LA tests Dutch/Japanese pocket communities. Skeptics like it

When Barbara Bestor was tasked with turning 5 mostly-abandoned lots into 18 homes in LA’s Echo Park, she knew the neighborhood opposition to multi-family units so she performed “stealth density” by crafting duplexes and triplexes that look like single-family homes.
To comply with LA’s Small Lot Subdivision Ordinance, Bestor left a sliver of space between the homes so while two homes appear to be one, there is actually a 6-inch gap between them covered by waterproofing. This gap isn’t just aesthetic, but also allows the units to be classified as homes, not condominiums, so owners own the land and can have individual mortgages.
All the homes face an interior communal plaza, a “living street”, where people can gather and even barbecue. All kitchens face the courtyard to encourage day-to-day interactions (even if just visual). The resulting subdivision - 9 structures containing 18 individual homes - is called “Blackbirds”, referencing a community of birds gathered around a pool of water.
Using commercial storefront windows, Bestor was able to create living spaces that feel like treehouses for a fraction of the cost of conventional glass. She differentiated the houses by alternating the cladding between white metal standing-seam and black fiber-cement board.
“What's nice about projects like this, explains Bestor, “they show ways that you could have density that people are like ‘I would live there’ as opposed to the more generic developer supermaxed thing which isn't necessarily improving a neighborhood as much as it could. I guess I'm technically a YIMBY so why not add a bit of design time to make a better community building”.
bestorarchitecture.com/
Small Lot Subdivision Ordinance www.laconservancy.org/small-l...
On *faircompanies: faircompanies.com/videos/smal...

[@BestorArchitecture]

I know these projects fairly well and I am going to try to answer some of the comments here. I hope this is helpful- not everything can be covered in the video. These houses (and each building is its own house, not a condo) are part of a program in Los Angeles called the Small Lot Ordinance. It allows the City to densify certain properties. For instance, instead of 5 houses (5 lots = 5 houses) this property was allowed to have up to 24 but the developer decided to design 18 on the site. -The parking is required by the City- so instead of each house having a driveway to the street, which would create a typical housing frontage they are combined in a shared new alley. -The City requires driveways to be paved- and the turn around radius is such that this has to be paved. -There is a cistern on site (you can see the paved area is sloped to allow water to be captured on site and be used to water the landscaping). -Solar panels are the responsibility of the owner, not the architect, and are certainly allowed if they want to join a solar program. -The black siding does not absorb heat- those houses are no warmer than white ones. LA is a very very tough city to build in and I think many architects are trying to explore alternative housing designs - from single family housing to multi-family housing.

[@jamespotter936]

What is the price range for these homes?

[@stacyhackney6100]

Thank you

[@BestorArchitecture]

@@jamespotter936 to be honest I don't know- that is up to a real estate agent.

[@michellejean8068]

I'm looking to do the sane basic concept. But with dome houses. Exactly. Use land as common it makes land safe and note beautiful. Instead of isolating each other. Cool. Anything like this or you in Arizona. ? I'd be interested. For sure.

[@mysteryachiever]

Thank you for your extensive explanation. Didn’t LA also recently issue a directive that people were going to be charged for the amount of non-permeable landscaping they had? I know of people who have drilled jackhammered holes into their concrete driveways to avoid being taxed under this new ruling. In other words, wouldn’t permeable paving have been a way around this issue?

[@nhanha4]

It's a pleasure to watch every video on this channel ! Keep up the good work !

[@kirstendirksen]

Thank you!

[@Gummmibaer]

Looks like the houses are guests on a major parking lot.

[@jrus690]

It is the American problem, we cannot think of how to do these things without having a car in the picture. A better solution would be some of the new apartments going up just east of downtown, only instead of blank walls, you have your shop space.

[@Constantinesis]

Right, but the real Pocket Neighbhourhood is not like this !

[@maxwoodworth]

Great designs. Not to knock it, but the houses are all minimum $1mn. "Normal" for LA, but not exactly the solution to the housing problem (not that it claims to be).

