Leighton incorporates eight townhomes on an infill lot in South Los Angeles, utilizing a new Los Angeles ordinance allowing small lot subdivisions. The objective is to provide more affordable homes, increase density and preserve the daily patterns of the city. Urban Studio and the developer, Enterprise Homeownership Partners, are working to incorporate sustainable building principals into contemporary design while creating affordable homes to people of moderate means.
These townhomes will stand as a transition between commercial and residential areas with access to the amenities of each. All homes feature a private back yard and landscape buffers to adjoining areas. The alley in front is transformed into a quiet pedestrian zone.
Each home is a three-storey building, on the ground floor a portico and garage with a stairway to the upper floors. The second level features a kitchen, living and dining rooms, master bedroom and bath, and a stairway to the back yard. Above on the third floor are two bedrooms, a bathroom and a laundry room.
The building’s exteriors are finished with cement siding and stucco to be painted in vintage colors to harmonize with the neighborhood. The overall look acknowledges the area's Craftsman style of surrounding buildings seen with a contemporary sensibility.

Client: Enterprise Home Ownership Partners
Scope: 8 DU Small-lot Subdivision
Cost: $ 135/SF (construction)