Edwina Benner Plaza

Edwina Benner Plaza is a vibrant, multi-family community bringing 66 new homes to the City of Sunnyvale.

Bounded by Highway 237, an active Hindu temple, and residential uses, the site plan responds to and respects the existing residential, civic, and commercial context. Elements on the site are organized to promote an environment for healthy living, to cultivate a sense of community, and to maximize connection to the landscape.

The building is sited to address the proximity of the highway, which runs parallel to Persian Drive. The massing strategy and program arrangement—orienting the residential program away from the front of the building—shield the common areas and residential units from noise and pollution.

Edwina Benner Plaza is named after the first female mayor in California. Benner was mayor of Sunnyvale from 1924 to 1926 and again from 1937 to 1938.

ELECTRIFIED!

 

Throughout the design, the team actively balanced prioritizing energy-efficient, passive design with the realities of controlling cost in a daunting construction market. These goals converged in a commitment to achieve the first all-electric affordable housing development for both architect and owner, including the first installation in the state of a central heat pump hot water system employing Sanden heat pumps, which have a high coefficient of performance and utilize CO2 refrigerant. A 114 kW PV array covers 46% of the building’s total loads, and 100% of common loads. With local residents opted-into a 100% renewable community choice utility, the project may be among the first affordable housing projects to boast zero net annual operating emissions. Homes feature residential energy education monitors, devices that give real-time feedback on energy usage. 

awards

Gold Nugget Honor Award: Best Affordable Housing Community (30-60 dua)
Pacific Coast Builders Conference
Gold Nugget Honor Award: Best Innovative Energy Design
Pacific Coast Builders Conference
Editors’ Choice Winner
Affordable Housing Finance Magazine
All-Electric Showcase Award
Silicon Valley Clean Energy

project details

Category

Affordable Housing, All Projects, All-electric net-zero ready, Apartments, Current Work

​Location

Sunnyvale, California

Developer

MidPen Housing

Architect

David Baker Architects

Landscape Architect

Fletcher Studio

Contractor

Roberts-Obayashi Corporation

Civil Engineer

Sandis

Energy Analysis and Sustainability

Association for Energy Affordability

Permalink

www.dbarchitect.com/EdwinaBennerPlaza

project data
Edwina Benner Plaza		21511
Sunnyvale, California
Completed March 2019
number of units
1 bedroom		30
2 bedroom		19
3 bedroom		17
total		66
density ratios
project sf		110,612
site sf		57,645
acres		1.32
total bedrooms		119
bedrooms/acre		90
units/acre		45.5
open space sf		13,513
open space sf/unit		205
parking
total		87
accessible		3
tandem		17
covered		84
spaces/unit		1.3
type		surface
bicycle parking		64
construction type
Type V over Type I
certification
GreenPoint Rated		Platinum