The Backyard Estates reimagines family housing in Lincoln Heights by bringing the American Dream back into the city. As housing costs continue to rise, younger generations are finding it less likely that they will be able to own a traditional single-family home with a private backyard. This project challenges the idea that families must choose between the privacy of a home with a yard and the access, density, and opportunity of urban living. Instead, it proposes a housing model where families can have both.
     Located near Albion Riverside Park and the Los Angeles River, the project responds to the needs of young families, multi-generational households, and working residents in Lincoln Heights. The building combines housing with essential neighborhood-serving programs, including a daycare, neighborhood market, café/bookstore, and resident amenities. These ground-floor uses support everyday family life while reducing the need for additional car trips for basic services.
     The residential units are designed as two-story, townhome-style homes to create a stronger sense of privacy, separation, and identity than a typical apartment. Each unit is paired with a private backyard terrace that follows the familiar 40/60 single-family lot relationship. By densifying this relationship vertically, the project makes the spatial qualities of a single-family home attainable at an apartment rate, creating a more accessible path for younger generations to economically reach the American Dream.
     The private yards are the heart of the project. They give children room to play, imagine, move, and spend time outdoors, supporting mental health, physical activity, creativity, and a healthier alternative to screen-centered indoor living. For adults and multi-generational families, these yards create space for gardening, gathering, rest, and daily connection to nature. Each yard includes trees and a fruit tree, while the balcony railings become grow boxes for herbs, vegetables, and edible plants, helping families connect to food production and reduce grocery costs.
     Formally, the building steps and terraces upward to bring sunlight, air, and usable outdoor space to each home. The central courtyard creates shared open space, while the planted terraces soften the building’s mass and create a vertical neighborhood of homes, yards, and greenery. The vegetation also supports environmental performance through carbon sequestration, shade, cooling, and improved air quality.
At its core, The Backyard Estates asks whether families can still achieve the values of the American Dream—home, backyard, and community—within the city. Rather than pushing families outward, the project offers a denser, more sustainable model for living fully in an urban environment.