Clybourn

Clybourn Remodel, Addition & ADU

We worked on this project for a group of developers who wanted to flip the house (their first project together!) in 2018. It’s one of our first projects.

Scope of Work

• Complete remodeling to the existing 997 SF house (1 bedroom, 1 bathroom, kitchen, dining ,and living room area)
• Addition of 1,303 SF (including first-floor extension and master bedroom on the second floor). The finished bedroom count is 4 bedrooms and 3 bathrooms.
• New detached ADU of 435 SF (including 1 bedroom, 1 bathroom)

Location

Toluca Lake

Background

This was one of the first projects we worked on when we started our practice.

We met the developer at another job and he took a chance with us and invited us to collaborate with him and his architect friend.

The project was a complete first-floor remodel and addition, a new second-floor, and a new detached ADU (Accessory Dwelling Unit).

The developers brought in a “design” architect while we were on the “production” team. We were grateful to have collaborated with an experienced architect in residential design.

We learned about home layouts, window placements and sizing around the home, space planning, and flow, among other things that we still use with our projects.

This project was also our first experience going through plan check at LA City and navigating all the clearances and approvals from other departments.

Design Elements

The original style of the house was a California Bungalow and we changed to a modern farmhouse style, a style that is very prevalent in the area.

We redesigned the house to shift the office and bedrooms to the front of the house so the living room and kitchen open up towards the back yard. The master bedroom with its own balcony and another bedroom takes up the second floor.

There are large sliding glass doors and windows that let light in and view towards the back. The living room, dining room, and kitchen have a nice open-concept flow.

We carried the same open-concept floor plan and large openings to the ADU. Despite a compact footprint, the space feels much larger thanks to the tall ceilings, sliding glass doors, floor-to-ceiling windows, skylights, and the absence of interior walls.

“We were seeking a young and dynamic architectural firm that had fresh and creative ideas but also could move quickly on their feet”

John A, client

Lastly, we maximized the lot to build the house and the ADU.

To recap: this was one of our first major projects where we maximized the allowable use of the lot and the size of the house addition. Our clients added a pool since finishing the house.

Ultimately, it turned out to be a beautiful project, the owners were happy, and they have a tenant who enjoys the home!