[@jrus690]

The problem is that you cannot build enough new structures to solve the problem. Too many people trying to live in the Metro Los Angeles area so housing is a problem. Some of new low rise apartments just east of downtown could help the problem if there was enough of them. You would need to redo all the vacant/underutilized housing, warehouse storage areas in order to start dealing with the problem, but there is no will for it.

[@4316rodney]

Exactly! A million bucks for a shared cement yard… Love how she points out where the different material choices make it “cheaper”.

[@eden5260]

a solution for larger density (and also beneficial for the developer's pockets), not a solution for lowering prices. that economically impossible by one project

[@HondoTrailside]

Total cost of a property is nearly irrelevant. Conventionally, you have the length of the mortgage, and in some places you don't pay it off in your lifetime. So the idea from my parents' days of having to pay off the mortgage in 20 years, is long gone. Then you have the inflationary times we live in, combined with artificially low interest rates. And soon to probably be, stagflation. Get any reasonable real estate, and baring the great reset, if you are allowed to keep it, it will be paying you for some time.

[@blucheer8743]

Agree

[@bridiemacdonald9436]

I love the modern look and the shared car space. People who don't live here do not realize the difficulty of finding parking and also the inaccessibility of public transport. It sounded like there were many public meetings to attend to neighborhood needs also. Some of the notes below probably do not take that into context. Though having solar, and water catchment systems would be great or things like living roofs - though obv. it's all budget concerns - would be great if there were builder incentives for those.

[@BestorArchitecture]

There actually is a cistern on site that captures water for planting!

[@AbuSous2000PR]

in the middle east where I have grown up, cistern wells are almost in every house. it is an old tradition that served us well especially during the hot summers

[@ingeleonora-denouden6222]

That seems to be the big problem in the USA: no public transport! That's much better here in the Netherlands, at least in towns and cities (sometimes a small village in rural area is inaccessible by public transport)

[@digitalrandomart3049]

they should have made an underground parking instead

[@anaalves3658]

@@digitalrandomart3049 that would be great, but it would add to the expense of the build. I really get the sense that the architect was trying to get the budget down and still make the whole project as pleasant as possible for everyone that lives there.

[@Char209]

Why can’t we have smart people like this in positions in government? I know they’re out there 👍

[@Bustermachine]

Because it's not enough to have a good idea. You also have to have enough allies in positions of power to shepherd it to completion. And generally people who have to game the current rules as they did here do so because they don't have the allies and political muscle to regulatory push reform. Zoning is also kind of a hot mess full of perverse insentives for local voters.

[@bartholomewcubbins9723]

There are many smart people working in government. The small lot zoning regulation didn't just magically write itself and then maneuver on its own through the gauntlet of NIMBYs who oppose any change.

[@joannegriffin]

They're smart because they are NOT in gov't. Smart people in gov't get canceled by sinecures and jealousy, get relegated to non-important tasks, or dumped on with busy work, lest they create more work for the lifers. They stay trapped by generous vacation days, guaranteed life-long work protection, and comfy retirement.

[@hufjournallife7218]

U can create architecture blueprint to governor for change system and more affordable home like semi house

[@Davidg1t1]

Because they use what little intelligence they have on being sneaky lying deceitful manipulative power hungry tyrants. Like the current marxists.

[@markbigbadbear]

These look like fun houses with a nice layout. As a Dutch guy I can see these working in the Netherlands too. But I can also understand some of the comments about size, neighbours close by, etc. But let's be honest. It's a lot nicer to have 16-18 families taking care of their homes instead of 3 abandoned lots, 1 squatter and 1 other person / family living on the same plot of land. Homes that are taking care of reflect well on the rest of an area. I do agree with a number of commentors that I'd have liked to have seen more green in the common courtyard. Some grass (or astro turf if grass isn't viable) with a playground area for the younger kids, some outside sitting areas for the houses themselves, that sort of thing. Still, it's a start. People flock to the cities, there's not enough room for everyone, so we need to use the room better.

[@elizabethforsyth3054]

Agree, shame to make the car king but I guess that is important in our lives, could they not have parked them on the other side of the houses and had some common green space.... We have been used to living a lot closer together in Europe for some time!

[@whateversmurfette]

but the netherlands is a cluster fluff of freemasonic libtardisms, damning anything considered "native" or "european" in the very least. i'm sure you know that.

