Rush hour on 110, by Gerald Forbes, 1972.

Most of LA housing was built in relationship to the picturesque and expansive landscape that it inhabits – spreading wide across the hills and valleys. It would seem that building sparsely would have resulted in a scenario where both urban and natural environments could co-exist peacefully and harmoniously. Alas, that did not turn out to be the case and nature is making its displeasure known – a case in point is the recent multi-year drought. Now is the time to explore other urban models and strategies, ones that would lead to mitigating the potentially devastating effects of climate change, so it was very exciting to come across an intriguing study conducted by the Bay area thinktank Next 10; this study focuses on the effects of greater density on neighborhoods where “compact housing in already urbanized land near transit, jobs, and services” is added.

This research suggests that living in these “infill areas” would lessen the effects of climate change: by living closer to the workplace, school and public transit, the average Angeleno’s drive would be shortened by 18 miles per weekday, meaning an annual reduction of 1.79 million metric tons in greenhouse gas emissions, which, according to our friends at CurbedLA, equals to taking 378,000 cars off the road and helps the state meet its emissions-reduction goals. Take a look at the Next 10 study here or catch the analysis over at ConstructionDive.

Our takeaway from the study is that small lot homes are definitely one of the ways of the future, and we are proud to be working with new communities like TheERB and TheGlenLA  that espouse an eco-conscious small footprint approach to building.  Interest lists for both developments are growing fast, which is exciting! You can sign up at the links above and, as usual, if you have any other real estate questions, don’t hesitate to get in touch.

Here’s a great piece from Construction Dive discussing the rise of the wellness-minded spaces. As environmentally friendly approaches to design and architecture have become more wide-spread, the next big trend in residential development that’s certain to affect the real estate industry is a new kind of smart home, a domicile designed to sustain the inner wellbeing.

Tracing the origins of wellness spaces to the holistic work-life balance lifestyles that prevail among millennials, the editorial touches upon the emergence of corporate cultures that explore the link between wellness and productivity by structuring work environments with atmosphere of wellness (this might include features like relaxation areas, high quality lightning, gyms etc). Once a healthier workspace is a given, it makes sense that a similar expectation from the domestic space would follow suit. Aligning personal wellness strategies  to habitation choices might look like this:

Through the state-of-the-art systems that can, for example, introduce and circulate probiotics in the air, diffuse homeopathic scents throughout the home at the push of a smartphone button, coax residents into a natural circadian rhythm and create stepped water purification systems, homeowners can create a space that connects the dots of their attempts at a healthier lifestyle.

Sounds incredible, but there is just one thing: to even begin connecting the dots, one first needs a quality space. Our new listing, an eco-conscious, energy-efficient build, fits the bill exactly. A suite of six contemporary homes, these beautiful residences in Los Feliz Village feature sustainable energy-saving systems like Hydrostop cool roofing, water-conserving faucets, and built in electrical conduits for future solar panel installation and future EV charge station. A perfect setting for all your smart home ideas- join our Broker’s Open this Thursday from 6-8PM and Open House this weekend from 2-5PM. 1759 N. New Hampshire Avenue, 90027.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A bit of lovely news about the Angels Flight, the very short and steep Los Angeles funicular: it is scheduled to resume operations in just a few months, on Labor Day. It seems an appropriate date, given the railway storied past of ferrying thousands of working Angelino’s from downtown to Bunker Hill. Over at the LA Times, David Ulin  writes about the history of the railway and shares a personal account of his relationship to this cultural landmark, astutely capturing the powerful role that architecture, and by extension, real estate, play in our lives:

When my son, Noah, was little — 3, 4 and 5 — we rode Angels Flight all the time. We would take the Purple Line downtown from Wilshire and Western, get off at Pershing Square, walk a block or so down Hill Street and ride the funicular up and down. Those excursions are part of what Angels Flight represents, at least to me.

In part, this is a matter of nostalgia, but it is also something more. Cities are built of memories as much as they are constructed out of steel and stone. When I walk by the orange arch on Hill Street, with its Beaux Arts flourishes, I recognize that Angels Flight remains a relic of the city as it was in 1901, but I’m mostly reminded of my own history in the place, all those Saturdays and Sundays with my son.

It’s amazing how much history is packed in just one bit of city infrastructure. Looking forward to making new memories come Labor day – though can only hope to be as stylish as the fashionable commuters in 1965.