Project Description
Affordable Housing / Honorable Mention
Affordable housing might not be the first typology that springs to mind while strolling along the promenades of Santa Monica—given that the municipality has the highest rents in southern California. Still, the beachside city wants to maintain socioeconomic diversity despite the ever-rising costs of living that have priced out many long-term residents. With the Brooks + Scarpa Architects-designed 430 Pico Place, the city, through a partnership with Community Corp . of Santa Monica, has added 32 new LEED Platinum affordable housing units less than a half a mile from the ocean. The Los Angeles–based design firm arranged two- and three-bedroom dwellings—ranging from 760 to 1,025 square feet¬—around a shared courtyard shaded by fabric screens. Planted balconies line this outdoor space, which also has a sidewalk-level community room. “I think the interplay of the different scales of outdoor public space is really well done here,” said juror Gregory Hoss. Cary Bernstein added, “There’s a very layered set of options for occupying the private spaces and the public spaces.” A street-facing frame ties the building volumes together while promoting natural ventilation through the dwelling area; built for $162 per square foot overall, 430 Pico Place proves that affordability and sustainability can work in tandem. —Deane Madsen, Assoc. AIA