[@markbigbadbear]

@@whateversmurfette why the immediate name calling and politicizing? This Libtardism is a misnomer, coined by people in your Republic party to make themselves feel superior and look down on other people. Here's a hint: we all bleed red. We all have to poop. Stop dividing, look beyond your own fence and indoctrination and start working together again. Something that goes for everybody in every country.

[@thebackforty939]

costs are probably very high for a duplex!!!!!!!

[@anaalves3658]

I think that they said that they needed to provide parking, city regulations. Someone was kind enough to explain a lot of the city regulations in another commitment. I think that cars are part of American culture and the neighborhood might not have good public transportation. I used to live in Cape Town South Africa and my husband and I both had cars, we didn't have reliable public transportation and I worked freelance in all sorts of places, a car was essential for my job. Now we live in Portugal and we only have one car, but we have 4 bus lines about 150m from our apartment and 3 subway stations not far from us. So 2 cars don't make sense now.

[@M.Campbell]

These are great. So many people struggle to afford the average suburban tract home, with a yard, and then wind up almost never using the yard and having the chore of keeping it mowed. Yet they don't want to live in an apartment or condo because of the crowding and inadequate sound proofing. These houses, with the eight inch space between them, are the best of both worlds. It wouldn't work for me because I'm a gardener and if I can't dig in the dirt and nurture plants I get depressed. However, it would work well for an awful lot of people. Well done.

[@ursa4212]

So many words about community and neighbours but no outside garden to actually spend some time together. A shady gazebo would be nice. And children are supposed to play between cars, really?

[@aprilm9551]

Playing between cars: I think she said in the video that the idea was that the children play when the cars are gone during the day while people are at work. It would be interesting to know if this actually worked out as described.

[@ridef0rlife]

All townhouses are like this. If you got kids don't live there.

[@figureforwardarchitectured7743]

I appreciate the moves and the goals. But have to agree, the cars could have been confined to a much smaller part of the inner courtyard, and definitely some kind of permeable paving. In Europe finely packed, nice gravel works very well…

[@amarketing8749]

@LOL CATZ Thanks for highlighting the differences in climate that make this system better than it looks. I also wondered why their wasn't more permeable parking, completely forgetting the dry/arid climate. The pavement choice now makes more sense, although I still wonder about the heat island effect. Do you see any problems with this design related to the heating and cooling of these homes?

[@user-kh2jw1ex8g]

Should have just built a mini underground parking garage for everyone, that way you could have the entire center be a nice yard with gardens and such. It's even built on a hill.

[@businesscasual8162]

@@user-kh2jw1ex8g that would probably triple the site construction cost

[@user-kh2jw1ex8g]

@@businesscasual8162 would it? I just don’t see how adding basically a large basement just for a few cars would be 3x as expensive as building 18 houses, already with a cement driveway. Yeah I imagine it wouldn’t be cheap, but it would be worth it to have all that extra space.

[@zianeshkasparen4358]

The landscape slopes to catch and guide the water which is used for the yard, etc.

[@BaDazai]

I love the house plan and layout as well as the interior, I grew up in a warm neighbourhood setup so I don't mind the houses being close each other. Though I still prefere standalone houses where I can have a vegetable and flower garden in the back. However, I aboslotulty can't help but fall in love with houses like these whenever I see them.

[@CulturedThugPoster]

Houses are easy to build. Cohesive and harmonious communities (even small ones) are not so easy to build. It only takes one disruptive household, one devisive issue and it can all go to shit.

[@beccam9854]

My only issue is I wished they'd made the rooftops flat so that each homeowner could have a rooftop garden or patio space for entertainment

[@InsaneNuYawka]

I think that’s where copying the Dutch and Japanese architecture style became more form over function…

[@Botanica2012]

Exactly - rooftop gardens would have been nice. If that is not possible for whatever reason I wonder why there are no solar panels - especially with all the sunshine in LA and rising costs for energy.

[@jonathancaplan4444]

I'm very surprised that they don't have solar. They seem so forward thinking

[@aprilm9551]

Indeed! I was thinking the same thing.

