We’re excited to give you a sneak peek of a unique project underway at the Plant Design Studio. It's a set of single-family homes for a small city lot, providing some really fun design challenges…

Five thousand square feet for two homes with space for yards and gardens? Challenge accepted!

Project Goals

The clients purchased a thin lot (just 40’ wide by 132’ deep) with the hopes of building two freestanding, single-family homes. They approached Plant to develop a creative architectural solution that could be efficiently prefabricated offsite.

Primary requirements were light and privacy; the clients wanted to maximize natural daylight in the homes and frame views of sunrise and sunset. However, they also wanted to ensure that there were no sight lines between the two homes or neighboring properties.

Outdoor space and aesthetics were also key considerations. The clients wanted a compact footprint, so each residence could have an ample yard and garden. They also wanted to experiment with metal siding, to give the homes a sleek, distinctly modern aesthetic.

Design Solution

The studio devised a stacked module design: Each home features two rotated horizontal corridors that telescope the lot’s surroundings into the homes, while at the same time shielding views from adjacent structures. A large, central staircase anchors the design, which includes a transparent floor in the atrium and a clear corridor to allow light to travel freely through the space.

The offset, geometric designs preserve space for trees, grass, and gardens.

With a footprint of just 560 square feet, each one-bed, one-bath home features 1,120 square feet of conditioned living space. Both homes also include a 282-square-foot roof deck for a private outdoor escape off the master bedroom.

Each structure will be custom prefabricated as two volumetric Plant Modules, which will ship complete with most finishes and fixtures in place to keep on-site finish work to a minimum. Like all Plant projects, the homes will be built concurrent with site work, drastically reducing the construction timeline while also sparing the neighborhood from months of noise, mess, and parking disruptions.

Both homes feature large skylights and roof decks to take advantage of Southern California's plentiful sunshine.