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A person sitting at a table writing on a notepad in a cafe setting.

An assortment of fresh vegetables and fruits on a kitchen table.

A modern architectural model of a multi-building complex with open spaces and outdoor seating areas, featuring white and wood-textured facades and minimalistic human figures.

A SHARED SPACE

San Jose, CA

The California Home Act (SB-9) will allow a family who has lived in their neighborhood for decades to turn their home into a space for multiple generations and more.

It’s a modest suburban home sitting on an oversized lot, with gardens and fruit trees occupying a large majority of the space. While many neighbors had expanded their homes over the years, the owners now saw an opportunity in California's SB-9 law – a chance to reimagine suburban living for themselves.

THE COURTYARD

Throughout the process we were interested in exploring not only the density that was possible with this legislation but also the flexibility that could be achieved over time as the needs of the owner, the occupants and the market changed. Inspired by Irving Gill's courtyard homes of the early 20th century and co-housing communities, we envisioned a micro-neighborhood that could adapt over time.

A grayscale aerial map showing a neighborhood with several houses along curved and straight roads, with no prominent landmarks or objects.

A white architectural scale model of a residential neighborhood showing houses and plots, with dotted boundary lines.

1 - EXISTING CONDITION

Architectural model of buildings with white and wooden blocks on a gray surface outlined with dashed lines.

3 - ADD NEW HOUSE WITH FLEX UNIT

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2 - SPLIT LOT / RENOVATE EXISTING HOUSE / ADD 1BEDROOM UNIT

Architectural model with white and wooden building structures on a gray base, with dashed white boundary lines.

4 - COMPLETE COURTYARD WITH SECOND HOUSE / FLEX UNIT + SHARED CARPORT

OPTIONS

In a series of conversations and explorations with the client a solution emerged around leveraging the split lot to accommodate four distinct units, arranged around a shared courtyard that preserves the beloved garden space. The existing home would be renovated for the parents. A small ADU would house their college-bound daughter, offering independence while keeping her close. One of the new units would give their older daughter and her future family a foothold in a challenging housing market. The fourth unit would generate rental income.

An architectural model of modern white buildings with wood accents, open spaces, and small human figurines, set against a dark sky.

FUTURE INHABITANTS AND COMMUNITIES

But the design goes beyond just adding units. By removing fences and creating communal spaces, the project opens possibilities for shared resources – from garden tools to vehicles. It's a contemporary interpretation of the multi-generational compound, designed to evolve with its inhabitants' needs.

As architects, we're particularly excited to watch this experiment in suburban adaptation unfold, seeing how the spaces and relationships between residents develop over time.

GROUND LEVEL PLAN

UPPER LEVEL PLAN

Architectural model of a modern building with multiple white and wood-textured sections, large windows, and several miniature human figures for scale.