Los Angeles Introduces the Accessory Dwelling Unit Standard Plan Program

Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs) have achieved many positive things since they were invented. The latest one has been something that only a few thought possible: uniting a government initiative to combat housing shortage with an excellent and bold design program.

 

That’s right. The City of Los Angeles recently launched the Accessory Dwelling Unit Standard Plan Program. This official government initiative offers Angelino’s homeowners 28 eye-catching and pre-approved-by-the-county ADU designs.

 

Managed by the Los Angeles Department of Building and Safety (LADBS), and with designs from recognized architecture firms such as SOIL and LA-Más, the program was created to fasten the permit expedition process for ADUs, as well as making them even more “accessible and affordable”, stated L.A. Mayor Eric Garcetti in a press release.

 

It was last November when Mayor Garcetti, jointly with the L.A. Chief Design Officer Christopher Hawthorne, launched the Low-Rise contest. They asked the architectural community of Los Angeles for alternative housing ideas to further combat the housing shortage.

 

Hawthorne announced that the competition enrolled the most talented architectural firms in the whole country, such as sekou cooke STUDIO, First Office, Welcome Projects, and whY Architecture. But only 28 designs were selected for the Accessory Dwelling Unit Standard Plan Program, and they range from small studios to more spacious two-story designs.

 

This shows how far ADUs have come since their creation. It was in 2017, not so long ago, city officials relaxed regulations to get residential permits to build this type of secondary residence and instantly received more than 1,900 applications from homeowners in just that year.

 

Now, this program has the potential to become a precedent for other cities that hope to increase housing density without sacrificing quality design. “The Standard Plan Program will dramatically simplify the process for homeowners to select and obtain a LADBS-approved ADU design”, said Hawthorne.

 

All 28 designs, both approved and pending approval, can be found on the LADBS’s website. If you wish to build any of these designs on your property, we can help you with the construction and financing process. Contact us at (310) 974-3174.

 

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