[@M.Campbell]

They are free to install solar, if they want. It just wasn't provided by the developer.

[@ErezSegal]

California’s Solar Mandate: Assembly Bill 178 requires that all new single-family residences and multi-family residences up to three stories high must include solar panels in the project.

[@SoCalFreelance]

Seems to have been built on the cheap - use of commercial storefront windows for example.

[@InBelgrade]

Nice to hear and see influences from an old Dutch city like Amsterdam being used in a huge American metropole like L.A. As a Dutchman I can say a hood like this could easily fit in The Netherlands. Living in an old ‘hofje’ ( a court with small houses usually build around factories for their workers in the 19th century) myself I recognize the advantages of knowing your neighbours and always having someone who can help with anything. Thanks for the vid!

[@michellezevenaar]

I've never seen any thing like this in the Netherlands! Hofjes yes but they are alot greener then this and no cars parked in them.

[@AbuSous2000PR]

I love the idea of the industrial windows; many thx Kristen. I love ur work

[@allws9683]

What surprises me is the amount of plain concrete paving between the houses, literally 95% of the space ! Almost no strip of green space against the houses. Not good with percipation (may be not LA biggest problem..), not good for dealing with heat effects and in general not very attractive to hang around (with neighbours or alone...). They could have solved that so much better, you'd say. The houses don;t have garages, so placing the cars on a separate parking strip (for example) would free the inbetween space for more pleasant (communal) use ! And the architects even designed it as "buildings speaking to a bigger context" and 'living street'. I guess it speaks how 'laying concrete paving' is ingrained in US building ..

[@CK1000ism]

It also speaks to Los Angeles car culture.

[@Mike__B]

It's a give and take, a garage is living space that is taken away and while it did look like a few did have garages you'd still need the concrete space to access them as, and most likely they had to fight with locals to not have cars from all those houses occupy the streets which ends up being a big NIMBY arguing point especially if parking is at a premium.

[@quinosonic82]

@@Mike__B nobody wants a mud entrance, but you don't need concrete... you can leave your car over gravel, or some sort of permeable blocks and it'll be fine.

[@JbushBush]

I like the idea of it being a community space without cars..... which will never happen. Kind of pointless.

[@M.Campbell]

@@quinosonic82 It's probably regulated by the city. More outdated building laws that need to be updated.

[@kickzo]

I'm an LA Native, the housing crisis is also coupled with skyrocketing prices, it's really sad to say but the only people who can afford homes in LA are the most privileged.

[@vhfraterdn7617]

I’m also a native in LA. It’s an expensive place period and the price of everything is going to continue to rise that’s the the facts. What’s not very apparent is that people should consider various ways of making money. I hear it all the time from individuals; it’s so expensive, traffic sucks, there’s lots of violence etc, the list goes on and on. This is just naturally part of the LA culture. I’m still here and I’m not privileged so in my opinion it’s peoples thinking that allows them to succeed or fail in LA.

[@kickzo]

@@vhfraterdn7617 I get it LA can be a very sink or swim type of place, under privileged communities do survive here. I'm privileged enough to own a house in Duarte (LA County), but with that said, I think the minimum wage is irrational when comparing it to the living wage. New builds like these ones are made to only serve the most privileged, which contributes to making things more difficult for historically under privileged groups when all the prices rise because of the changing economic landscape. Not everyone's "thinking" is the same and we can't blame the victims of a general shift in the culture that unfairly affects poor people in LA. All though it's true to say that people should look into modern entrepreneurship, it's not realistic to hold that standard to older folks who aren't tech savvy or groups who have limited access to the internet. LA need more affordable housing and program outreach.

[@vhfraterdn7617]

@@kickzo agreed. So what kind of solutions can we bring to this City so that can be possible. Any ideas.

[@barrybr1]

Fantastic! A good idea to have all of the kitchens facing the central area rather than the lounge or bedrooms. That view onto the white roof would frustrate me though, so bright and dominating. I'd love to see a 'living' roof.

[@wnose]

increasing density is tough when transit doesn't match.

[@Erika-gm2tf]

Fascinating context to work within. It's our city planning/development haiku.

