New Urban West
Infill project cultivates community acceptance with storytelling.
Challenge
How can a planned development overcome the concerns of a growth-resistant population?
Looking to build a new neighborhood in the tight-knit community of Sierra Madre, CA, New Urban West needed to demonstrate its thoughtful masterplan for the site.
Process makes perfect.
An informal, sketchbook-like format presented the project as a work in progress, inviting the community behind the scenes with early, conceptual ideas.
More custom, less cookie-cutter.
Gaining support meant honoring Sierra Madre’s rich architectural heritage—and showing how the new construction would fit seamlessly as a natural extension of the town’s eclectic streetscape.
Shaping the story.
To echo the diverse housing stock already present in the community, four different architectural teams were engaged, with each assigned a different style.
A section is devoted to each style, with a profile of the architect, their perspective on the style, early sketches, and a moodboard of design details.
