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The Uchida family purchased a severely dilapidated home which had to be demolished on a very skinny lot in the desirable community of Manhattan Beach. With the lot being only 24’-0” wide and over 100’-0” long the biggest challenge was how to get a house on the site while meeting the city zoning and site setbacks. Fortunately we were able to convince a rather strict planning department to reduce the setbacks from 5’-0” to 3’-0” on either side which would allow for an 18’-0” wide building. Even with these concessions the narrow width presented design challenges with room layouts, interior circulation and natural day lighting. The solution was to employ a series of south facing clerestory windows and high windows allowing light to penetrate deep into the building rather than simply punching openings in the long side walls which faced a relatively urban street and running the risking of becoming a ‘fish bowl’
Build Highlights
The challenging site geometry led to a dynamic yet effective and attractive form.
High windows and clerestory windows fill the rooms with natural light and interesting shadows which add to the character of the spaces.
Despite being a narrow building each room maintains a functional and proportionate geometry with minimal loss to circulation.
Standing seam metal roofing.
Metal and stucco siding.
Even though the south lot line was a mere 24’-0” wide we were able to capitalize on the southern exposure for the interior rooms, exterior deck and yard.
