La Brea Housing for formerly homeless LGBT youth

Project Details

Project Description

La Brea Affordable Housing The La Brea Affordable Housing project is a mixed-use affordable housing project for formerly homeless LGBT youth, people living with disabilities and people living with HIV Aids. The 50,000 sq ft building is located one block north of Santa Monica Boulevard in the City of West Hollywood. The building maximizes density while allowing for ample outdoor space. 32 apartments are arranged around a shared exterior courtyard. Parking is provided at grade and commercial space is present along La Brea Avenue. The Southwest corner is expressed as a beacon of activity and houses the circulation and other shared amenities for the residents. The project was constructed through a non profit developer to address an affordable housing shortage for tenants living with disabilities. The mixed-use program brings higher density into the urban core of the city. Locating the project within the central urban fabric of the community ensures that residents have direct access to local businesses and services. Multiple public transportation options are directly accessible on the busy transit corridor of Santa Monica Boulevard minimizing the need for private transportation. The building demonstrates one of the city’s core values of environmental responsibility and its commitment to green building. The highly sustainable building exceeds the requirements of the city’s Green Building Ordinance. Program. The building contains 32 residential units. Commercial / Retail space is located along LaBrea at the ground level. Parking is provided at grade for the residents and for visitors. An outdoor courtyard provides a garden for residents from which access to the units is provided. Each apartment has its own private outdoor space (80 sq ft) with designated storage room. Common areas exist for the residents as well as for public use. Laundry facilities and other support spaces are provided. Sustainability The arrangement of the proposed architectural scheme facilitates an environmentally conscious approach to the building services design. Sustainable features are integral to the design. Passive solar design strategies are used and include: a north south orientation for the courtyard; locating and orienting the building to control solar cooling loads; shaping and orienting the building for exposure to prevailing winds; designing windows to maximize daylight and designing units to maximize natural ventilation. A 20 watt kw photovoltaic panel system is integrated into the façade and roof of the building that will supply most of the peak load electricity demand. A hydronic solar system is located on the roof and provides free hot water for the residents. Multiple facets of green building are achieved such as construction and waste management, storm water diversion, construction air quality, sustainable materials and finishes, water conservation, and energy efficiency.