In Santa Monica, Calif., Brunson Terrace is an all-electric, 100% affordable housing project that’s over eight times more energy efficient than similar buildings, according to architect Brooks + Scarpa. Located across the street from Santa Monica College, the net zero building has been certified LEED Platinum.
The $21.8 million, 52,200-sf building offers 48 apartments as well as a community garden, community room, gym, wellness studio, outdoor picnic space, and on-site laundry. Brunson Terrace also has 6,700 sf of ground-level retail.
Brooks + Scarpa’s design builds on the long history of Southern California’s courtyard apartments, where the courtyard functions as a quasi-public space between the home and street and provides a sense of safety and privacy.
Brunson Terrace eschews the aesthetic of typical neighborhood buildings with solid walls and fences, Brooks + Scarpa notes. Instead, the carved-out-cube look of the building de-emphasizes private space while celebrating social space. The building’s exterior circulation, units wrapping the outermost edges and strategically placed windows all orient the apartments toward social spaces that are both separate from and visually connected to each other and the street below.
The apartments cater to households earning between 30% and 80% of the area median income, with monthly rents ranging from $522 to $2,028. Owned by Community Corporation of Santa Monica, a nonprofit that builds and manages affordable housing for people of modest means, Brunson Terrace is Community Corp.’s third new affordable housing development in the city’s Pico neighborhood.
On the Building Team:
Owner: Community Corporation of Santa Monica
Design architect and architect of record: Brooks + Scarpa
Structural and civil engineers: Labib Funk + Associates
MEP engineer: IDiaz Design/AMA Group
General contractor: United Building Company
Construction manager: AMJ Construction Management
Related Stories
Market Data | Oct 23, 2023
New data finds that the majority of renters are cost-burdened
The most recent data derived from the 2022 Census American Community Survey reveals that the proportion of American renters facing housing cost burdens has reached its highest point since 2012, undoing the progress made in the ten years leading up to the pandemic.
Giants 400 | Oct 23, 2023
Top 115 Multifamily Construction Firms for 2023
Clark Group, Suffolk Construction, Summit Contracting Group, Whiting-Turner Contracting, and McShane Companies top the ranking of the nation's largest multifamily housing sector contractors and construction management (CM) firms for 2023, as reported in Building Design+Construction's 2023 Giants 400 Report. Note: This ranking factors revenue for all multifamily buildings work, including apartments, condominiums, student housing facilities, and senior living facilities.
Giants 400 | Oct 23, 2023
Top 75 Multifamily Engineering Firms for 2023
Kimley-Horn, WSP, Tetra Tech, Olsson, and Langan head the ranking of the nation's largest multifamily housing sector engineering and engineering/architecture (EA) firms for 2023, as reported in Building Design+Construction's 2023 Giants 400 Report. Note: This ranking factors revenue for all multifamily buildings work, including apartments, condominiums, student housing facilities, and senior living facilities.
Giants 400 | Oct 23, 2023
Top 190 Multifamily Architecture Firms for 2023
Humphreys and Partners, Gensler, Solomon Cordwell Buenz, Niles Bolton Associates, and AO top the ranking of the nation's largest multifamily housing sector architecture and architecture/engineering (AE) firms for 2023, as reported in Building Design+Construction's 2023 Giants 400 Report. Note: This ranking factors revenue for all multifamily buildings work, including apartments, condominiums, student housing facilities, and senior living facilities.
Affordable Housing | Oct 20, 2023
Cracking the code of affordable housing
Perkins Eastman's affordable housing projects show how designers can help to advance the conversation of affordable housing.
Affordable Housing | Oct 10, 2023
Lendlease expands military housing nation-wide with Cadence Communities
Lendlease announced today it has closed ground leases at seven U.S. Army installations, which together establish the new Cadence Communities portfolio.
MFPRO+ News | Oct 6, 2023
Announcing MultifamilyPro+
BD+C has served the multifamily design and construction sector for more than 60 years, and now we're introducing a central hub within BDCnetwork.com for all things multifamily.
Affordable Housing | Oct 3, 2023
Standard Communities acquires six 100% affordable housing communities
These affordable housing communities total 407 units, and five of the communities are dedicated to senior living.
Multifamily Housing | Sep 26, 2023
Midwest metros see greatest rent increase in September 2023
While the median monthly price of rent has increased by 0.71% in August, the year-over-year estimates show a national change of -0.06 percent.
Affordable Housing | Sep 25, 2023
3 affordable housing projects that serve as social catalysts
Trish Donnally, Associate Principal, Perkins Eastman, shares insights from three transformative affordable housing projects.
