Brooks + Scarpa Architects

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A sympathetic design raises the bar for affordable housing in a not-so-affordable city. Affordable housing in Santa Monica sounds like an oxymoron. In 2013, the city's average monthly rent of $2,328 was the priciest in Los Angeles County. Adding insult to injury are local homeowners who fear that buildings for lower-earning households will be eyesores that drive down property values.

On a tough site, a public school touts its forward-thinking mission with design, while providing a model for sustainability.

Larry Scarpa grew up in Florida, where the heat and humidity kept him indoors.

Situated on a 4.5-acre plot, the 85,000-square-foot 57-unit affordable housing complex was commissioned by the Coachella Valley Housing Coalition, a nonprofit, low-income housing developer in southern California.

One of the country's “best” and “fastest-growing” cities (according to Bloomberg BusinessWeek and Forbes), Raleigh has a lot going on in and around its 144 square miles.