Affordable and Equitable Housing Projects Demonstrate Design Excellence – 2022 Awards

Ivy Senior Apartments and Keeler Court Apartments in San Diego were recently recognized with awards and nominations in this year’s PCBC Gold Nugget Awards and Ruby Awards.  Keeler Court Apartments received an Award of Merit in the Best Affordable Housing Community Category (30 to 60 units) and the Project of the Year Award for New Construction (<100 units) at the 2022 Ruby Awards. Ivy Senior Apartments received the Gold Nugget Grand Award in the Best Affordable Housing Community Category (30 to 60 units) as well as a nomination for Project of the Year for New Construction from the Ruby Awards. Both projects demonstrate design excellence in affordable, equitable, and beautiful design solutions and aim to address the need for housing in the San Diego area.

The Keeler Court Apartments create affordable, sustainable design solutions for the Southcrest neighborhood of San Diego. Fulfilling a great need for housing in this area, the Keeler Court Apartments provide 71 studio, one-, two-, and three-bedroom apartment homes for families and individuals earning 30-60 percent of the area median income. Partnering with Community HousingWorks (CHW), the design team focused on establishing a connected community within the Keeler Court Apartments and setting residents up for success. With its warm color palette, inviting landscape, and contemporary design, Keeler Court Apartments demonstrate how affordable apartment communities can be beautiful and integrate-well with the surrounding community. The site is immediately adjacent to many amenities and community resources, offering enhanced community connectivity, walkability, and bikeability for residents.

Ivy Senior Apartments exemplify that human-purposed and high-quality design should be accessible to all. The project aims to address the high rate of homelessness in the San Diego area and specifically respond to the challenges unhoused senior citizens can face while navigating permanent housing, careers, and support services by providing beautiful, high- performance, and supportive homes. In a model known as “Housing First,” Ivy Senior Apartments provide 52 supportive apartment homes, coupled with robust supportive services and resources from PATH, St. Paul’s PACE, and Alpha Project Home Finder, for seniors with chronic medical needs who have experienced homelessness.