Design-Build services for 600 San Pedro, a 17-story permanent supportive housing tower and standalone four-story parking structure located in Downtown Los Angeles. The 157,987 SF tower delivers 298 residential units, four manager’s units, and a variety of shared amenities, including lounges, fitness and computer centers, and a rooftop recreation deck.

The project’s architectural form is both pragmatic and poetic—a shimmering green façade that enlivens the streetscape and brings light to a neighborhood often overlooked. Designed for both performance and pride, the building’s prefabricated window wall system reduced costs and installation time while creating a dynamic façade that defines the tower’s identity. The rooftop’s photovoltaic canopy provides shaded gathering spaces while supporting energy efficiency goals.

Inside, resilient materials, daylight-filled corridors, and warm finishes promote wellness and longevity. Communal areas encourage connection and self-sufficiency, while partnerships with social service providers ensure residents receive comprehensive support. Built with GreenPoint Rated sustainability standards and a self-performed concrete structure, 600 San Pedro stands as a model for how design excellence and compassion can coexist in affordable housing.

Designing for Dignity and Resilience

The 600 San Pedro project represents a landmark achievement in design excellence and civic purpose, reimagining what permanent supportive housing can look and feel like. Located in the heart of Los Angeles’ Skid Row, the project was designed not just to provide shelter, but to restore dignity, belonging, and opportunity to its residents.

Working alongside The Related Companies, Weingart Center Association, and LARGE Architecture, Pankow Builders delivered an 17-story, 298-unit high-rise that balances architectural expression with social responsibility. The building’s façade—a shimmering mosaic of patterned green glass—acts as a beacon of hope, a visual counterpoint to its surroundings. The design team was tasked with creating a space that was durable and secure, yet open and welcoming, offering a symbol of upward mobility to one of Los Angeles’ most vulnerable communities.

Every design move was driven by the project’s mission: to integrate beauty, efficiency, and compassion. The team rejected the notion that supportive housing must be purely utilitarian. Instead, the building embodies design excellence through material innovation, proportion, and light. The window wall system, one of the project’s defining features, reduced cost and construction time while giving the tower its signature undulating exterior. Prefabricated for precision and installed by a single trade, the façade delivers both performance and artistry, a rare achievement in cost-conscious construction.

At ground level, spaces were designed to foster community connection. Case management offices, classrooms, and communal lounges ensure residents have access to essential services in a dignified setting. Rooftop terraces and recreation areas—including urban gardens shaded by photovoltaic panels—offer residents a sense of ownership and serenity. Security and openness are balanced through architectural design rather than barriers, creating an environment that feels safe yet unconfined.

The project’s Design-Build collaboration was instrumental in achieving this harmony of form and function. Continuous coordination between the owner, architect, and builder allowed the team to reimagine design decisions midstream, ensuring constructability without compromise. Every choice, from structural layout to color palette, was vetted through the lens of empathy, efficiency, and elegance.

600 San Pedro demonstrates that design excellence in affordable housing is not a luxury, it’s a responsibility. By integrating sustainability, functionality, and human-centered design, the building sets a precedent for how architecture can both serve and elevate its community.