Project Data:

Completion Date:     4/22/2022

Square Footage:      633078

Building Use:           Residential

Project Description:

Located in the heart of a growing urban district in Tustin, California, this 117-home residential neighborhood reimagines single-family housing in a way that is both timeless and distinctly modern. Designed within a walkable framework that prioritizes community connection and spatial dignity, the project draws inspiration from historic American neighborhood planning and pairs it with a minimalist coastal-inspired-inspired design sensibility.

The traditional alley-loaded land plan reverses the relationship between people and vehicles. Garages are tucked out of sight, allowing front porches, stoops, and gardens to shape the public realm. The streets become walkable corridors rather than car-dominated thoroughfares, reinforcing safety, social interaction, and an accessible scale. Across the site, open space, paseos, and subtle variations in height, massing, and setback create a layered streetscape of discovery and cohesion.

Each home offers between 2,433 and 3,398 square feet, providing opportunities for multigenerational living, remote work, and spatial flexibility. Floor plans incorporate bonus rooms, studies, decks, and private yards, allowing a range of family types and lifestyles to be comfortably accommodated within the same architectural framework. Thoughtful solar orientation and window placement bring daylight deep into each residence and promote natural ventilation.

Architecturally, the homes are sculptural and elemental. Drawing from sun-washed, clustered villages and courtyard housing, the design employs a neutral color palette and textured materials that age gracefully while enhancing the forms’ clarity. Darkened bases anchor each home visually to the street, while light upper volumes reduce visual mass and respond to the region’s sun-drenched climate. Metal screens, wood-like finishes, and glass railings offer tactile contrast and contemporary refinement.

The project addresses the AIA Framework for Design Excellence by balancing density and livability. The design team embraced site constraints, long lead times, and supply chain challenges as opportunities to adapt—streamlining materials without compromising design integrity. Accessibility and flexibility were embedded into the plan from the start, allowing residents to age in place or adapt spaces to meet changing household needs.

Cira ultimately presents an alternative to the sprawling suburb or the high-rise tower. It offers a model for thoughtful infill housing that embraces walkability, diversity of housing type, and architectural clarity—reclaiming the promise of single-family living as something more connected, more resilient, and more urban.

Design for Integration, Design for Economy, Design for Well-being, Design for Change, Design for Discovery 

Cira at the Landing at Tustin Legacy embodies several principles of the AIA Framework for Design Excellence through its integrated, responsive approach to community-oriented single-family housing. Design Integration is reflected in the seamless coordination of architecture, landscape, and urban design to foster social connection, walkability, and a cohesive visual language. By rethinking traditional suburban planning—tucking garages to the rear and emphasizing front porches, paseos, and layered setbacks—the project enhances the well-being of residents through increased safety, comfort, and opportunities for interaction. Informed by constraints in material availability and site parameters, the team embraced Design for Economy by streamlining construction methods and finishes without sacrificing architectural clarity or performance. The homes are inherently adaptable, supporting multigenerational households, aging in place, and remote work—exemplifying Design for Change. Finally, Design for Discovery is embedded in the experience of the neighborhood itself: from the shifting streetscape to the interplay of light, shadow, and texture on sculptural façades, the design invites exploration while reinforcing a strong sense of place.

Completion Date:     4/22/2022

Square Footage:      633078

Building Use:           Residential

Location:                 Tustin, CA