In a real estate developer’s world cramming as many homes on a lot is common practice. And in doing so we are often left with living spaces void of design, function, and green space. But this developer decided to turn this practice on its head and create spaces that modernist dreams are made of.
It was months after we closed the deal on the lot. Elan Mordoch, the developer of Habitat 6, and I met to catch up and discuss his plans for his project.
Conversing while sharing a beef roll, pork dumplings, and dan dan noodles, Mordoch flips his iPad towards me and casually says “I’m working with these architects” … expletives of excitement could not be contained.

He hand-picked architect firm Rios Clementi Hale Studio. They’re responsible for favorite spaces in Los Angeles like Café Gratitude, Sunset Triangle Plaza (the open space in Silver Lake), and their residential projects are more notorious than B.I.G for incorporating high ceilings, walls of glass, and achieving an indoor-outdoor flow.
The nanosecond your Adidas hit the white oak floors all archaic notions of not showing any excitement when seeing a home you love fly out the floor-to-ceiling windows.
Besides, who can blame you? No one can resist running their hands across a wall decorated in cedarwood. Or taking a noticeable moment to admire the craftsmanship of a true corner window that not only lets light filter in but also affords surrounding city views. Or imagine spending a lifetime entering your master bedroom taking in the landmark views of Griffith Park and the Observatory.
And for the record, I’m not responsible for your loss of bodily function, spending the entire 2 hours of the preview to take in all the details, or feeling like you’ll sell your mamma to live here. You can thank Elan for that.
