Summit View Apartments brings together multiple community partners to transform a challenging hillside site into a restorative, contextual asset for both its rural Sylmar neighborhood and formerly homeless veterans. The project provides 49 units of permanent supportive housing for chronically homeless veterans, integrating comprehensive supportive services through an interconnected landscape of paths, terraces, and bridges.
Set on a long-vacant parcel overlooking the Hansen Dam recreational area, the community is carefully embedded into the hillside to minimize impact while maximizing views and access to nature. Informed by an extensive community outreach process, the design reflects Sylmar’s equestrian ranch character and rural scale. Four asymmetrically arranged buildings frame a shared central open space, allowing every unit to benefit from daylight, natural ventilation, and expansive vistas.
A palette of locally inspired materials that includes stucco, wood, concrete, metal, and glass adds texture and definition. Biophilic and trauma-informed design principles are seamlessly integrated, creating a dignified, supportive environment that offers veterans stability, connection, and long-term opportunity within a high-quality community.
