THE PROBLEM FACING the architect and developer of Three-65 at Victoria Gardens was how to tie this infill project (mixing flats and townhouses) into a neighborhood of single-family detached homes to the north and a recently opened regional mall to the south.
The mall, known as Victoria Gardens, has a contemporary look, while the homes on the opposite side present a mix of traditional styles, with Craftsman being the most prevalent, explains architect David M. Kosco. The solution was to blend the two aesthetics into an updated Prairie style featuring long, horizontal runs of red brick and wood veneer siding, hipped roof forms, and boldly outlined window sashes. An asymmetrical tower element breaks the mass, making the roofline more dynamic.
This contemporary riff on a classic American architectural style appealed to young buyers looking for hip yet affordable spaces, as well as to empty-nesters seeking freedom from home maintenance. In fact, the interior of Plan 2 was designed specifically to appeal to older buyers with a much more pronounced Prairie/Craftsman theme.
Category: Townhouse project; Entrant/Architect/Land planner: Bassenian/Lagoni Architects, Newport Beach, Calif.; Builder/Developer: Shea Homes, Inland Empire, Corona, Calif.; Interior designer: Garrett Interiors, Westlake Village, Calif.; Landscape architect: The Collaborative West, San Clemente, Calif.
Learn more about markets featured in this article: Los Angeles, CA.
