Influential architectural solutions sometimes emerge from specific zoning or code constraints. In New York, the 1916 setback requirements bred an entire language of massing (think of Hugh Ferriss’s evocative drawings and the Manhattan skyline that followed); in 19th-century Paris, building regulations gave rise to the city’s ubiquitous multistory mansard roofs with dormers. In like spirit, Inaba Williams Architecture recently completed a pair of single-family houses in Santa Monica, California, embracing the belief that restrictions can inspire invention.

Each of the two mirrored houses (top of page) features interior spaces that spill out into a central courtyard (1), side patios, and a yard (2). Photos © Brandon Shigeta, click to enlarge.