I mean solipsistic...both?

[@RichieRouge206]

Really love this house, especially the light and space created.

[@davidbodahchristiansen4561]

I really love this particular use of space. I can imagine having bee hives on the roof for honey production in a lovely raised bed garden. Really impressive.

[@rayjam1976]

..love ..the house layout and all about its surroundings taken into account...you got my two thumbs up...

[@ELGee1]

Cottage? That's a complete house

[@stevenedwards2472]

Absolutely perfect

[@robthewaywardwoodworker9956]

Amazing house. Great details. Incredible site. I would love to hear how much it cost. I have a feeling the permits alone were more than many people make in a year. But very cool project.

[@aceboiga7223]

between $200 and $300 per square foot.

[@blueman5924]

He did say they had a “modest” budget. under a mil I guess.

[@WaterspoutsOfTheDeep]

They obviously plan to make money back renting out the front house. I wonder how much they can rent such a house out for? 2k a month? Or is it even more crazy than that because it's California?

[@rc8273]

@@WaterspoutsOfTheDeep My guess is closer to 3,500 a mo

[@kenyonbissett3512]

Ace Boiga so he said 20 x 30 = 600sq ft ground level, with cantilevering im guess 2 nd fl is 24 x 36 = 864sq ft. 600+864=1464 sqft 1464 x $200=$292,800 or 1464x$300=$439,200 does that sound about right?

[@brianjoyce9742]

Very great idea, then the execution of it. Thx for the tour

[@Akoni70]

Well done, although it's full of cliche design elements, it's executed properly. Bravo

[@ninac4450]

Love this house!! Beautiful....

[@tthom2459]

What a phenomenal EYESORE. I bet you're popular in the neighborhood . . . lol. I can't believe that LA doesn't have ordinances to prevent such a travesty.

[@elan2705]

Very nice and well planned and wonderful design.

[@TerryTerryTerry]

The older house has very little view - well it does now we built this in front of it. Very intrusive onto neigbours.

[@clairecolvin4077]

Its their property, they can rent the old place and If someone that RENTS the Front HOUSE, can move if they dont like this man's personally owned land. GOD GAVE US FREE WILL.

[@TerryTerryTerry]

@@clairecolvin4077 surrounding neighbours. Consideration..

[@mcdowell356]

On the other hand .... If there were no ordinances , someone could start a hog ranch or a cattle feedlot right next door . Imagine that for a minute

[@j.a.r.family2576]

@@clairecolvin4077 calm down. You're only saying that because someone hasn't did it to you.

[@xx-ug9hn]

Claire Colvin free will to be completely oblivious to the world around you

[@StandingUpForBetter]

Simply STUNNING! CA is expensive but the weather is amazing. This couple made the most of their space and was able to embrace the fantastic potential of the outside / inside living opportunities opened up with that perfect climate. Very well done! Thank you for sharing.

[@enriksouls6636]

the irony..... small homes are an answer to the housing crisis exasperated by gentrification. Echo Park has been highly gentrified and I bet 2 Families used to live in that one house.

[@Liam-bv1sy]

In this case: not really. ADU’s (allowed to build in backyards) have typically become simply extra income for landlords. Even when they are fully used, they have adverse consequences like building high creates a lack of light on neighbors.

[@Hizenbird]

@@Liam-bv1sy You only get extra income if you have the space rented out. If you are renting out a space that previously could not be rented out (ie a garage) then you have increased the available housing. Also, everything has adverse consequences.

[@andrewsiurda1592]

Very smart build. Very inspiring.

[@brendanbang6636]

That landscaping and view are amazing, the banana trees....❤️❤️❤️

[@jimwilleford6140]

Brilliantly done.

[@gailresources8120]

I can’t imagine how they got city approval for that. None of that was mentioned. But it’s beautiful.

[@JoaoGomes-ce4th]

Beautiful house and garden to match

[@laurayale369]

I am amazed the zoning allowed this! Love this idea. Allows more density with more privacy. Amazing.

