Site constraints often drive innovation, and in the case of City Ventures’ Montebello Collection, the challenges created a new concept, the Urban Atrium. Although a more affordable option, The Montebello Collection does not sacrifice size in order to accommodate cost. With three unit types ranging from 1,330 to 1,960 square feet, two to four bedrooms, and all with direct-access two-car garages, buyers can find a home to suit their needs. In addition to all the modern amenities a new home can offer, this location is enticing due to its proximity to local shops, restaurants, Metrolink, and the Rio Hondo Bike Path.

On a dense, 30 unit/acre infill site, 44 townhomes gather in six buildings, with the smallest units lining the perimeter and the larger ones in the center. Capturing a European sense of scale and proximity, each of the two horseshoe-shaped central buildings wrap their units around open-air Urban Atriums. Working closely with City Ventures and Studio PAD, WHA designed these spaces in three dimensions to bring a sense of intimacy to the project without becoming congested – a difficult challenge with less than twenty feet door-to-door. Connecting the two end units provides a boundary for the Urban Atrium and screens a blank, 30′ tall warehouse wall to the east. A landscaped fore-court softens the transition between building and main drive aisle and serves as the entrance to the atrium.

The streamlined, contemporary elevations play with rectangular geometries in well-composed proportions that extend and retract along the facade. Some units have entire rooms project into the Urban Atrium, breaking down the three-story massing to a more manageable scale, creating nodes to separate individual units, and accommodating balconies above. The exterior color palette combines three high contrast stucco body colors with two siding colors and metal accents to add to the clean, modern look.

This project has inspired WHA’s R+D team to create two additional versions of the Urban Atrium, providing new solutions to other difficult infill sites while accommodating parking demands and the basic human need for light and fresh air. The Montebello Collection is a refreshing and innovative answer to high density infill housing.