Real estate
development
Mid-rise concrete building with planted terraces stepping over a tree-lined street
02 / Mixed use · Los AngelesConcept project

FORM / WEST

Type
Mixed use
Location
Los Angeles
Program
Homes, retail, rooftop garden
Role
Developer
Status
Concept project

The thinking

How do you add density a street can actually live with?

Step the building back as it rises, give every floor outdoor space, and hand the ground floor to the neighborhood before anyone moves in upstairs.

  1. 01

    Read the street

    Height follows the block, not the zoning maximum. The first three floors match the cornice line next door.

  2. 02

    Terrace the mass

    Each level steps back to make a planted terrace. The building gets lighter as it gets taller.

  3. 03

    Lead with retail

    A café and a corner market sign before the homes do. The sidewalk is busy on day one.

Planted rooftop terrace with the downtown skyline in the distance

Density is a design problem before it is a number.