05.31.2017
CREST APARTMENTS
GRAND OPENING
MMA and the Skid Row Housing Trust celebrated the grand opening of Crest Apartments in Van Nuys on May 31, 2017. Los Angeles County Supervisor Sheila Kuehl, U.S. Representative Tony Cárdenas, Los Angeles City Councilmember Paul Krekorian, and representatives from the Trust were on hand for the grand opening. The event was attended by formerly homeless residents, key partners, and community supporters.
Crest Apartments provides 64 homes to Los Angeles County’s most vulnerable homeless individuals; 23 of the units are reserved for homeless veterans. Comprehensive onsite supportive services help build healthier and more stable lives for residents who are frequent utilizers of Los Angeles County’s Department of Health Services’ emergency care. Inviting, light-filled spaces are situated throughout the five-story, 45,000 square-foot project. The building’s arched form spans the length of the narrow site, lifting above a verdant landscape across the entire ground level. Resident community spaces and social service offices are located on the lower level.
“The building’s architecture and landscape form an interwoven relationship between the building and its context, between inside and out,” notes architect Michael Maltzan. “This interconnected approach strengthens the environmental performance of the building. But more importantly, it creates a series of spaces and places for the residents to come together as a community.”
Individual studio apartments on the building’s upper levels are connected by broad open-air pathways. Each apartment has a private bathroom, kitchen, appliances, and full furnishings. Crest Apartments is certified LEED for Homes Platinum by the U.S. Green Building Council.
MMA’s collaboration with the Skid Row Housing Trust began more than a decade ago and includes four award winning projects: Rainbow Apartments, New Carver Apartments, Star Apartments, and Crest Apartments. Altogether, these projects have provided 353 new homes for formerly homeless individuals living in Los Angeles County.
