Colorado Court

Colorado Court in Santa Monica, California by Pugh + Scarpa, 2001

Extensively published since its completion in 2001, the Colorado Court Apartments in Santa Monica, California by hometown architect Pugh + Scarpa, embody that state's commitment to environmental responsibility. At the same time, the project goes beyond the standards set by Califronia to make the building and its residents completely independent in terms of energy consumption.

In the architect's words the building uses many passive, environmental strategies, including: "locating and orienting the building to control solar cooling loads and exposure to prevailing winds; shaping the building to induce buoyancy for natural ventilation; designing windows to maximize daylighting; shading south facing windows and minimizing west-facing glazing; designing windows to maximize natural ventilation; shaping and planning the interior to enhance daylight and natural air flow distribution."

Beyond the building's form and orientation, the mechanical technologies include systems to a natural gas powered turbine/heat recovery system for power and hot water and a solar panel system integrated into the facade for peak electricity. The latter gives the building its most unique external aspect, the rectangular blue solar panels hung from the building in a considered manner. Typically solar panels are hidden on a building's roof, deemed an eyesore, but at Colorado Court they are raised to the status of beauty.

The 44 residents of the Colorado Court Apartments live in a building that is many things: a handsome addition to Santa Monica, a refreshing environment with courtyards and exterior walks, totally independent, and most importantly something that gives back to the city in beyond its presence. Since the building produces excess power beyond its consumption it shares that production with the grid of Santa Monica, helping the city to produce "green energy" and hopefully paving the way for similar developments in the future.