iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

MattBaran @mattbaran.bsky.social · 10/06/2026

Someone told me all the architects are here.

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MattBaran @mattbaran.bsky.social · 13/02/2026

Stopped by to see how it’s going over here with transit people talking to other transit people. So. How’s it going?

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MattBaran @mattbaran.bsky.social · 04/11/2025

Construction has STARTED! This 2 unit fee simple subdivision is the FIRST all-new development the City of Berkeley has approved under SB 684 🏘️ We used 100% the underlying R-2 Zoning to qualify for state law that reduces most lot requirements… ⬇️

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MattBaran @mattbaran.bsky.social · 11/10/2025

We know increasing supply is key to lowering the cost of housing. SB-1123 can help. Here’s the process for 1123 feasibility that I’ve been running with developers all over California🧵⬇️ Hope it helps! Pictured below: AI Render of SB-1123 test fit for 6 units on an R-1 Lot in Los Angeles

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MattBaran @mattbaran.bsky.social · 11/10/2025

Check out this interactive map that shows how SB-79 will (may?) play out across the state. Link below.

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MattBaran @mattbaran.bsky.social · 26/09/2025

“The economic conditions kind of override everything” Even less would be built if it weren’t for new state laws. California is consistently outpaced by other states and the country as a whole. Affordability continues to suffer. The shortage is deepening and prices are set to skyrocket.

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MattBaran @mattbaran.bsky.social · 26/09/2025

If you believe I belong to one “side” or the other: You may be suffering from a cognitive distortion called dichotomous thinking. It leads people to see life as a battle between pure good and pure evil, victims and oppressors, safe and unsafe.

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MattBaran @mattbaran.bsky.social · 08/09/2025

This CA SB-684 project was approved for West Oakland last week. This one has been through a lot. Multiple owners, multiple entitlements, multiple permits. Really hoping it sticks this time because there aren’t many people building in Oakland, and that’s going to have an impact down the road.

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MattBaran @mattbaran.bsky.social · 27/08/2025

You get what you pay for… Quality matters, but not everything calls for the highest quality. Matching quality to context is essential. In a development deal, if you over-build you’ll never recapture the expense. If you under-build you leave money on the table. Finding a balance is key.

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MattBaran @mattbaran.bsky.social · 27/05/2025

Neighbors often tell you that if you had just notified them, they would have been nicer. In my experience that’s not the case. They’re almost always angry about change. (Photo of our Chapman project in Jingletown. Ask me about the neighbors!)

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MattBaran @mattbaran.bsky.social · 27/05/2025

Yesterday I asked Ai for Berkeley code that allows for averaging of front setbacks in an R-2 zone. It sent me the Missing Middle Ordinance. I said that’s not adopted yet. It said ok here’s code section 23.304.030. I said that’s for MULI zones. Then it just went into a loop. Section 3.33333…

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MattBaran @mattbaran.bsky.social · 26/05/2025

Last week I walked this 100k prefab SFD / ADU in North Hollywood. The guy who makes them placed 4 on his property as part of an SB-9 deal. He estimates install cost for all 4 units was another 100k. All in 500k. For 4 units.

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MattBaran @mattbaran.bsky.social · 16/05/2025

The Baran Studio Density Guide provides a framework for unlocking housing capacity through replicable, policy-aligned design strategies. We break down key mechanisms like ministerial approvals, subdivision reforms, and ADU policy shifts into deployable tactics across diverse site types. Link👇🏼

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MattBaran @mattbaran.bsky.social · 05/05/2025

This level of stupid is difficult to comprehend.

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Reposted by MattBaran

Jonathan Berk 🏠 @berkie1.bsky.social · 03/05/2025

"In 2020, [Portland, OR] approved building [middle housing] on lots zoned for single family homes... A new report from the City says, it's working. 1,400 new units built in just a few years and each one is $300,000 less expensive than a typical single family home." @nbcnews.com

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MattBaran @mattbaran.bsky.social · 30/04/2025

Great time at UC Berkeley MREDD final reviews yesterday. One of the most interesting presentations showed how housing in Rockridge would not pencil under current zoning regulations, even with new state law or density bonuses.

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Reposted by MattBaran

Max Dubler 🏳️‍🌈 @maxdubler.com · 28/04/2025

Read the whole thing.

