kevin daly architects' broadway housing in santa monica

broadway housing by kevin daly architects in santa monica, california
image © iwan baan
all images courtesy of kevin daly architects

the broadway housing complex in santa monica, designed by kevin daly architects, provides affordable living to families that work on the westside of los angeles, while prioritizing environmental and economical sustainability. the scheme organizes repeated housing units around a cluster existing trees.

an increased intensity and density was encouraged in the site development, replacing a vacant nursing home with a three story, 33 unit housing complex comprised of four buildings and sheltered beneath a green roof. resting on a corner site, across from a large community park, the complex has access to a diverse range of transportation options including the future bergamont station expo line and newly established bike lanes.

repeatable housing blocks are positioned around the canopy of an existing shade tree
image © iwan baan

kevin daly told designboom more about the project:

‘the project is part of an effort by the city of santa monica and nonprofit developers community corporation to maintain and expand affordable housing in the city. it took approximately one year to design and one and one and a half years to build.’

‘there is some political resistance to affordable housing, even in santa monica. we had to build consensus for the project in the community by showing that the scale was consistent with the existing urban fabric and that significant mature trees could be maintained on the site. one of the biggest challenges was to develop a site plan that allowed the use of small building masses rather than the large housing blocks that are typical of this building type. once the nearby residents started to see the scale of construction underway, they were convinced that the project was a positive addition to the neighborhood.’

‘we wanted to keep the construction very simple, but allow one façade of each building to have a higher level of finish and performance: the projecting hoods around the windows. that seems like a good equation for affordable housing: 75% economical.’

the scheme replaces a vacant nursing home with a three story, 33 unit housing complex
image © iwan baan

the complex maximizes every corner of the 1.5 acre site. the four, three story residential buildings are clustered around a starfish shaped internal courtyard with a play area and two fully wired community rooms at the rear. this community zone allows a safe environment for children to play and do homework, for adult residents to garden, and for classes to be held. larger three bedroom units are placed at the ground level. two bedroom units are placed on the upper levels and are connected by latticed bridges that envelope a central, shared courtyard. all of the units face this central courtyard and every room in each unit has access to natural light and ventilation.

the project provides low income families with affordable housing
image © iwan baan

a number of sustainable techniques and solutions are incorporated into the design including a green roof that insulates and slows runoff, custom window frames that protect units from solar heat gain, canted wall panels that breathe and release heat, a vegetative screen wall that insulates and reflects noise, and a 15,000 gallon underground cistern that collects rain water for irrigation. as a result of smart planning and integrated sustainable design the thirty-three units do not have air conditioning, yet remain a comfortable temperature throughout the year. on the interior there are flow restrictors in the kitchens and bathrooms, 100% recycled CRI green-label carpet, formaldehyde-free insulation, and low VOC paint.

residential buildings are clustered around a starfish shaped internal courtyard
image © iwan baan