[@DanielSpiegel]

But how do you justify more intense transit options without density?

[@TimBryan]

@@DanielSpiegel it’s definitely a chicken and egg/if you build it they will come situation. Unfortunately, no public office is incentivized to make long term decisions; a buildout of a robust public transit network would take decades to see any sort of ROI and no politician’s term is long enough for them to bother trying anything.

[@stacyhackney6100]

Lovely because of the windows, high ceilings, wood floors. Some great ideas.

[@jeanhawken4482]

What thoughtful design can do for quality of life.

[@lanekeyes9174]

Thanks for industrial window idea, love the look & feel of the whole project

[@CabrilloTV]

So, why are there no solar panels on those large roof spaces, forming a community storage system also solar water heaters would have been a good investment????

[@CabrilloTV]

@LOL CATZ that is an excuse for doing half of a job , the cost would be minimal if included in the cost of construction, also the community would be working to reduce their carbon footprint. Go green.

[@susanr5546]

I like these a lot. The design reminds me of Ross Chapin's pocket neighborhoods in Washington State. Thanks to Kirsten for always providing such innovative ideas!

[@koholohan3478]

Definitely should have done all the roofs white to cut down on electricity.

[@09Jeanine]

There need to be porches or balconies and a community garden.

[@bnorberg988]

It looks like there are balconies facing outwards of the community parking area. But I agree a garden space would be helpful.

[@davidlang1125]

A terrific example of what we should be building instead of tract housing for single family developments which has contributed to exorbitant cost of homeownership, urban sprawl and environmental degradation. But the best attribute is the creation of a sense of place and a sense of community which are difficult ideas to convey to NIMBY’s who are focused in traffic and density. Congrats to Barbara Bestor for a successful project.

[@JP-bv7bf]

With the very difficult Calif building laws this is a great plan. Well done.🇨🇦

[@Aoudhubillahi]

Man, I thought that I commented this last week. Kirsten and husband I have to say that your content because of the quality of it's substance is like required weekly viewing. Impressed with their design and intelligent variance. Impressed with their communal mission. I really like what they chose to go cost redux on in the commercial glazing and the cabinet knobs (the knobs were a nice touch. (The owner could change them if they felt it necessary.)

[@felipericketts]

Great project! California really needs alternatives like this project demonstrates. I would be happy to live in such a place!

[@Mike__B]

I love this design for increasing density in a low density area but at the very beginning when talking about LA's plan to go more single family homes she makes a comment "ugh homeless" but this project does not address that at all, in fact I wouldn't be surprised if each one of those homes could sell for a comparable price to any of the surrounding homes and being as there's 18 of them they took 5 and turned into 18 which again doesn't help housing prices at all as anyone who has been priced out is still priced out. She even mentions it near the end where she says "They didn't cost much to build ... but they much exceeded their expectations on sale price" which to me says they are "market rate" priced or higher which the middle class typically can not afford the down payment much less the mortgage payments, and what happens in situations like that is you get investors who buy units and then rent them which unfortunately is the primary cause for high housing as it doesn't allow rates to fall if the people buying aren't the people who live in the area. Sorry for the rant, I just get very cranky when people equate homelessness to lack of housing availability and the knee jerk response "we need more housing" is the sole solution. But I love your design Barbara, and absolutely would love to see a lot more of that in the area.

[@denizmideniz]

so well thought and designed . lovely .bravo

[@brianradwanski6544]

Love this. We need more of this type of thing.

[@amarketing8749]

12:15. There's the rub: "They exceeded their expectations of what they could sell for." Higher density is looked at as a way to make things more affordable and instead they were able to charge even more than they expected per house, therefore contributing and continuing the cycle of unaffordability.

[@AbuSous2000PR]

agreed; we need to find the balance

[@Bustermachine]

I disagree. The housing shortage being what it is, fourteen units of fairly nice new housing were going to sell for a premium and certainly aren't going to put even a ding in the price of housing. You need hundreds of thousands of units of additional housing to satisfy demand and get prices under control and, at least at first, new units are going to be bid on by people with more money to burn. The point of a program like this is to prove to people that density construction does not have to be cramped, dingy, or lacking of privacy, which are preconceptions that all strongly discourage changes to local zoning.

