5th Street Family Housing is a 32 unit lowrise apartment building in Santa Monica, California. The units are organized in an unusual configuration: ground level 2 story duplexes with floor-through apartments above on the third level, half of which are fitted for full handicapped access. Koning Eizenberg Architecture devised this configuration by taking advantage of the need for an elevator to service the underground parking to also service the handicapped accessible units on the third floor. The apartment above the duplex configuration had other advantages as well. The small footprint of the two-level duplex maximized the number of units on the site with on-grade courtyards. It required only one upper level walkway rather than two. And because the footprint of the third level apartments was significantly smaller than the levels below, large outside decks could be provided.

Support household and neighborhood fit:

The configuration of the 2-story, on-grade duplex with floor-through apartments above was key to providing ample outdoor space. The small footprint of the on-grade townhouse maximized the number of units on the site thereby taking advantage of the large required sideyard setbacks with on-grade courtyards. The buildings are arranged around two major communal spaces - a walkstreet and a courtyard. The configuration of the apartment above the duplex had other advantages as well. The smaller size of the apartment allowed for a large decks for these units. The conguration also allows for cross-ventialtion for all units (there is no air-conditioning). In addition, units with handicap accessibility are located, rather than on the ground, on the upper floor.

A laundry and a small play area are located in the courtyard allowing parents to attend to chores while their children play safely.

Meet high aesthetic standards:

Architectural visual interest is achieved through use of simple but bold articulated forms and saturated color. The change in building massing accomplished by the smaller footprint of the 3rd level flats compared with the levels below allowed for a freer hand in form-making that takes its lead from an adjacent lozenge-shaped bank building. The result is an unconventional configuration for affordable family housing, introducing architectural vitality through carefully organized social spaces, theatrical scale and color, and high-flying bridges.