designed while employed at Workbench
Starter Home Concept
Santa Cruz, CA
This 15-unit development in Santa Cruz County rethinks the starter home model by offering detached houses on individual lots, each with private parking, yards, and potential for future ADU conversion.
Organized along a shared private drive, the project maximizes a constrained site while prioritizing livability and long-term affordability. Simple, rhythmic forms with curved shed roofs evoke the coastal context, while optimizing solar orientation and construction efficiency.
Upper-level living spaces take advantage of vaulted volumes and connect to private terraces, while flexible ground-floor layouts allow for future ADU integration—expanding ownership potential and creating a more attainable path to homeownership.