[@gardenboots7464]

But the neighbors lost their privacy, with this new house perched above them.

[@mogashoamogashoa343]

Shouldn't the neighbors consent to the plans before as part of the municipality (not sure what you call them in the USA) approval

[@goldengirls0125]

They neighbors can only control their property .

[@barbaraboll1743]

That black kitchen with the wooden staircase box, the open window frint with the deck, the indoor balcones....! The only thing I miss is an ofuro. Genious..

[@AylaASMR]

I love how the top floor is open but there’s the option to close it off!

[@WaterspoutsOfTheDeep]

It's kinda a useless space. You could maybe have a plant collection up there but you can't really enjoy it like you could ground level, and it's a pain to always go up there. Basically only realistic purpose for it is storage area or exercise equipment area. I can't imagine they would even want to eat up there when they have most of that view ground level and it's so much nicer there and convenient.

[@bevtrue6937]

Spectacular. Sooo creative.

[@sbcap3809]

I can’t believe the city planning commission allowed this. He must have had connections, anywhere in Southern California would have had planners all over this. There is generally a allowed space for building to leave a 1200ft open footprint. I don’t see any open footprint. Unbelievable that neighborhood went along with this. Wow, would like those city planners in my town!

[@donfocus5361]

Maybe Yoko knows people lol

[@salemdesigns65]

sbcap: Hopefully there WAS and IS an issue but perhaps this video doesn't bring it to light. 🤷‍♀️

[@andrewhowie5651]

ADUs are now allowed anywhere in the state of California with minimal setbacks. Do you live in SoCal?

[@dedicatedtofinanciallitera3550]

New ADU Laws have changed everything. You can actually build a JADU and ADU on your property- for a triplex. AB-881, AB-68, AB-670, AB-671 SB-12. The state did this because of our lack of housing and homeless problem.

[@martinz1116]

@@dedicatedtofinanciallitera3550 City could care less about what the state said. I'm trying to build ADU in Acadia, CA right now! No bigger than 1000 sq ft. Needs to have 25 ft setback in the back. Cannot do 2 stories since main house is 1 story. can not have a big garage. Cannot have JADU because overall building size cannot exceed 40% of lot size. The list goes on and on..... I was like, but the state said this. City's like, we don't care.....

[@renesaccardo]

THE best channel in the world

[@kadekaiser8596]

Define “cottage”, please.

[@cuevaal74]

Awesome. Architectural genius. LOVE IT. THANK YOU. MAKES ME RETHINK THE POSSIBILITIES OF A SMALL SPACE.

[@wallystewart1979]

i love the house but did they consider the neighbors view as well their blocking the other houses

[@WaterspoutsOfTheDeep]

Why would they. They paid for the land and need to keep their own priorities first and foremost. The city is who is at fault for approving that and the neighbors should be able to sue the city for lost property value and so on.

[@ZeoCyberG]

@@WaterspoutsOfTheDeep Generally, not how it works... Besides, the ADU increases the property value and in turn that gives a boost to the surrounding property values... So not much to complain about...

[@maggielarkin8143]

WaterspoutsOfTheDeep ..wow...a more American(LA) response to a comment I have yet to see...always looking to sue someone....I would hate to have you as a neighbour...selfish tosser !

[@ja1308]

Their ADU is larger and more beautiful than many main homes. They are so lucky.

[@clarino2]

I wonder how they’d feel if their neighbor did the same thing, which would block their view. As long as these owners are the only ones who have utter disregard for their neighbors, everything is fine. Nice house but it’s typical LA selfishness.

[@emileku]

there's a huge housing shortage in LA, so i think giving up a bit of your view for a more livable affordable city for all is a good tradeoff

[@cuevaal74]

Some people dont want change and except a 1960 build, Make more liveable space rent it out live better. You wont please everyone if you do the change . But you will improve your life.