[@tjslam26]

Any one of the 18 units is still probably much more affordable than a home built on one of the 5 lots that used to be on this land. If the developer has a higher than expected profit margin and the new property owner gets to buy something cheaper than the alternative - that's pretty much a win-win.

[@thezenarcher]

I think it just shows how much people want this kind of smaller, cozier housing. Plus if they built these as typical LA bungalows they would take up more space/land and sell for just as much if not more

[@R1S0.]

i would like to see more greens in that central parking lot.... 😉 overall, very nice project! edit: 9:45 i LOVE that view

[@AVega-rx4px]

These are gorgeous!!!

[@martian9999]

very nice, but (sorry for asking) what is the use of density if you are still 100% relying on the car for everyday transport? Density is great because it makes public transport financially viable, and it enables walkable neighborhoods and the use of bicycle too. But a little pocket of density in a low-density city will just cause problems, imo. The only benefit would be a lower price per house.

[@carl8790]

The problem is within regulations and zoning laws in the US, which they mostly prioritizes car infrastructure.

[@joachimemand1687]

I love your channel - always inspiring! It's interesting to see what "density" means in LA ;) But the arrangement is great and the idea of having "open-courtyards" is definitely nice.

[@Mike__B]

LA is huge, like gigantically spread out, this is suburban density, not like high rise apartment density which some other places have which wouldn't be allowed to be built in a place like this which is why you get those typical 2-3 unit apartment buildings on a lot.

[@imianco8079]

loved loved this tour thank you!!! & hello from milwaukee !!

[@jaggynettles8382]

Fantastic design thank you for sharing 🙏🙏🙏

[@douglasharley2440]

fantastic design and build! RESPECT

[@AndrewHelgeCox]

There's a video of them new / under construction and empty on here called "Blackbirds Condos For Sale".

[@janeolinger8038]

Very impressive planning to address the reality of housing needs in cities. I would like see more similar places that are aging-in-place friendly. Stairs, both outside and in the houses, are not really safe options.

[@bessycorrales6405]

Loving the large windows. Very light and airy and bring the outdoors in.

[@Trgn]

They are quite nice, clean designed actually.

[@denisewilson9599]

Wow, I really like these. LA needs this any greenery is awesome. Better to own house and ground. Very modern looking. Thank you.

[@sundancer442]

Simply amazing. A definite housing plan, for the immediate future. :)

[@karenzielke9387]

Too much cement and almost no green space, requiring one to drive or bike to a park. Green space is important for health. If the shades for those large windows were at the bottom it would make more sense. Then they could be closed partway for privacy and still allow enough light.

[@joshkatsikis9138]

The cement parking lot is perfect for kids wanting to play, if you want a large open green space you should walk or bike to a local park and get some exercise. The idea that everyone needs a front yard and a backyard is antiquated and further perpetuates the wealth gap along with being a huge waste of space. The future of U.S. cities needs to focus on communal living and not the individual, with more developments like this it will lead to zoning commercial areas closer to the homes requiring less travel and ultimately getting rid of the barrier of having to buy a car to work or go anywhere.

[@padkirsch]

Very cool houses! Awesome, I love it! 🌿🙂👍🕊️

[@complimentary_voucher]

'Skeptics vow to it'? That... doesn't mean anything.

[@serbansaredwood]

I love the idea although I would like to see less space for parking and more for gardening/green space

[@pedro-braga]

@LOL CATZ how come? The city requires more than one or two parking spots per living unit?

[@anaalves3658]

@@pedro-braga they don't have good public transport. The city probably allocates 2-3 parking spaces per single family household. My parents have 2 cars and only one of them drives 🤦

[@AlexCab_49]

Stealth density would be great in areas where homeownership is higher. However in south LA I think it could be easier to build mid-rise apartments

[@artemaeus]

LOVE this!

[@ellast1]

Too much cement too little trees and green space

[@tiggerable]

Just like in the Netherlands.

[@thezenarcher]

The cement is mostly for the parking. Give up the cars and the courtyard can be all greenspace (but that's up to the residents, and the zoning if there are parking minimums)

[@ansgarkoehler]

I guess in LA it doesn’t get too cold, otherwise I’d worry about the insulation of those big windows.

