When Steve Glenn launched the Santa Monica­–based development firm LivingHomes in April 2006, he also initiated a tradition of engaging high-profile architects. SCI-Arc co-founder Ray Kappe, FAIA, created the company’s first line of prefabricated, sustainable modular houses, and David Hertz, AIA, has since developed a model comprising an aluminum-based panelized system. Yesterday LivingHomes unveiled its first multifamily product, designed by the progressive Philadelphia studio KieranTimberlake.

Although Glenn has already found a purchaser for these townhouses, he and KieranTimberlake originally developed the design on spec. Ecologically, Glenn says of his decision to pursue multifamily housing, “the most responsible thing to do is urban infill.” The building type is better suited to economies of scale in manufacturing, too. “Prefab is really about doing the same thing again and again, it’s mass production, and multifamily is optimized for that,” Glenn says. KieranTimberlake partner Stephen Kieran, FAIA, adds, “Reducing the cost of housing is largely contingent upon quantity.”