This 50x100-foot infill lot showcases two housing prototypes for San Diego’s urban core — one a small-lot convertible house and the other a larger mixed-use estate. Conceived as a way to lower housing costs in San Diego, the site’s two convertible units are on 25x25-foot lots, with the lower levels designed as rentable office and / or living space, thus allowing the owner to subsidize the cost of a mortgage.

The “T” shaped upper level of the larger unit is dedicated living space which shapes two courtyards neatly hidden behind the streets’ walls. The lower level houses a design studio. The units respect the small scale of the neighborhood and add contemporary elegance to the city’s streetscape.