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The myth of‘ any lot will do’
Many buyers and even some developers start with the structure, not the soil. They fall in love with a floor plan and then hunt for a lot that fits. That is like composing a symphony before you know the key. The truth is that land dictates design. Soil movement, hydrology, wind patterns, and soundscapes shape everything from foundation type to glazing orientation. When you start with the land rather than the plan, architecture stops fighting the earth and begins to belong to it.
Two hillsides, two lessons
I once had two hillside parcels under contract in Los Angeles. Both had potential. Both carried risk. The first had a very steep incline, the kind that deterred most buyers at first glance. But the orientation, natural drainage, and ridgeline opened into a panoramic, jetliner view of the city. Today, that site is under construction with a proposed 4,800 square foot residence, a modern sculpture in dialogue with gravity.
The second seemed easier. Flatter. Friendlier. During due diligence, we discovered a designated wildlife corridor. What looked straightforward became an ecological and bureaucratic labyrinth. We walked away.
What I look for when buying land
Context and orientation: I study how the parcel sits within its neighborhood and climate: sun paths, prevailing winds, views, privacy cones, and how neighboring rooflines or tree canopies frame those assets. Orientation decides everything, from passive heating to where the first cup of coffee tastes best.
Approach and arrival: How do you arrive? The drive, the walk, the first reveal. A site that choreographs approach- bend, threshold, vista- can elevate a modest program into architecture that feels inevitable.
Topography and geology: I prefer to work with the land, not against it. Steeper sites can be gifts if you honor drainage, limit overcut, and design structures that perch rather than dominate. Geology, bearing capacity, slide risk, and fault setbacks are not fine print; it is the opening chapter.
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