A new townhouse development is looking to bring "vertical living" in Phoenix, in the form of four-story-tall units.
Architect developers John Labahn of Lab Design Collaborative and Chicago-based architect, Erik Johnson, have dubbed their project Soleil, the French word for "the sun."
They said that was an intentional choice; the two were inspired by Swiss-French architect Le Corbusier as they collaborated on their first residential townhome development together.
“Our design emulates many of the characteristics associated with Le Corbusier’s style of architecture, known as Early Modern," Johnson said in a statement.
For instance, units have "long, horizontal ‘ribbon windows’ that maximize light and views," he said.
Residents have moved into Soleil
Alice Blakely, an agent with The Brokery, was recently brought on as the listing agent for Soleil.
The first phase includes eight of the 20 planned townhouses. There are options for two to three bedrooms, two-and-a-half to three bathrooms, rooftop terrace decks and one- or two-car garages.
Blakely told Homes.com that three of the eight townhouses have sold and two of those units are already occupied. The remaining 12 townhouses will be completed in the coming months, she said.
Pricing starts at $850,000, with options that go north of $1 million.
Each unit also has a 15-inch buffer within the walls to drown out the sound between neighbors.
"There's nobody above or below you, which is a huge benefit," Blakely said in an interview with Homes.com. "Having a townhouse gives you your own home. It doesn't have the maintenance of a yard, which a lot of people like."
Developers complete project that's been years in the works
Labahn told Homes.com that he's owned the land since the mid-2000s and started moving on the townhouse project in 2018.
He said construction had to navigate the COVID-19 pandemic and rising costs and interest rates. And now, the first residents are occupying their units.
"It's been a labor of love," Labahn said in an interview with Homes.com.
Soleil is located near Third Street and Windsor Avenue in Phoenix's Alvarado Historic District, where the median townhouse sale price is $780,000, according to Homes.com data.
With units between 2,097 and 2,359 square feet, Soleil offers townhouses that beat the neighborhood average of 2,006 square feet, according to Homes.com.
Labahn also has a presence in the surrounding area: He designed the nearby Ocotillo restaurant and championed city improvements to add trees, shade structures, crosswalks and bike lanes.
He's also working on a new nightclub in Phoenix's Roosevelt Row with other project partners to bolster the entertainment options in the area.