Isabel Janken, alongside her son Glen, carefully ascends the staircase to her family’s newly constructed accessory dwelling unit (ADU) in Westwood. Each step presents a challenge, yet Janken persists, her hands, now 96 years old, firmly grasping the railing. Her apprehension without her walker is palpable, but after several minutes, she triumphantly reaches the summit.
“You’ve done it, Mom,” Glen Janken, 71, beams as she completes the final step.
After over two years of collaboration with architect Melissa Shin from Shin Shin Architecture, Janken is experiencing the ADU for the first time. This 715-square-foot, one-bedroom secondary dwelling, situated behind Janken’s duplex, stands as a testament to their shared determination amid delays caused by requirements from the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power. Such delays included low-impact development (LID) stormwater runoff practices (three months), overhead power line clearance (five months), and a contractor who vanished halfway through the project but ultimately completed the task.
The dedicated effort has proven worthwhile. For Janken, this space transcends mere structure. It represents her former home.
Isabel Janken smiles while taking a break climbing the stairs to view her new ADU for the first time.
(Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Times)
“It’s beautiful, simply beautiful,” Janken remarks upon entering the sunlit, one-bedroom rental adorned with vaulted ceilings.
She steps into the full kitchen, featuring vibrant pink tiles from Fireclay Tile, before making her way to the living room, which includes a custom-built entertainment center. She gazes left and right, absorbing every detail.
“We discussed the kitchen extensively,” Shin recalls, describing Janken as “progressive regarding the future of housing in L.A.” Typically, ADUs range from 600 to 1,200 square feet; given their compact design, most lack formal dining rooms. Therefore, Shin conceptualized a bar situated between the kitchen and living room for tenant dining. “Isabel envisioned a complete kitchen,” Shin explains regarding the layout. “She desired a family-friendly space.”
With her son following closely, Janken proceeds down the hallway, glancing into the bathroom. Inspired by Le Corbusier’s renowned Villa Savoye, Shin crafted a blue-and-white tiled shower that mirrors the bathroom of the 1928 Modernist residence in Paris. “I mentioned to Isabel that she and the Savoye debuted in the same year,” Shin laughs.
The ADU has one bedroom, a full kitchen, living room, and a private rooftop terrace.
(Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Times)
Subtle design elements, such as the use of color, distinguish various zones throughout the residence without the need for walls — pink in the kitchen, blue in the bathroom, white in the living room and bedroom, and green in the rooftop deck. To further optimize space, Shin designed a custom entertainment center complete with integrated millwork that enhances the living experience.
The blue-and-white tiled walk-in shower was inspired by Le Corbusier’s Villa Savoye, which was built the same year that Janken was born — 1928.
(Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Times)
“I wanted the ADU to feel like a home and not merely a small dwelling,” Janken remarks as Shin references the two types of tiles installed in the kitchen — glossy and matte — that contribute to the ADU’s distinctive character.
Upon entering the bedroom, located just beyond the bathroom and storage closet, Janken is taken with the clerestory windows and the ample space available for a home office. “This will undoubtedly bring joy to someone,” she expresses.
For over 40 years, Janken resided in the Westwood duplex at the property’s front with her husband, Harold, who passed away in 2007. Currently, she lives in an assisted-living facility, with rent from her duplex assisting with the costs.
“It was a delightful home,” she reflects. “All of our tenants have been remarkable individuals. One man has rented the front apartment for over 20 years.”
Born and raised in Los Angeles, Janken has observed the city’s evolution, including changes in the Fairfax District of her upbringing. “We used to receive 10 cents each for hangers from the dry cleaners and then go to movies at the Fairfax Theatre on Beverly and Fairfax,” she recounts. “They demolished it but preserved the beautiful façade.”
Isabel Janken’s garage before it was converted into an ADU.
(Melissa Shin)
The ADU is built on top of a three-car garage. The sunken rooftop deck is not visible from the alley.
(Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Times)
After their marriage, Isabel and Harold resided in Beverlywood, close to Hamilton High School, which their two sons attended. Upon their sons moving out, the couple sold their house in 1977 and transitioned to the duplex in Westwood, notwithstanding some concerns from family members.
“We desired a residence that my husband could maintain due to his considerable skills,” she recalls of their relocation. “He re-roofed a house without prior experience. However, when we viewed the duplex, my sister and brother-in-law vehemently protested and cautioned, ‘Living off an alley is unwise.’”
Eventually, the couple purchased the duplex for approximately $121,000, with Harold’s mother occupying the adjacent unit. “This arrangement granted her privacy while ensuring family proximity,” Janken reflects. “She enjoyed both solitude and familial support.”
The long bedroom, which features clerestory windows, has room for an at-home office.
(Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Times)
Decades later, Shin observes that the alley facilitated the demolition of the garage and the addition of the ADU and parking spaces for three cars. “Without the alley, we would have to sacrifice the parking to construct the ADU, as there is no driveway or space for one unless we tore down the existing house,” she states. The alley also permits a private entrance to the ADU, meaning tenants need not traverse the front property to access the back house.
While Glen Janken and Shin engaged in daily discussions, Isabel Janken maintained firm opinions regarding her desires for the ADU: The exterior should be white with a traditional roof to complement the duplex’s front. “It was vital for the ADU to remain inconspicuous and not resemble a Modernist box,” Shin remarks about the rear house, which is hardly noticeable from the street. Janken also insisted that each unit must have its designated parking space. Additionally, it was non-negotiable that the long-standing Fuyu persimmon tree in the backyard remain untouched.
Because the ADU does not have a dining room, architect Melissa Shin designed a bar where tenants can eat.
(Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Times)
“I certainly hold firm opinions,” she states, adding, “They did not adhere to all of them,” prompting laughter from her son and Shin. “I wanted the ADU added because it is prudent from our perspective, as well as beneficial for the economy and others. I’d mention to Melissa, ‘I have read all of the ADU stories in the L.A. Times,’ and then inquired, ‘Are you implementing this in ours?’”
Due to Janken’s insistence on parking, Shin designed the ADU atop a three-car garage, which includes shared laundry and storage space. Additionally, as an indulgence, the family included an outdoor rooftop terrace offering panoramic views of Los Angeles. “In L.A., it is crucial to have private outdoor space, a feature often compromised in ADUs,” states Shin regarding the increasing density.
