BE PART OF THE CONVERSATION

Sierra Bonita Housing West Hollywood, CA

EDITOR'S DESIGN CHOICE

View of Sierra Bonita from Santa Monica Boulevard. Image courtesy of Patrick Tighe Architecture

Sierra Bonita interior, with concrete floors and large glass window wall shaded by laser-cut aluminum panels. Image courtesy of Patrick Tighe Architecture

Street view of Sierra Bonita, showing hanging solar panels. Image courtesy of Patrick Tighe Architecture

Close-up view of solar panels. Image courtesy of Patrick Tighe Architecture

Solar panels double as a trellis for the rooftop terrace. Image courtesy of Patrick Tighe Architecture

Sierra Bonita inner courtyard. Image courtesy of Patrick Tighe Architecture

Sierra Bonita inner courtyard. Image courtesy of Patrick Tighe Architecture

Sierra Bonita at sunset. Image courtesy of Patrick Tighe Architecture

<
/
>

Sierra Bonita is a mixed-use affordable housing development in the City of West Hollywood. A pilot project for the City of West Hollywood’s green building ordinance, Sierra Bonita includes just 29 parking spaces, sited underground. The development has ground-floor commercial space and 42 one-bedroom units reserved for disabled, low-income residents. The developer received more than 2,000 applications for residency; the building was leased through a lottery. Balconies overlook an inner courtyard with bamboo, grasses, and walkways, illuminated by vertical light tubes. Solar-electric panels wrap over the building and hang vertically on the western wall, resembling sculptures. “We didn’t want the building to look like an affordable-housing project,” says architect Patrick Tighe, “We wanted it to have movement and light and strength.” Sierra Bonita’s front facade is clad in aluminum panels laser-cut into abstract forms, giving the building a distinctive presence from the street and offering shading and privacy for residents.

Watch a video of a day in the life of Sierra Bonita Housing: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lg-1JNnb9sg