4x4x4
A Scalable Blueprint for Infill Housing in Los Angeles
Four Homes, Four ADUs, Four Levels of Impact
The Project
4x4x4 is a bold new approach to missing middle housing, designed to preserve what Angelenos love most - light, air, greenery, and a sense of privacy - while doubling site density. The design transforms a typical 50' x 150' Los Angeles lot into four distinct parcels, each featuring a two-story residence and a ground-floor ADU. At once cohesive and varied, the building reads as a single structure with four unique facades, organized around shared courtyards and tiered terraces.
Carefully calibrated for natural light and cross-ventilation, the design includes open floor plans, double-height spaces, and private outdoor areas at multiple levels. Solar-ready rooftops and a fire-resistant façade of precast concrete speak to the city’s climate and future. This winning entry from the City of LA and CityLab UCLA’s Small Lots, Big Impact competition proves that density and livability are not only compatible, they can be beautiful.
About the Designer
Light and Air is a New York-based architecture studio led by Shane Neufeld, known for creating thoughtful, elemental architecture that emphasizes light, materiality, and spatial clarity. With a background in painting and a focus on the individual experience, Neufeld’s work blends precision with poetry.
For the Small Lots, Big Impact initiative, Light and Air designed 4x4x4, a replicable small-lot housing prototype that balances density with livability—featuring private ADUs, shared outdoor space, and a strong connection between architecture and its urban context. The project reflects the studio’s belief that even constrained urban sites can become opportunities for beautiful, human-centered housing solutions.
For the 4x4x4 project, Volstrukt has pre-engineered the structural BIM model shown above. We will transform 14 tons of structural-grade, galvanized steel coil into over 5,000 millimeter-accurate studs, each factory-formed and assembled into 320 pre-engineered steel panels. These framing panels incorporate more than 25,000 integrated fasteners and alignment features. The panels are manufactured off-site, delivered in erection sequence, and installed by our skilled team in roughly one-third the time of traditional wood or commercial steel framing.
This award-winning design from the Small Lots, Big Impacts competition has been advanced beyond the conceptual stage through our Build-Ready collaboration with Shane Neufeld at Light and Air. As a developer, you’re not starting from scratch—you’re stepping into a pre-vetted project with real-world data, clear pricing, and a fast path to permit-ready documentation.
What You’re Getting
> 3D Framing BIM Model – Steel-Ready
A cold-formed steel (CFS) framing model has been developed based on the original design and can be quickly updated to reflect site-specific conditions or design adjustments. It’s engineered with constructability and speed in mind.
> Quick Turnaround to Engineering Sign-Off
Once the development team reviews and signs off on the updated design, we can move rapidly into a fully engineered structural package—typically within 1–2 weeks.
> Preliminary Budget and Scope
You’ll have access to indicative pricing for framing and key construction elements, enabling fast feasibility checks and early cost certainty.
> Construction Schedule Overview
A high-level build timeline outlines expected phases, lead times, and critical path items—giving you a head start on planning and procurement.
Why It Matters to You
Speed + Certainty = Competitive Advantage
In a tight infill market like LA, time and clarity are everything. Instead of spending months in pre-construction, you can move quickly toward real-world delivery with a partner who understands how to bridge design and development. This Build-Ready design gives you:
> A shovel-ready structural solution
> Transparent cost and timeline inputs
> Reduced design risk and faster mobilization
> A pre-modeled path to meet code and permitting standards
About Volstrukt
Volstrukt is a design-to-delivery partner specializing in cold-formed steel (CFS) framing systems for residential and small-scale commercial construction. With over 1,000 projects delivered across the U.S., we help developers move faster and build smarter by combining precision-engineered framing with efficient off-site fabrication.
Our framing systems are optimized for infill, modular, and wildfire-resilient housing—offering speed, strength, and scalability without compromising design. Whether it’s a one-off custom build or a repeatable small-lot strategy, we bring real-world constructability to great architectural ideas.
Let’s Work Together
If your design is a good fit for modular or steel-framed construction, we’d love to work with you. Together, we’ll turn your concept into a credible, costed solution that’s ready to build—whether in Los Angeles or anywhere in need of thoughtful, fast, and affordable housing.
Volstrukt LLC
Austin, TX 78728
United States
+ 1 512 215 2816
Legal Notices