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Los Angeles and Orange Counties are packed with urban life from the foothills to the sea, nearly six thousand square miles of urban landscape, an area larger than the state of Connecticut. From space, it looks like a matrix of crisscrossed concrete stripes. There is not much undeveloped land here. It’s a place of neighborhoods that have been built and rebuilt for decades.

The idea of filling in spaces with new structures, replacing the old and broken areas with something new, fresh and habitable is at the cutting edge of urban development today. This urban basin in southern California has nearly reached the limits of possible expansion, hemmed in as it is by mountains and ocean. Land recycling or infill housing construction is sustainable urban land use, increasing the population density and preventing further sprawling outward expansion. Urban sprawl stretches public transportation, demanding more use of cars, and forces expansion of infrastructure such as sewers and power lines far from the urban core. Land recycling takes advantage of existing infrastructure and public works rather than forcing expensive new construction.

Construction on the edges of the Southern California basin, in the hills and brush forest lands of this environmentally sensitive region is also risky. A recent University of California engineering study pointed out the earthquake risks of construction on hillsides in this area. Brush fire risks are driving up insurance rates for construction on the fringes of the basin as well. A recent LA Times story warns:

“L.A. County leads California in wildfire risk to homes. More than half of the 2 million homes deemed at high risk are in Southern California, with 417,543 in L.A. County…”

Brandywine Homes focuses on the re-development of underused land to provide much needed housing inside developed areas of Los Angeles and Orange Counties. New development in Yorba Linda, Arcadia, Costa Mesa and Los Angeles County will enrich these communities and the lives of the people who chose to live in them.

Brandywine has found underused areas in some of the most attractive locations in the area. The company’s goal has always been to build affordable and beautiful homes that fit into the look and feel of the communities around them.

Our Covington townhome neighborhood, our new Provence neighborhood, and our Newberry neighborhood are located in Yorba Linda, near the southern edge of Chino Hills State Park.

The Griffin townhomes neighborhood is located in Arcadia, a city of 56,000 at the southern edge of the San Gabriel Mountains, just east of Los Angeles.

On the other hand, the Seabright neighborhood of three story townhomes is located in Costa Mesa, located near Southern California’s beaches.

Our Brighton homes are also near the sea in Torrance, in the South Bay area of Los Angeles. Torrance is a city a city of 90,000 street trees and 30 city parks.

The Sunstone townhome development and the Norwalk Excelsior neighborhood are in Norwalk, south of downtown Los Angeles. Candlewood is nearby in the city of Whittier, a town famous for its Quaker history.

If you are looking for a new home in the Los Angeles and Orange County area, contact us. We may be able to show you something unique.