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Positive Developments

by Erin Feher
Thursday, January 21, 2010 08:37 AM
A Santa Monica non profit has set a high bar for low-income housing.

The Community Corporation of Santa Monica is a 28-year-old non-profit developer of affordable housing throughout Los Angeles, but with an emphasis on Santa Monica and the L.A.’s west side were housing costs are especially high. Historically the organization has hired local architects and designers to create buildings that are as forward thinking in their design as in their approach to community benefit. All of the buildings that CCSM develops are held in a trust as a community resource, so they will always benefit the community as opposed to making a profit for private individuals or organizations. Residents are hired to manage the buildings as well, further expanding the idea of community. “When we maintain such a high standard of design for our projects, there is a great sense of pride among the residents,” says Joan Ling, executive director of CCSM. “It’s not just an apartment, its their home.” Here we highlight two projects completed by CCSM over the last two years.

 

 

26th Street
Kanner Architects


This building containing 44 low- to moderate-income housing units was completed in late 2007. It was designed by Santa Monica–based Kanner Architects with a large community room, spacious courtyard and 81 underground parking spaces. The architects and developer engaged in extensive outreach to determine how to best meet the needs of the community. The final building was able to satisfy requests to incorporate the region’s mild climate, historical precedents of southern California Modernist architecture and the human scale of residents and pedestrians.

 

 

Tahiti Housing Complex
Daly Genik


Formerly a low-rise, 15-unit apartment building that was run down and vacant, CCSM and architects Daly Genik transformed the structure into a vibrant new community. Designed specifically for families, all 36 units have either two or three bedrooms. The complex is made up of six, three-story buildings that are connected via open-air ramps, courtyards and gardens. Each unit has its own patio or balcony and all units are naturally ventilated, eliminating the need for air conditioning. A rain cistern collects rainwater to reuse for irrigation in the courtyard and other landscaped areas.


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