The Starter

2023 AIA San Diego Citation Award

The Starter nests itself into the surrounding neighborhood along the canyon. It takes the form of a sustainable, 3-story duplex Accessory Dwelling Unit, behind a single-family residence, in the North Park neighborhood of San Diego. The lower unit is grounded to the sloping site with outdoor spaces that feel protected and intimate. The upper unit has an expansive deck with views across Florida Canyon. A terraced outdoor space at ground level is a threshold that balances the privacy of the units from the street, with the front residence, while still allowing the occupants direct access to their very walkable community.

The Starter demonstrates an alternate strategy that can be undertaken, by-right, across thousands of smaller sites throughout the city, in a distributed approach that is thoughtful and impactful. As Architect and Developer we took matters into our own hands to intelligently weave density into an existing neighborhood on a smaller, challenging site that most developers would not touch. This approach works in established neighborhoods, so amenities are already a short walk away, which further reduces development costs.