LA SUMA
Most Angelenos seem willing to acknowledge that our land-use patterns are no longer sustainable. The question is, how do you build public and political support for careful, effective zoning and land-use reform?
Christopher Hawthorne
Chief Design Officer, City of Los Angeles
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Los Feliz, Los Angeles, California
9,500 sf / Urban Design
Design Competition 2020 -
LA SUMA presents a new model for low-rise, low-impact infill housing – one that is radically familiar in its outward form. By using the friendly “bungalow court” as a starting point, LA SUMA provides a surprising amount of density into a typical double lot. This model encourages a healthy, walkable lifestyle by carving out a series of outdoor spaces for resident use: a shaded communal courtyard, individual patios and kitchen gardens, and roof terraces that offer a touch of privacy from the street life below. The elements are simple, but the sum is greater than its parts.
LA SUMA revolves – quite literally – around a modern take on the traditional neighborhood corner store. The entrepreneurial, self-employed, live-to-work-and-work-to-live individual would beam at the thought of living only steps away from their hustle. At the center of this double-lot resides a courtyard oasis that, shaded by a wide camphor tree, doubles as a natural vessel for carbon capture. A mix of dwelling units around the courtyard encourages a natural diversity of residents; larger 3-bedroom “bungalows” accommodate family living, while the compact “cottages” suit a young couple searching for the perfect starter home. The resulting community reflects Los Angeles itself: ambitious, evolving, yet perpetually rooted by a strong sense of “home.”
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