CASE STUDY

Centinela

CULVER CITY | LOS ANGELES, CA

The issues Los Angeles faces of high housing prices do not relate to those looking for affordable housing. Thus, this project takes on this crisis by designing eight new housing units as an infill to increase housing densification. The process to accomplish this was long. The primary purpose was to tie three lots and make them into one, subdivided into small lots. Once the process was approved and allowed for new townhomes to be designed, the design goals were to have accommodating areas for the users to live in. With shared lots, certain aspects of privacy were removed to have this commonality able to work. They have common areas within the property, allowing property owners to use these areas to access their building, these shared spaces such as a typical driveway, walkways, and common easements. The project consists of eight townhomes with four floors, a downstairs garage, three bedrooms, and a roof deck. Overall creating large areas to accommodate a single family.

Owner: Centarus LP

Architects: Payson Denney Architects

Permitting: Pacific Urbanism

LA City Small Lot Subdivision: Possible Configuration

1. This alternative T-driveway configuration separates rear units from the right-of-way. The primary entranceways for the rear units have direct access to the pedestrian pathway

3. When an alternate L-driveway is used, all rear units that do not front the right-of way should have access to the pedestrian pathways that connect to the right-of-way

5. The right-of-way should give the appearance of an entry. Primary entryways are oriented toward and have direct access to the right-of-way.

2. When rear L-driveways are used, all units front directly onto the public right-of-way.

4. When side access driveways are used, the primary entranceway of the front home should be accessible from the right-of-way or a pedestrian pathway that is directly connected to the right-of-way. Interior homes should be accessible from both the driveway and a private walkway directly connected to the right-of-way at the front of the homes.

6. When rear T-driveways are used all units should have direct access to the public sidewalk.

Original Lots

The project takes on the small lot subdivision, which the city of LA has pushed as a standard to alleviate the housing issue and increase densification of buildings through infill, by tying three lots accumulating in a large lot to then process a sub-division entitlement.

Vicinity Map

New Parcel Map

The permitting process for the project was primarily the ability to have a three-lot tied. This lot would then be subdivided into eight lots. For minor subdivisions to work, a considerable lot needs to be divided; this process is long and time-consuming, yet in the end, it allows for a cluster of buildings to have different zoning regulations.