What is true for the labor market holds true in the housing market. Where housing is scarce and expensive, landlords, homeowner associations, and developer cartels hold the power, and tenants and homebuyers are cast into the role of supplicants, forced to accept subpar accommodations at whatever price and in whatever neighborhood is dictated to them. But where housing is plentiful, the roles are reversed: Landlords, sellers, and incumbent developers need to compete on both price and quality. Tenant harassment becomes exceptionally bad for business, because tenants have plenty of other housing options to choose from. Wealthy homeowners are no longer able to maintain economic moats around their communities and monopolize the benefits of homeownership. The dignity, freedom, and stability that come with housing security become accessible to everyone. This is the future that YIMBYs want.

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MattBaran @mattbaran.bsky.social · 28/04/2025

Which of these will most help convince developers to build in California again? A. Permit Streamlining B. Upzoning C. Single Stair Buildings D. More Bike Lanes

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MattBaran @mattbaran.bsky.social · 23/04/2025

Project costs have been increasing exponentially, including A&E, high city fees, and construction, along with less tangible costs such as subjective design standards and risk of NIMBYs that work to block density. These in turn cause delays that can cost LOTS of time and money.

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MattBaran @mattbaran.bsky.social · 22/04/2025

This is how you get elected. Promise things that sound great and people will love, like making housing cheap or free. Then enact policies that ultimately make housing more expensive. You can always blame developers later.

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MattBaran @mattbaran.bsky.social · 18/04/2025

These people said I ruined their neighborhood character and ran me out of town!

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MattBaran @mattbaran.bsky.social · 28/03/2025

I’m now officially a “Palisades Fire Incident Contractor”. Not sure whether the fact I was able to obtain this permit is a sign of progress—or the fact I needed it at all a symptom of the opposite.

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Reposted by MattBaran

Zak Yudhishthu @zyudhishthu.bsky.social · 26/03/2025

"Filtering" is very important to understanding the impacts of new market-rate development, but the term seems to be used to describe two different things. Today, I discuss two kinds of "filtering" in housing (and recent economic research on each topic) pencillingout.substack.com/p/what-do-we...

pencillingout.substack.com

What do we mean when we say "filtering?"

Distinguishing between two different housing market dynamics

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MattBaran @mattbaran.bsky.social · 26/03/2025

This project was an early example of a mini-lot subdivision, a precursor to the kind of work we’re now pursuing using SB-684. We used a bunch of fun & creative cost-effective strategies—wood beams that extend outside, recycled wood windows, a small fountain, and gutters repurposed as planters.

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Reposted by MattBaran

Daniel Kaufman @danielkaufman.bsky.social · 26/03/2025

1 in 7 U.S. homes are now uninsured—many in high-risk markets. As premiums skyrocket, this trend is reshaping buyer behavior and increasing exposure for investors. Here’s what you need to know: danielkaufmanreal.estate/2025/03/26/1...

danielkaufmanreal.estate

1 in 7 U.S. Homes Are Now Uninsured—Here’s Why That’s a Growing Risk for Buyers and Investors

By Daniel Kaufman A new report reveals a startling statistic: more than 11 million homes across the U.S. are currently uninsured, representing roughly 1 in every 7 owner-occupied homes. As home ins…

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Reposted by MattBaran

M. Nolan Gray 🥑 @mnolangray.bsky.social · 25/03/2025

Registration for YIMBYTown 2025 is open. I've been to many conferences related to cities/housing, and this one is my favorite—engaging sessions (i.e. not all talks/panels), walks and bicycle rides, happy hours, etc. If you're at all interested in pro-housing advocacy, you must attend! yimby.town

yimby.town

YIMBYtown 2025

YIMBYtown is the biggest national pro-homes conference in the country and we’re thrilled it is coming back to New England, just in time for the beautiful fall weather.

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Reposted by MattBaran

Push The Needle @pushtheneedle.bsky.social · 26/03/2025

Taxing e-bike sales to fund road damage repair caused by cars and to fund new highways that don’t have bike infrastructure. A real “Robin Hood” moment

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MattBaran @mattbaran.bsky.social · 26/03/2025

Things that keep me up at night #814. Ornamentation

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MattBaran @mattbaran.bsky.social · 23/03/2025

Went to another Retwit meetup Friday—small/mid devs gathering in bars and beer gardens to talk shop. No fees, no panels, just real deal stories and info. Scrappy, informal, way more useful than most RE events. These are popping up all over, love to see it.

