Artful touches add charm to multi-unit building

“It’s unusual for a speculative development to use such beautiful, contextual, handcrafted elements.”
– jury comment

SPECIAL AWARD, Jeff Shelton, Architect, Santa Barbara, CA
An undulating tile rug spilling from a second-floor window captures the spirit of this eight-unit condominium complex. The hand-painted tiles add color and geometry, and the faux rug shape brings unexpected sculptural form and a touch of whimsy to the world of commercial housing.

Elsewhere the shapes of aloe leaves appear in wrought-iron pieces – grillework, railings, chimney caps, and pot brackets – as well as in ornate wall and ceiling paintings. The project sports an intimate charm inspired by Andalusian villages, which are characterized by tall walls, private courtyards, and front doors close to narrow streets. White walls and red tile roofs help the development fit into an existing Santa Barbara neighborhood.

Drought-tolerant and low-maintenance landscaping flanks a central gravel-covered driveway-street with meandering pathways of poured concrete.

ARCHITECT: (805) 965-8812