A lot of house on a narrow lot - house on a long lot in a commercial area

Sunset, June, 1995 by Peter O. Whiteley

A young family builds an affordable home by going commercial

An affordable lot for a first home is a challenge for any young family to find. When Katy and Tom Taylor started their search for a building site, they knew they wanted to live in Palo Alto, California, because of its excellent schools, mild climate, and close-to-work location. However, sites in residential neighborhoods were scarce and beyond their budget, so they began to think creatively.

The Taylors ended up buying a narrow lot on a side street lined mostly with office buildings. Because their lot isn't in a traditional residential neighborhood, they were able to take advantage of more lenient zoning rules. Buildings in this commercial-zoned area can extend right to the property line and cover a higher proportion of land. As a result, the Taylors were able to build a house and garage almost three times larger than what they could have built on a lot of the same size in a residential area of Palo Alto.

Passersby have no clue that the Taylor house is there. A separate garage next to a tall office building blocks views of the house and a grassy courtyard. Clad with corrugated metal siding, both the house and the garage have an unabashedly industrial look appropriate to the neighborhood. On a more practical note, Tom Taylor says, "I used to be a housepainter, and I didn't want to paint again."

The house, designed by architect Larick Alan Hill of Portola Valley, rises to three stories, but covers an area measuring just 30 by 30 feet. The interior has the ruggedly appealing look of a warehouse or studio loft. Exposed beams, industrial-style light fixtures, and off-the-shelf doors and windows consciously add to the style but also helped keep construction costs down.