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MattBaran @mattbaran.bsky.social · 20/03/2025

I’ve had no less than a dozen 5th graders tell me they would buy this house I designed as a collaboration with Ai. So if anyone’s interested in building it, you should have a buyer in about 20 years or so. Unfortunately it will probably take about that long to get it built in California.

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MattBaran @mattbaran.bsky.social · 14/03/2025

Baran Studio was the architect for this 88 unit volumetric wood modular project, which is permanent housing for the homeless in downtown Oakland. Completed in December of 2024, 1888 MLK was leased up immediately after completion by Housing Consortium of the East Bay (HCEB).

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MattBaran @mattbaran.bsky.social · 07/03/2025

Progress update on the SB-684 project we’re working on in Berkeley. We received the green light from planning a few weeks ago. The design direction is set, the engineer is teed up and we’re prepping drawings to submit. More info on our approach ⬇️

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MattBaran @mattbaran.bsky.social · 05/03/2025

From yesterday’s visit to Altadena, a twofer tree / chimney demo with @LukeMelchior307 Things are starting to happen 👀

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MattBaran @mattbaran.bsky.social · 28/02/2025

Things that keep me up at night #788. Rust never sleeps either…

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MattBaran @mattbaran.bsky.social · 27/02/2025

This transformation was the second project I did as Baran Studio Architecture. (The first being the home I developed, designed and built.) At the time I had not yet quite realized I had started a company. A developer dropped by my house because he liked what I had done. And from there we were off!

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MattBaran @mattbaran.bsky.social · 25/02/2025

FAIR Plan insurance payouts of 914M, and overall payout total 6.9B to date. No break out for cleanup and other pre-cost. My understanding is Army Corp cleanup it will be covered regardless of insurance, and won’t ding rebuild payouts. If you have cleanup coverage, private is an option.

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MattBaran @mattbaran.bsky.social · 24/02/2025

After 17 years I’ve updated my YouTube channel 😆 It was fun to reminisce about some of the old projects. There are animations from my days as a student at USC and Berkeley. You can check them out at the link in the comments if you’re curious. Meanwhile, my undergrad thesis ⬇️

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MattBaran @mattbaran.bsky.social · 24/02/2025

Things that keep me up at night #784. Mashups.

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MattBaran @mattbaran.bsky.social · 22/02/2025

Do something every day that scares you! Yesterday I took public transit from LAX to Culver City. It took me approximately 2 hours to go 9 miles.

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MattBaran @mattbaran.bsky.social · 21/02/2025

To make money, developers need to appeal to the desire of consumers who will buy their product, hopefully for more than they paid to build it. We look to ‘Most Advanced Yet Acceptable’ principles, not ‘style’ These low cost / high value add methods tend to set projects apart ⬇️

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MattBaran @mattbaran.bsky.social · 20/02/2025

Words from Karen Bas that will almost certainly live in infamy. Clearing the way to “rebuild homes as they were” will certainly lead us to more of what we had. How about clearing the way to rebuild homes better than they were?

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MattBaran @mattbaran.bsky.social · 19/02/2025

SB-684 interior Ai rendering gradient. I used the Revit model and spent about 15 minutes in LookX last night. I would say that so far Ai is just letting us rapidly explore elements we just wouldn’t have had time for in the past. The work is getting better and faster.

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MattBaran @mattbaran.bsky.social · 18/02/2025

Things that keep me up at night #778. Verticies.

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MattBaran @mattbaran.bsky.social · 16/02/2025

We knew that FAIR was going to need a bailout. It’s now officially getting $1B that needs to be paid by insurers, who can in turn pass on 50% to consumers. They need to absorb the other 50%, but are not being granted any rate increases by regulators.

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MattBaran @mattbaran.bsky.social · 16/02/2025

One of the few posts I’ve seen on Bluesky today that didn’t make me want to click ‘see less like this’

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MattBaran @mattbaran.bsky.social · 14/02/2025

We need to stop treating architecture as precious. Change is inevitable, and far more interesting than preserving something in amber for all of ‘eternity’. Sorry neighborhood character people, that means you too.

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MattBaran @mattbaran.bsky.social · 13/02/2025

I was at the Los Angeles FEMA Disaster Recovery Center this week. There is one set up in West LA and another in Altadena. There was a lot of info on site clearing, permitting, and construction. The rebuild picture is getting clearer.

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