UC Irvine/OCC

teamMADE is particularly interested in how home ownership, or the lack thereof, affects our community. In Orange County the abundance of affluence and luxury custom homes drives the cost of living to the point where new home ownership for an individual or couple with multiple incomes is nearly impossible. For legacy homeowners the cost of living increases the chance of losing a home with more than half the population living paycheck to paycheck. The risk of home insecurity in Orange County has risen 6% in great measure to real estate and rental prices becoming unattainable.

As we witness our community suffering, we uphold the principles of sustainability and modularity for solving our affordability problem. In response to California’s precious resources, we have made water conservation and energy production a priority. We have also built in protection from natural disasters, particularly yearly wildfires that afflict Orange County, with steel frame construction. When a home can withstand limited resources and natural disaster, sustainable and resilient home design is the only solution.

In addition, we have capitalized on new laws that support Accessory Dwelling Unit, ADU development in California. teamMADE has created a system of modules that can either be configured to fit underutilized backyards in a typical California lot, or can be used as a new home that grows incrementally with a family’s needs. In preliminary design studies, it is apparent that a larger amount of private home lots in Southern California have underutilized backwards that can be used to create much needed housing in a sustainable and equitable way. Inspired by forms in nature, the design of this two-bedroom, two-bath ADU emerged as an exercise in the idea that form follows function.