Multi-Family

What we do

Multi-family is a repetition game. The unit plan repeats in both directions, which means the structural plan does too. Our job is to find the smallest number of distinct conditions that can be stamped out — fewer distinct conditions means fewer mistakes in the field and a lower construction cost per unit. We design for the framer as much as we design for the reviewer.

Wood-frame Type V is the dominant multi-family structure in LA below five stories, either on grade or on a concrete podium. Above five stories we move to Type III or steel-and-CMU, depending on cost and schedule. We are comfortable across that range. For smaller small-lot work we also design the party-wall conditions required for fee-simple separation — a quiet but non-trivial structural detail.

We pay particular attention to shearwall density and to the plywood-nailing schedule. Multi-family buildings in LA commonly fall near the limits of perforated-shearwall methodology, and tight layouts can force engineered shearwall panels or steel strongwalls. We call those trade-offs early so the architect can adjust the demising walls rather than absorb a late structural change.

Typical scope

• Wood-frame Type V construction — low-rise and podium
• Type III construction for mid-rise infill
• Concrete podium design and coordination with below-grade parking
• Small-lot subdivision party-wall structural design
• Shearwall layout coordinated with the architect's demising strategy
• Engineered shearwall panels and steel strongwalls where required
• Balcony structural design and deck-to-framing waterproofing detailing
• CA support — especially the rough-framing and nailing inspection calls

When to engage us

Before the architect locks the unit mix. Changing a unit count later means re-running shearwall density, which ripples into permitting. The cheapest time to catch that is before it's drawn.