This article originally appeared on La Jolla Light.
In today’s housing market, consumers are demanding more and better housing at an affordable rate. This has led some developers to begin building micro-units in desirable neighborhoods, and others to initiate urban infill projects that repurpose underutilized land to expand housing options. On the East Coast, New Yorkers are learning to love micro-units even smaller than the city’s famously cramped studios; and while we may not feel the pinch for space as acutely here in California, that doesn’t mean we can’t incorporate equally innovative thinking into our own architectural designs.
Micro-homes in the Big Apple
According to a recent report from the U~T, New York City planners have posed a challenge to local builders: to design comfortable, appealing micro-units ranging in size from 250-370 square feet. The aim is to create affordable options for renters priced out of the city’s standard accommodations – one that other expensive and overcrowded cities including San Francisco, Tokyo and Hong Kong have already explored. To compensate for such miniscule living quarters, some New York designer have proposed elements like rooftop gardens and common lounge areas. And while the need for 300-square foot apartments may not yet be pressing here in Southern California, a similar opportunity to think outside the box – in terms of apartment sizes and locations, amenities and mixed-use facilities – may prove advantageous when it comes blending urban design and affordable San Diego housing.
Local developments boost access to affordable apartments and retail space
Throughout San Diego County, the housing market is highly competitive – a fact that leaves many would-be renters and buyers stuck in a seemingly endless search for attractive properties. One solution to the shortage of available inventory is new building projects; and unlike New York City, San Diego still has plenty of room for urban infill developments that can provide housing while simultaneously revitalizing local economies. Of course, when new apartments go up within established neighborhoods, space may be at a premium. It is in the innovative utilization of that space that an architect’s creativity becomes crucial to the success of any given development.
Here in La Jolla, we at Murfey Construction and Veritas Urban Properties are pleased to be starting work on a new urban infill development called The Point @ Ingraham, a 21-unit property with commercial space on the ground floor and apartments ranging in size from 400 to 940 square feet. By blending residential and commercial space and creating shared amenities (including ample parking and an outdoor space open to the public), our goal is to bring new vibrancy to the Pacific Beach/Crown Point neighborhood while offering affordable, attractive apartment homes and retail spaces to local renters and entrepreneurs.
To learn more about The Point, or to discuss building projects or remodeling ideas with an experienced commercial general contractor in La Jolla, contact us online at www.murfeyconstruction.com or www.veritasurban.com.