777
Encinitas, California, 9500 sf
Respecting the adjacent community’s scale and character, 777st simultaneously creates density and green space and models a replicable prototype for incremental community-driven city development. Under construction, this 8000SF mixed-use building in the heart of downtown Encinitas will include 9 residential units, and 2400SF of commerical space on the lower level.
By splitting the building in different volumes, ERE2 was able to efficiently integrate the structure’s overall massing with the existing landscape, provide wind cross-ventilation to the apartments, and define a clear circulation path through the property. The building incorporates landscaped roof terraces at various levels, creating inviting outdoor areas for residents. This continuous terracing of communal space from the street level to the roof results in a powerful urban and architectural gesture that offers a multi-layered connection both within the building and out towards the surrounding community.
The warmer wood cladding delineates cuts in the building’s form, indicating voids for circulation and gathering spaces. The exterior metal cladding system blurs the boundary between the sidewalk and the building mass, creating an animated effect of rippling shadow and light that breaks up the scale of the wall surfaces.
