The Park by KoningEizenberg

500, Broadway, Santa Monica, CA, United States

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The Park by KoningEizenberg

500, Broadway, Santa Monica, CA, United States

Firm

Hausman LLC
Koning Eizenberg Architecture

Type

Residential › Apartment
Commercial › Retail

STATUS

Built

YEAR

2022

SIZE

300,000 sqft - 500,000 sqft

Design of this transit oriented development, completed in 2022, rethinks the bland and boxy US mid rise housing paradigm from street to rooftop with strategies that strengthen neighborhood connection and address sustainability. Cross-grain garden courtyards break the 249 housing units into four buildings to optimize daylight, views, and ocean breezes and create a neighborly and green connection to the street while finding room for a one-acre rooftop park.

At street level, public plazas were placed at the base of these residential courtyards, which establish strong visual and social connections between the housing above and the street life below. A string of public open spaces with outdoor seating, bike parking, shade, and sunlit areas enhance the major path between a neighboring light rail station and the surrounding neighborhood. Ground-floor retail further activates the block while attracting both residents and commuters.

The faceted building envelope makes a soft edge while capturing views for residents, providing shade, and offering varying degrees of privacy. North-facing elevations were faceted to provide apartments with long views. On the south elevations, horizontal awnings, exterior moveable louvers and shade glass filter views between units. A steel prefabricated moment frame, conXtech, reduced construction time by three months and was instrumental in achieving the form and flexible unit planning in a cost-effective way.

A signature one-acre rooftop space offers residents a welcoming retreat with ocean views and photovoltaic shade canopies. This outdoor space offers a variety of spaces to suit individual moods and needs. Spaces for large groups, more intimate get togethers, and individual seclusion were integrated into the terrace.

The project achieved LEED Platinum using passive and active environmental strategies, many of which contribute to The Park’s distinctive expression. For example, the massing facilitates breezes, and the building contains operable windows, movable sunshades, rooftop planting, and PV shade canopies. The north and south facades each have a different articulation that creates a visual rhythm on the street while responding to the path of the sun.

High-efficiency HVAC, low-wattage LED lighting, Energy-Star appliances, high performance glazing, motion and daylight sensors, and well-insulated exterior walls reduce energy consumption. A 100.6kW PV array provides energy-use for resident common areas. A solar thermal system reduces hot water energy needs by 66%. By minimizing construction waste, 82.41% of the waste generated was diverted from landfills. All finish materials were verified for their low-emissions impact. Wood products were FSC-certified and insulation was made using recycled content. Low VOC paint was used throughout. Locally sourced products were favored, including aggregate, cement, and drywall. Water conservation strategies included a purple pipe recycled water system for both toilet flushing and irrigation.