The Axolotl

2024 Residential Design Award Citation Recipient

Our project endeavors to redefine middle-density multifamily housing by challenging the prevailing negative perceptions like compromised privacy, limited/nonexistent outdoor spaces, and a perceived lack of character or humanity, sacrificed in favor of efficiency and cost considerations. By amalgamating elements from historical housing models such as bungalow courts and dingbat apartments, our initiative transcends mere nostalgia, seeking instead to resurrect the qualities that once made these dwellings appealing despite their modest resources. Our choice of siding, a departure from conventional multi-family housing norms, painted in a distinctive pink hue, underscores our commitment to this ethos.

Our project also consists of contemporary features to address challenges like energy and water conservation and utilizing standards made possible by City of LA TOC Ordinance to clear some of the typical hurdles to executing denser housing. Standards like reduced minimum parking requirements and increase in allowable density. These aspects allow elimination of subterranean levels, arrangement of units around a single stair core and reclamation of the ground floor for dwellings. These simple adjustments increase project feasibility by lowering costs, increase livability, walkability, and overall reduction in carbon footprint and environmental impact.

Dubbed “Axolotl,” our project draws inspiration not only from its vibrant color but also from the creature’s unique genetic makeup—a fusion of traits that grants it a remarkable capacity to adapt to its environment. Much like the amphibious salamander, our development embraces its eccentricities as endearing rather than off-putting, symbolizing resilience and vitality within its surroundings. Just as the presence of axolotls in nature signifies environmental health, we aspire for our project to evoke similarly positive associations—a testament to sustainable living and harmonious community integration.

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A multi-family residential project that is commendable for its clever densification of an infill lot into seven appealing apartments with one access stair; a thoughtful solution to the housing crisis.

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Measure 1: Design for Integration

We wanted to maximize the opportunities afforded by the TOC incentives to create more livable dwellings at more affordable costs. Reducing parking requirements eliminates a subterranean level. Additional benefits cascade through the building allowing dwelling units on the ground floor and larger private open spaces like balconies and roof decks for the upper floors. Tactical distribution of these decks throughout reduced the overall bulk and scale of the building minimizing impact to the street level and adjacent neighbors. The common access corridor is designed as an outdoor common area that is more inviting than a dark double loaded corridor. The units are efficiently organized into a type V three story building with a single stair core, which keeps costs lower while also making possible the kind of open layout units and multiple wall openings on all sides. With characteristics taken from bungalow courts and dingbat apartments, our project is an evolutionary hybrid of Los Angeles middle housing. The dwelling units are cozy and livable, with ample access to outdoors, while benefiting from the cost efficiency of multiple units collectively sharing spaces to create community.

Measure 2: Design for Equitable Communities

TOC projects are reviewed and approved ministerially by the local planning department and does not require discretionary review or public hearings. But they are subject to potential appeal by neighbors and stakeholders. Nonetheless, this project was presented to the local neighborhood council, which wholeheartedly embraced and approved of the project.

Measure 3: Design for Ecosystems

All landscape plantings are native and drought tolerant. Multiple trees are planted in the front and rear yards to support local wildlife. An existing Calfifornia Oak tree was saved and protected during construction and is now thriving while providing shade for the building. 80% of the site paving or hardscape is permeable to allow water to percolate back into the ground to sustain the trees.

Measure 4: Design for Water

There is a 3000 gallon cistern buried under the parking in the back where ALL storm runoff that lands on impermeable surfaces is collected and then re-used for site landscape irrigation. Beyond conserving water use, it also helps to mitigate urban runoff and polutants from storm drainage.

Measure 5: Design for Economy

Eliminating the vast majority of the parking requirement translated into multiple opportunities to economize the fit of the building and increase positive amenities. The building program would fit comfortably within a three story building which also allows for a single stair core. Three stories also falls within a construction type (stick framed type V at grade) that is more cost effective. It also allows relatively large floor areas for the dwelling units to have both more bedrooms and larger outdoor private decks.

Measure 6: Design for Energy

The projected energy use on this building is per the Title 24 energy model. The buliding has only been fully leased and occupied for less than a year and full energy data is not available. Numbers above are projected based on electricity consumption over several months. However, the design of the building prioritizes passive cooling strategies and natural light for interior spaces in order to help conserve energy overall by taking advantage of the temperate local climate.

Measure 7: Design for Well-Being

The primary design feature and focus of the project was to massively escalate the amount of private open space in each unit specifically to dial up the overall well being and livability of each unit individually and the building as a whole. Natural light, ventilation and plenty of outdoor spaces provide comfort and healthy living in spades. The choice of lumber and finish material was driven by avoiding any harmful offgasing of formaldehyde and other toxic substances.

Measure 8: Design for Resources

50% of the exterior finish cladding is fiber cement board which is made of 100% recyclable material. It is also impervious to rot and pests and will minimize maintenance costs or replacement. This along with the aluminum windows and doors will increase the buildings resilience and have a longer life cycle.

Measure 9: Design for Change

The dwelling units in the project have more bedrooms and bathrooms because such units are in short supply in the local market where most vacancies are much smaller with only one bedroom or studios. Larger units with private outdoors spaces can support a more diverse spectrum of family size and makeup. It is also adaptable to social changes like recessions or pandemic which required working from home or access to more private outdoor spaces. The building is also in an earthquake fault zone which necessitated a “mat” foundation to secure the building against future seismic events

Measure 10: Design for Discovery

This is the first TOC project in our office and will inform any future middle housing projects. We tested the capacity of the program incentives to produce both affordable and livable multi-family living spaces which we believe was successfully implemented and executed. We have observed other TOC projects with excessive emphasis on the affordable and cost feasibility side at the expense of livable units and we hope that our project can be an example that can achieve both community benefits and financial goals for other developers and architects to emulate.