Favorable Winds

Mark McMenamin -- Interior Design, 6/1/2007 12:00:00 AM

Just as sailboats on California's Santa Monica Bay rely on the wind, so does nearby Broadway Court. Pugh + Scarpa Architects fronted the $8.6 million affordable housing complex with galvanized-aluminum screens that capture cool breezes "like a giant wind scoop," Lawrence Scarpa says. The screens' shape facilitates airflow, eliminating the need for wattage-gulping air conditioners.

Behind the screens, the structure's actual skin tells a two-fold conservation story: Stucco alternates with recycled beer and soda cans, compressed into building blocks. Randomly placed windows maximize sunshine and ventilation. And insulation is manufactured from recycled newspapers.

Inside the 41-unit building, carpets are packed with recycled content; remaining flooring is all-natural linoleum. Compact fluorescent lamping and water-saving toilets keep the utility bills as affordable as the real estate.