The Dwellings

A ground-up project: owned, developed, designed, and built by Workbench. This design introduces 13 more units to an underutilized site, increasing the housing stock in Santa Cruz County and setting a precedent for a level of housing density that still provides ample private outdoor space, parking, and living space.

Row of modern two-story townhouses with large glass garage doors, surrounded by neatly landscaped driveways and a tree-lined background.

Location

Soquel, California

Scale

13 New Townhomes, 2 Existing Home Renovations

Status

Completed 2023

Services

Architecture, Development, Renovation, Construction

Expertise

Density Bonus, Sustainability

A prototype for beautiful housing infill

Neighborhood character develops over time. The Santa Cruz Coast is in a time of repurposing large single family lots into denser housing, Our design team set out to create a model for how these neighborhoods can form in a beautiful modern way.

Site plan showing a residential development layout with units labeled by numbers and names, including "Nisene," "Wilder," "Cowell," "Ranch House," and "Cottage." Streets "Darlington Lane" and "Soquel Drive" are marked. Trees and landscaping are depicted around the perimeter.
Architectural sketch of a building's front elevation with four connected units having sloped roofs and rectangular windows and doors. Labeled "5701 Soquel Drive, Front (East) Elevation of 4 Units" with a date of 05.04.18.

Image: Relocating the existing cottage.

Purchased in 2017, we envisioned a multi-family community with a modern look. Townhomes embracing a clean, modern aesthetic using a repeating gable form cantilevered over volumes of smooth stucco, combined with textured siding on the insides of the gable forms, wrapping the deck and surrounding soffits, bringing warmth and human scale to the simple architectural lines.

Architectural drawing of multiple townhouse units in a side elevation view, showing detailed measurements and layout design.
Modern house with wooden patio and outdoor seating surrounded by trees.

Novelty

With a focus on creating space for community, the townhomes have larger yards than a typical project. Backyards are accessible through a shared pathway, allowing residents to get the requisite Santa Cruz gear (surfboards, bikes, and scooters) and pets in and out of their yards, and also gives kids a safe way to run around and visit new neighborhood friends.

Modern single-story house with pitched roof and wooden fence
Modern balcony with two metal chairs, a small table, and a patterned rug, overlooking a garden with trees.

Site & Environmental Sensitivity

Embracing the mild climate of the region, each home maximizes connectivity to nature through operable windows, doors and skylights. Abundant private outdoor space in the form of balconies and yards is provided for each unit.

The townhomes are all-electric, wired to support solar panels and electric car charging, and maximize operable windows on both sides of the home for cross-ventilation.

The existing homes were refinished and spruced up, leveraging preservation of materials rather than consumption of new materials.

The Dwellings project creates more than housing—it creates a community. Physical and visual connections within the pocket neighborhood facilitate relationship-building and a sense of togetherness.

Modern living room with large windows, a gray couch, wooden coffee table, indoor plants, and view of a deck and greenery outside.

“At the beginning we were able to create fewer homes. And then, when the enhanced density bonus passed in the county, we were able to build one more affordable unit and one or two more market-rate units. Which, in the end, is really the only way to make it make sense.”

Jamileh Cannon

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A set of residential floor plans showing different layouts for both first and second floors. Each plan includes various rooms such as living rooms, dining areas, bedrooms, and bathrooms, with labels indicating specific areas like closets, laundry roo
Two residential floor plans on a light green background. The left plan includes a primary bedroom with a walk-in closet, a second bedroom, a living room, kitchen, dining room, two bathrooms, and a laundry room. The right plan has two bedrooms, each w

Consultants

Civil: RI Engineering
Landscape: SSA Landscape Architects
Mechanical, Plumbing, T24: Monterey Energy Group
Electrical: Miracles Unlimited Inc
Geotech: Butano Geotechnical Engineering
Structural: BASE Design

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