[@72Dexter72Manley72]

@Fritz Schnauzer Is whining all that you are about ?. It is those people's land. Not the neighbors. If the city approved it then it's done. If the neighbors don't like it they can move. To late to do something about after it's been built. But how do you know they did or didn't go to the neighbors first and say, this is what we are planning to do ?. Would you have an issue with it?. Next thing your going to whine about is not having approval first to pick what car they drive. Or how many kids they want to have.

[@clarino2]

Emile K Exactly my point: the owners of the new structure think it’s perfectly acceptable to force their neighbors to sacrifice their view - and sun and air circulation - as long as the owners of the new building gain. The new owners sacrifice nothing and gain everything. Prototypical California narcissists.

[@clarino2]

Full Body Joe No, sorry, you’re wrong my friend. No whining; just pointing out the facts.

[@emmanuellazarus]

Just realised it’s been 11 years since I’ve started watching this channel. In many ways the stories that I’ve heard here has moulded at least a part of my outlook growing up.

[@jl9678]

2020- I love this house. An homage to light and shadow. Simple ish to construct and great views . Also you can rent out the front house for income 2040- I hate this house. It started the trend of everybody tearing down their garage and putting up these simple to construct white boxes . Now nobody has a view and we've doubled the population density of the city with renters.

[@condew6103]

All while eliminating on-lot parking so everybody want to park on the street. Could be a nice way to do urban renewal, though, if the old house is torn down for parking.

[@davidkyle5017]

such a beautiful job. well done.

[@garyhinton1609]

I am glad I am not his neighbor....what did they say?

[@yyx100]

I love it! not sure if your neighbor will think the same for sticking such a big thing right next to their backyard.

[@ChrisPage68]

That stretches the definition of "cottage" to breaking point. It's a modern two-storey house. Whoever did that decking needs lessons in planing the planks flat. 🤦

[@emilianomarquez1629]

I thought about the planks too, haha.

[@MrPhatties]

Rustic...

[@320dak]

Maybe the decking is like that on purpose!

[@ZeoCyberG]

@@320dak Yes, it's reclaimed wood and Japanese designs usually embraces nature... Besides, it's flat enough, nothing that would effect its function and only really noticeable when looking at it closely from the edge.

[@tbradtbrad]

@@ZeoCyberG Nope, in Japan the planks would be perfectly leveled, squared and laid flat.

[@reflev]

I love this channel, I’ve been following for more than 4 years, thankx for all the content you bring in 👌🏼🙏🏼

[@aliciadear]

Wow he SCREWED his next door neighbors over.

[@taleikolibasoga5260]

I'm on awe For a year I've been toying with a similar design.. To have a little home with lots of natural light & hide the bedroom upstairs and still have the illusion of size when the top floor does not have full floor space OMG I can now see it is a functional /doable plan in neutral tones to have in the corner of my village where our homestead has the boundary of the river and mangroves Greatly appreciate your video

[@WEVallely]

Love this house. Very well thought out and well planned. I can't believe that view was ignored by the original builders. I would tear down that bungalow and build a garage as close to the street as code allows and create a Japanese style courtyard between the house and the new garage.

[@FluxCity]

Such a lovely space!

[@SchnauzerMom]

Looks so out of place. Neighbors must just love their view being gone now.

[@72Dexter72Manley72]

Umm there was a garage there before. Neighbors enjoyed looking at the garage. Lol

[@freyamikilson6511]

It is out of place. If they aren't into LA bungalows they shouldn't have bought one. I absolutely hate this and hope others don't pull this crap

[@72Dexter72Manley72]

@e- w- DERP. Lol Ok, so that neighbor was having friends and family gatherings in their upstairs rooms ?. Drinking coffee upstairs, and barbeques upstairs?. Lol Stop it. Lol 🤦🏽‍♂️🤦🏽‍♂️ From the neighbors backyard they were only seeing the old garage and their own fence. Lol DERP.

[@shoshannafachima1306]

This home is stunningly beautiful