Just north of Santa Monica Boulevard, construction began two months ago for an eye-catching apartment building in Hollywood.

Foundation work is now in progress at 1130-1134 N. Orange Drive, where Los Angeles-based development firm Massachi Industries has secured approvals to build a six-story building edifice 24 apartments above parking for 21 vehicles.

View looking east from Orange DriveOfficeUntitled

OfficeUntitled is designing the project, which is highlighted by a series of terraced decks facing the southern property line.  The cascading setbacks will be used to create a balcony or private patio for each of the residential units, with spaces ranging between 50 and 200 square feet in size.

"The interiors will take inspiration from mid-century modern design, and while the project will have units for rent, they will all be built to luxury condo specifications," said Massachi Industries founder and chief executive officer Alex Massachi in an interview.  "So in turn, the interior will be in harmony with the beauty of the exterior architecture.  The concept of the project was to emphasize the 'al fresco' nature of Los Angeles, connecting modern living to private outdoor patio spaces."

Construction at 1130-1134 Orange DriveMassachi Industries

Plans call for a mix of one- and two-bedroom floor plans, which will range from 650 to 1,650 square feet in size.  As a condition of approval, Massachi will be required to set aside three of those units as deed-restricted affordable housing.

However, as a benefit resulting from the affordable set-aside, Massachi obtained entitlements which will allow the project to exceed the property's normal 30-foot height limit.  Due to the zoning restrictions, as well as the recent completion of an adjoining townhouse project, a planned rooftop amenity deck is expected to have unobstructed views to the north.

Massachi, who is working with general contractor Ketter Construction, expects to completion construction of the Orange Drive project by early 2023.

1130-1134 Orange DriveGoogle Maps

The development site sits immediately north of another large dirt pit at the intersection of Orange and Santa Monica Drive, where Onni Group is now building a mixed-use project which will feature 231 apartments and ground-floor commercial space.  That building, which scales down to two-story townhomes along its northern property line, mirrors the cascading roofline of the Massachi development.

Massachi, who recently launched his company to work with larger institutional investors, is scoping out several additional projects in the Hollywood area.  However, he says that new developments citywide have faced delays due to escalating material costs - specifically lumber.