The Arroyo

Project Design

KoningEizenberg founders Hank Koning and Julie Eizenberg got involved with the design of affordable housing in Los Angeles in the 1980s, earning plaudits for their early work with the nonprofit developers Community Corporation of Santa Monica and Skid Row Housing Trust. Over the last four decades the firm has built several standout 100% affordable and mixed-income housing projects, along with many cultural, commercial and educational buildings, underpinned by “a consistent belief in the power of social interaction,” interwoven with features supporting passive cooling and sustainable water management.

The Arroyo (2018) is a 64-unit, 100% affordable housing complex located at the edge of downtown Santa Monica. The neighborhood is rapidly densifying and the design is organized around a “sticky space” concept of connecting home to street – in this case, a multilane thoroughfare, Lincoln Boulevard. Vine covered fencing keeps tenants safe from the busy thoroughfare while offering views in and out.

The housing is organized around a courtyard which serves as a big backyard for young families, while bringing natural ventilation and light. Bridges span the courtyard, creating a visual connection and drama across levels. Hank Koning has said, “I like seeing people moving around a building. So the idea of having bridges and open staircases appeals to me.” Eizenberg adds, “I’ve watched little kids, sitting down here (on the bridge) waving to their parents below. And that kind of energy between things feels really good.”  

More about The Arroyo.

More about KoningEizenberg.

More about Santa Monica Vermont, also designed by KoningEizenberg.

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Reflections

A lot of children come down here and we usually play games together. Where we used to live, me and my brother wouldn’t really do anything. We would just sit down and watch TV, and usually get headaches. And then once me and my brother knew that we were moving to this building, we were so happy because our mom and dad told us there’s going to be a courtyard where you can play a lot. And that just really made me and my brother happy.
—Mark, Resident

I’m lucky because my window in the living room is facing the courtyard, so I can hear the boys and see them. So every five minutes I look, and if everything is okay, I leave them. A lot of boys are the same age, so they are having a lot of fun and everything is okay and safe.
—Samia, Mark’s mom

I think we as people we’re meant to be together, not to live in isolation, so having a group of people just being able to walk past each other and see each other allows them to mingle and talk with their neighbors, whereas if they lived in individual houses they might not have gotten to know their neighbor as quickly. 
—Amanda, Resident-manager

Top: The Arroyo, elevation facing Lincoln Boulevard. Photo by Eric Staudenmaier; Bottom left: courtyard and bridges at The Arroyo. Photo by Eric Staudenmaier; Bottom, right, Mark, resident at The Arroyo. Photo by Frances Anderton.