Of the more than 1,000 entries in the 10th annual Residential Architect magazine design awards, just 44 projects in the United States were singled out for accolades. Peoples’ Self-Help Housing’s affordable housing complex, Casas las Granadas, 21 E. Anapamu St., was one of them. Detlev Peikert, AIA, of Peikert Group Architects was the project’s architect.
The selection jury included six distinguished architects: Gary L. Brewer, AIA, of Robert A.M. Stern Architects, New York City; William Kreager, FAIA, Mithun, Seattle; Mell Lawrence, FAIA, Mell Lawrence Architects, Austin, Texas; Mark McInturff, FAIA, McInturff Architects, Bethesda, Md.; John Sheehan, AIA, Studio E Architects, San Diego; and John Vetter, AIA, Vetter Denk Architects, Milwaukee. The jury bestowed 33 Merit awards, 10 Grand awards, and one Project of the Year award.
Casas Las Granadas, which opened in 2008, has 12 permanently affordable one-bedroom rental units set aside for low- and very low-income downtown workers. The development especially benefits those tenants who do not have a car. The apartments range from 485 to 575 square feet and are fully occupied.
The project is a public private partnership between Peoples’ Self-Help Housing and the city of Santa Barbara. Many of the residents previously lived at the nearby single-room occupancy Victoria Hotel, 26 E. Victoria St., also owned and operated by Peoples’ Self-Help Housing.
Peikert said each Casas apartment is designed to create a comfortable living environment. The one-bedroom units have high ceilings and a balcony overlooking a public garden, the Santa Barbara County Courthouse and the public library. The project is within walking distance of public transit, shopping, parks, and many social and cultural destinations. None of the residents own automobiles but have access to a bike station with lockers.
The project was designed in accordance with principles of sustainable design. The units were built on a sliver of unused land next to the city’s Granada parking garage. The project is a long-term asset enhancing the urban environmental by masking the side of a four-story parking structure; and it is a model of affordability and sustainability. With its juxtaposition to the new Jardin de las Granadas, the site provides a green oasis in the midst of this active urban setting, celebrating Santa Barbara’s Spanish Colonial heritage as mandated by strict design guidelines and blending seamlessly into the upscale urban landscape.
Founded in 1970, Peoples’ Self-Help Housing is an award-winning nonprofit organization that develops affordable housing and community facilities for low-income households and homeownership opportunities for working families and special needs populations, such as seniors, the disabled, and the formerly homeless. With more than 1,100 homes completed and 1,200 rental units developed and now managed by Peoples’ Self-Help Housing, the organization is the premiere affordable housing developer on the Central Coast, with offices in Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo.
Peikert is principal and founder of Peikert Group Architects LLP. He was educated in Toronto, Ontario, and has been working in the field of architecture for more than 30 years, including a year with the German architectural/engineering firm of Atelier Neufert. Peikert moved to Santa Barbara from Toronto in 1982. He is past board president of the American Institute of Architects, Santa Barbara chapter. He is currently on the board of the Sustainability Project of Santa Barbara, the Coastal Housing Coalition and the Garden Court Foundation.
The winning architectural projects, including Casas las Granadas, will be featured in upcoming issues of Residential Architect magazine. Click here for more information on how to help Peoples’ Self-Help Housing, or call development director Rochelle Rose, who can be contacted at 805.966.5152 x227.
— Annette Montoya is Peoples’ Self-Help Housing’scorporate communications manager.