Architecture studio Brooks + Scarpa has completed an all-electric, affordable housing complex in Santa Monica called 1819 Pico, which departs from the area's typical "defensive apartment buildings" with their solid walls and fences.

Located across the street from Santa Monica College, the residential complex – also known as Brunson Terrace – was designed for a half-acre corner site.

Totalling 52,200 square feet (4,850 square metres), the building consists of different-sized volumes that wrap around a central courtyard. The team broke up the massing to create social areas and to make the building more open and inviting.

"1819 Pico eschews the typical neighbourhood defensive apartment buildings with solid walls and fences in favour of a carved-out cube – a beacon in the neighbourhood that celebrates social space by de-emphasizing private space," the team said.

Exterior walls are clad in basic materials coloured grey and light blue. Windows are strategically placed, resulting in a non-uniform appearance that adds a dynamic quality to the building.

Walkways and stairs were placed outside to reinforce a feeling of openness and transparency.

The building contains 49 units, along with 6,700 square feet (622 square metres) of ground-level retail. There also are social spaces that are visually connected to each other, including a colourful children's play area.

While envisioning the building, the team looked to the long tradition of courtyard housing in southern California.

"The courtyard is a quasi-public space that mediates between the home and the street," the team said.

"For the city at large, the courtyard is an urbane housing type that fits well into neighbourhoods."

Designed to achieve LEED Platinum certification, the building uses electricity as its sole source of energy and is net-zero in terms of energy usage.

The project's predicted energy use intensity (pEUI) number is 6.6, which is considerably lower than the average number of 59 pEUI, according to the team.

Other residential projects by Brooks + Scarpa include a Los Angeles apartment building with all-white cladding and a curvy aluminum screen, and a North Hollywood complex that priorities social areas over private space and includes units for low-income tenants.

The photography is by Brooks + Scarpa.

Project credits:

Architect: Brooks + Scarpa
Project team:  Lawrence Scarpa (lead designer), Angela Brooks (principal-in-charge), Fui Srivikorn (project manager), Micaela Danko, Jeffrey Huber, Dionicio Ichillumpa, Eric Mosher, Flavia Christie, Iliya Muzychuk, Eleftheria Stavridi, Arty Vartanyan
General contractor: United Building Corporation
Structural engineer: Labib Funk Engineering
MEP engineering: Idiaz Design
Civil engineering: Labib Funk Engineering
Landscape architect: Tina Chee with Brooks + Scarpa
Solar consultant: CalSolar, Inc
LEED consultant: Alternate Energy Systems