Studio One Eleven’s proposal Lotful: Filling L.A.’s Gaps with Promise has been selected as a winner in the Shared Future category of the Small Lots, Big Impacts competition!
Out of 350+ submissions, Lotful stood out for its bold yet practical vision: attainable, for-sale homes that bring density, dignity, and design to overlooked infill lots across Los Angeles.
Our concept reimagines starter homes for the 21st century, compact, modular, and ownership-oriented, leveraging the Small Lot Ordinance to create resilient, fee-simple communities without the burden of podiums, HOAs, or sky-high costs.
Small Lots | Big Impact initiative is the outcome of a collaboration between cityLAB-UCLA, LA4LA, and the City of Los Angeles, including the office of Mayor Karen Bass, the housing Department, and City Council.
“Filling LA’s Gaps with Promise” Lotful introduces a replicable model for affordable, for-sale housing that meets Los Angeles’s urgent need for attainable homeownership, without relying on the generic apartment blocks that dominate current multifamily development. By combining modular construction, smart site planning, and use of LA’s Small Lot Ordinance, Lotful delivers fee-simple homes that are financially accessible, environmentally responsible, and community-minded.
Located on the Shared Future site, the proposal comprises six paired buildings. Each building includes three dwellings: two ground-level ADU flats and one owner’s unit above. These 18 homes are constructed using prefabricated wood framing and CLT modules, eliminating costly podiums, elevators, onsite garages, and common corridors. This approach minimizes construction costs and environmental impact while maximizing light, privacy, cross-ventilation, and gardens.
Each home is individually owned, including the land beneath it, bypassing condominium models’ high developer liability, insurance, and ongoing HOA fees. Including rental ADUs beneath each owner’s unit provides mortgage flexibility and income generation, broadening access to ownership and long-term stability. Rental ADUs offer maximum flexibility, potentially keeping owners as long-term neighborhood stakeholders. For example, owners can combine their unit with an ADU as space needs arise or utilize one of the ADU’s for work purposes.
Lotful also proposes targeted updates to the Small Lot Ordinance to align with evolving zoning patterns, such as flexible minimum lot sizes and setback averaging, ensuring these developments remain viable as land values and zoning incentives shift.
Lotful reimagines shared space: The adjacent alley becomes an active pedestrian corridor with units fronting it, and a network of patios, rooftop decks, and communal paths weave connections through the site. Lotful fills the gaps in our city’s housing fabric with light, equity, and possibility. By providing much-needed “missing middle” housing and long-term stakeholders, these developments can stabilize and strengthen local communities. It proves that small lots can do more than hold space; they can hold futures.
Read more about the project in Fast Company and Architect’s Newspaper.