Las Flores

Project Design

Don Empakeris Architects describes itself as embracing a new urbanist philosophy, focusing on urban context and the relationship between the user and the built form.

The architecture that emerges is urbane and contemporary, and the firm’s market and low-income housing projects are visually compelling, with interlocking spaces, setbacks and receding and projecting forms that artfully break down density while creating opportunities for outdoor space.

This is strikingly displayed in Las Flores (2023), a 73-unit building aimed at families, next door to Greenway Meadows, for seniors, and built by the same design and development team. The courtyard of the all-electric building goes one further in terms of modeling sustainability (a priority of Community Corporation and the City of Santa Monica), with an artfully designed rain garden with bioswale planting over a cistern where it captures and treats stormwater for irrigation, while giving the residents a taste of nature.

The “porch” spaces extend to the outside, where a landscaped entry plaza serves as a publicly accessible pocket park with visual connection into the courtyard. The building is terraced, creating five decks which provide numerous open space opportunities.

More about Las Flores.

More about DE Architects.

More about Greenway Meadows, also designed by DE Architects.

More about Community Corporation of Santa Monica.

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Reflections

One of the things that’s really great is the play area. There’s a small playground and there’s seating outside, benches and a community room that everyone has access to. I’ve noticed a lot that one parent will stay down in the courtyard and watch the kids play while the others get dinner started, or do whatever. I think it lends itself to more community because you have that space right there and so it feels very safe.
—Savanna Bachelder Arul, Resident Services Coordinator, Community Corporation of Santa Monica

I expected to have a great place to live. After all, it was newly constructed with great outdoor space, million dollar views, on-site laundry and underground parking. What I didn’t expect was to be part of a loving, caring community. Maybe because we all moved in around the same time, or maybe miracles do happen, we became a family. We look out for each other.
—Lori, Resident

Top: Las Flores facade. Photo by John Edward Linden Photography; Bottom, clockwise from left: Las Flores courtyard; Savanna; Tanya and Gabby in Las Flores courtyard; architect Don Empakeris. Photos by Frances Anderton.