Ocean Park Housing is a three-unit condominium set on a prominent corner two blocks from the beach in Santa Monica. The site is on the northeast corner of Ocean Park Boulevard and Second Street, three blocks away from the Pacific Ocean on a 50-foot wide, 130-foot deep sloping lot.
Its sculptural roof structure is not only influenced by the building’s contextual relationships, but is also a playful response to city codes that require roofs over 23 feet in height to be pitched. To accommodate the mezzanine space that exceeded this limit, the design required an innovative solution that cut, shaped, and manipulated the rooflines.
The building’s appearance is otherwise defined by a careful combination of materials that includes copper cladding, stacked concrete block, and large expanses of glass, which achieve sustainability goals by helping the building respond to the Southern California climate. Concrete block keeps the building cool during the summer and warm during the winter, while the south-facing windows allow for plenty of natural light and passive solar heating during the cooler months and natural ventilation during the summer.Despite the building’s location on a busy street, the building utilizes the site to the fullest extent possible by creating an oasis for its inhabitants through seamless transitions between the interior spaces and the gardens. These transitions create a direct connection with the outdoors, in keeping with Southern California’s beach culture.
Reference for text and pictures:
Architectural record
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