[@flx2525]

Yes, in Europe they're building smaller windows now because of isolation/co2 etc.

[@karenzkilab7678]

Simple,sleek,modern and just the right space,not too big and not too small..nice😄👍

[@tofuhunter1]

Love the concept. There is one for sale right now (pending already) for $1,295.000 (US).

[@johnnyfactory]

what area of Echo Park?

[@davidbacon9223]

you can always 'scotch tape' your constantly evolving ART to the large windows for all your neighbors to see!..... when all your artistic neighbors do the same, your COMMUNITY will never have a dull moment!..... "It's alive! It's alive!" :-0

[@maxwellbald5016]

The black siding is a downfall of those houses. You can see that the paint is already fading on the sunny side of the houses. It's going to absorb a lot of heat in hot LA. And then subjectively, I think 'modern' black 'design' is going to quickly look dated.

[@DoubleBob]

"'modern' black 'design' is going to quickly look dated." It's ugly af and I wouldn't want to live in something that looks like the overseized, depressed sibling of IKEA furniture.

[@starnejme6902]

Superb!

[@earthmamma85]

I love the layout of the house they showed

[@MBMCincy63]

I like the variety of home types, style and possiblity you present each week. Thanks 👍.

[@rodellwilliams871]

Awesome love it 🙏🏽🌞

[@Kim-lc3fv]

Impressive. Do you know what is happening around Elysian Park, e.g., Park Drive? My late aunt and uncle lived there from 1949 to 2013 in a house built for them. Would be interesting to know if similar new higher density houses are being built there as well.

[@ChazEvansdale]

For density this is the kind of community I'd want to live in! Ample/safer parking since it's not on the street, a place for group activities, you can be as connected or disconnected to your neighbors as you want! I love when tiny houses do villages packed like this, but because of zoning it seems those are only rented lots - So this is better, because you can still live in a smaller house, smaller footprint, but still own your home/land!

[@mgtowski395]

Lovely project.

[@sitansusekharpanda3431]

creative...modern look ❣️❣️❣️ smarty designs ❤️❤️

[@SoCalFreelance]

I like the concept, just wish the architecture was more inspired -- like the Echo Park house you featured last year.

[@dianahernandez7529]

They are so Beautiful ❤️

[@mattcarlson8262]

Great floor plans and overall design too....With all the California sunshine, where are the solar panels ?

[@tlockerk]

I like the concept and especially the ability to buy a single family unit...from seeing the neighbor homes, wondered if you'd considered using a more 'native' outdoor finish to better blend it with unhappy neighbors.

[@marianfrances4959]

These are beautiful houses! 👍😎🇨🇦

[@TheHiawatha]

Very impressive

[@Tarodenaro]

this would've been amazing for mixed used zoning purpose like that in Tokyo. maybe we can revitalized struggling city center (e.g detroit) with these small kind of retail/housing combo downtown.

[@Clapicus]

are you planning to make one like these in San Diego?

[@phyllisarrington7436]

Those 2nd story windows all the way to the floor gave me vertigo. LOL. I'm guessing the panes are break-proof. IDK. Love the whole project. Good job!

[@stephensullivan1011]

Right in echo Park. Impressive.

[@tamiweber7118]

This is a well thought out plan and it brings the community together 💯🌟💯🌟💯🌟💯🌟

[@AndrewHelgeCox]

Is there a video on the construction of these?

[@cobralyoner]

it's definitely a cool approach.

[@carolined3058]

bigg small house , a lot of money and then no really good outside space in a warm climate, Not a good build

[@WearySteerer]

Cool developer man 🤙

[@paulrouth5997]

Outstanding reuse of the windows. Going to be a lot less large malls anchored by department stores; a lot of glass that can be repurposed.

[@and11199]

The windows are re-used? I had the impression that they bought new windows sold for commercial projects.

