LOS ANGELES (By Peter Viles, Los Angeles Times) January 10, 2008 — Two phrases that don't often go together: "award-winning modern architecture" and "low-income housing."

But in Santa Monica, at the intersection of Santa Monica Boulevard and 26th Street, Kanner Architects has pulled off this rare double play. The firm's colorful design for 44 units of low-income rental housing was named this week as the winner of one of 13 Honor Awards by the American Institute of Architects.

The AIA jury that honored the design said of the building: "A ray of hope — the architects used the light and breezes, which are free, wonderfully. The building is beautiful in a clean-scrubbed way while creating a safe haven."

"What I've been intrigued by is that most people who look at the project think it's either condos or market-rate rentals," said Stephen Kanner, president of Kanner Architects. Rents for the two- and three-bedroom units range from $500 to $900 a month, and the complex is fully occupied.

Kanner's challenge was to design apartments that would be light, airy and private — even though the building is located on a busy corner and some of the units are at street level.

"The ground floor was a real challenge," he said. "By setting back the ground-floor units and creating small courtyards in front, and strategically designing the glass with translucent glazing, you get privacy and light."

The exterior features a vibrant pattern of white walls, colorful panels and Hardie siding, a durable man-made composite that has the appearance of wood.

"Apartment projects tend to look somewhat cold for the most part," Kanner said. "And we wanted this building to have a warmer aesthetic feel to it.... The purpose of the colors is to create a sense of individuality to the units and break up the long façade of the building with individual colors, so that someone can say, 'I live in the unit with the red tone or the blue tone.' "

All of the units face a large central courtyard that brings light into the core of the project. "The goal was to create open space, very bright and light, and to allow the units to have as big spaces as possible," Kanner said.

Kanner Architects, a 61-year-old, third-generation Los Angeles firm, is well known for its modern residential and commercial designs, including the In-N-Out Burger restaurant in Westwood.