[@dnllmaurer1]

@@and11199these windows were made for the project but manufactured in standard sizes to reduce cost. This type of window is not typically installed in residential properties. The original design was intended to suit the architectural style & purpose of commercial properties. Large store front windows are stationary so they're made thicker for structural integrity & safey. Smaller operational windows are added to provide air circulation. Many modern home designs showcase larger windows. Some have full length glass panels in place of a wall. They're installed on a track to slide aside & open the wall for an expansive space. Another option for versatility is to install a glass panel garage door. It's highly functional but has a distinct edgy industrial vibe.

[@AndrewHelgeCox]

06:55 are those just air con compressors or do these places use air source heat pumps?

[@graemezimmer604]

An Aircon Compressor is a heat pump. Just not reverse cycle.

[@onearmwillie]

Very surprising no one brought this up but… “PARKING COURTYARD ”?

[@Mekhanic1]

It's a really nice property idea! I think I would prefer less concrete in the center.

[@tbm4]

Forever spraying windex!

[@daniel51020]

Nice design. Smart use of space. I'm curious whether they considered adding solar panels or rainwater harvesting systems to the buildings? Also, what about active transport and/or public transport access and infrastructure?

[@mrMacGoover]

Certainly a better idea than current U.S. suburbs and the waste of space that they are.

[@AndrewHelgeCox]

There is a six year old video of them new called "Blackbirds Townhouse Community- Open House".

[@MarcMERTENSbe]

It's a pity that everything is hardened outside ! it's a green area, but theses plots are all concrete, what a contrast - especially to park so many cars ... in Europe an underground parking would have been imposed. The 12 inch hidden joints between the houses are also mandatory to cope with a seismic event.

[@aprilm9551]

See meara daly's reply to another comment. She says that the paving is a requirement in LA.

[@hugomarquez3189]

This whole house with a white picket fence and backyard is a very American thing, that’s no longer practicable in high density cities like LA. Go to any other part of the world and you’ll see cities aren’t supposed to look that way. Build up, period, or the homeless problem will get worse.

[@a.m.doesit9347]

but yet building up does not solve the affordability issue just look at NYC, London or any other major city around the world that is dense and is built up are they affordable compared to the median income?

[@hugomarquez3189]

@@a.m.doesit9347 it doesn’t mean it’s gonna be cheap anyway, since the desirability to live in LA, NYC or London will always be there, they will always have more people than they can support, but you won’t have the outrageous prices you’re having now, and there will be areas where it will be more affordable to live in. Queens, NY or Harlem, or the Bronx are still places where working class people can live (no longer Brooklyn tho). And even when you consider that NYC has an issue that LA doesn’t have, NYC is limited territorially, there’s only so much space in that island and its connections. LA can afford to build up and expand at the same time, making more housing units available. In any case, it is always an issue of supply and demand, housing units versus demand for housing. It makes more sense to create more housing units, and the more efficient way to do it without overextending the city’s resources (water lines, subways, buses, highways) is to build up.

[@serbansaredwood]

@@a.m.doesit9347 You realize not everything is an extreme right? We don't need supertall skyscrapers or single family homes. Those are both built for the rich and don't meet the actual demand. What we need is mixed density neighbourhoods of single family homes on narrow lots, townhouses, duplexes, triplexes, and low-rise apartment buildings. That is what we need

[@Eriugena8]

This lady thinks a lot. These buildings look really great inside and out. Great find KD!!

[@cleroyster2610]

Price?

[@tbm4]

Its the echo park area, we are talking 7 figures easy. and likely one really big hoa

[@h.aaron.edwards]

I think a number of the critics commenting on this video need to get out and travel the world, see how others have lived, are living, and how architects, urban planners, developers and governments are trying to tackle the problem of lack of affordable housing. Another great video by Kirsten and her family. Keep up the great work!

[@sho0oka]

Could anyone refer me to more projects of densifying in the suburbs?

[@blueman5924]

Who ever set up that crazy looking On Demand water heater on the side of the unit, wasn’t interested in the building looks. But the complex design is great. No balconies keeps the lines and finishes so clean. 👍👍

[@clacicle]

Very nice. Perhaps I missed it, but what was the genre price tag for these homes?

[@theothermebutwhoami]

innovative

[@dolsiemercado3140]

It is nice but very close to one another. Very nice.