(Entertainment-NewsWire.com, February 26, 2013 ) SANTA MONICA, CA -- NMS Properties, Inc. has been named the recipient of the Santa Monica Conservancy’s “Adaptive Reuse” award for its careful preservation of the historic WWII Quonset hut that resides on its LuXe@Broadway property site. As the last known Quonset hut in Santa Monica, this high-profile slice of history was officially landmarked by the City of Santa Monica in December of 2007. Regarded as “highly durable military architecture,” these vintage edifices were once thought of as modern in their time.
The LuXe@Broadway Quonset hut was believed to have been moved to its current destination in 1946, as indicated by a building permit that was filed with the City of Santa Monica during that period.
NMS Properties and its architectural team, Santa Monica-based KFA, faced a truly unique challenge when they approached the design of their LuXe@Broadway site. They were tasked with constructing the LuXe@Broadway apartment building that was consistent with NMS’s signature, clean and modern style while preserving, and complementing the existing historic Quonset hut. In the process, the hut itself was relocated on the site and given a thorough historic rehabilitation and retrofit. This included the addition of interior insulation and end walls that evoke the original panelized design. Frymer Construction, the project's contractor, ensured that all new construction was sensitively integrated with the hut's metal structure.
“While incorporating a Quonset hut that was used as temporary housing of the 1940’s into a modern development was initially a challenge, we were excited at the opportunity to preserve this piece of Santa Monica history. We feel that the result celebrates a historical structure, while providing visual interest to the clean lines of our modern mixed-use building,” explains NMS’s President, Jim Andersen.
"We wanted to play up the fine texture, earthy patinas and funkiness of the Quonset hut without mimicking or overwhelming the structure, which we all grew to love," noted John Arnold, KFA's project manager. "Moving the hut to the corner of the site let it set the tone for the rest of the project. We also felt that this approach fit the surrounding neighborhood, which retains its casual, old Santa Monica vibe."
While NMS not only strived to preserve the Quonset hut landmark, it also aimed to integrate it into the Santa Monica cityscape as an economically-viable artifact. The Quonset hut is set to be the future home of the much-anticipated Pono Burger. Pono is currently headquartered in Hawaii, and this will mark its first official location on the mainland. Pono will offer 100% grass-fed, free-range, hormone-free burgers that are made with fresh local ingredients.
“What a great location to launch Pono Burger in Santa Monica” articulates Pono Burger’s Executive Chef Windy “Makani” Gerardi. “My father and I would see the Quonset Huts or “kamaboko houses” (as we call them in Hawaiian) on Oahu when we would visit. Small world.”
Ria Valas, Senior Community Manager at NMS Properties adds “It is so fitting that NMS receive this award for preserving the last Quonset hut in Santa Monica. In the late 1940’s the Quonset hut represented the modern age of affordable housing. Today, NMS’s forward vision and high standards continue to represent the modern age of affordable housing within Santa Monica.”
About NMS Properties, Inc.
NMS Properties, Inc. (NMS) is a privately owned real estate development and management firm that specializes in the acquisition, entitlement, development and management of multifamily and mixed-use properties in the Greater Los Angeles area. The NMS portfolio includes luxury, mixed-use, and affordable residential units, along with retail and commercial properties. For more information, visit http://www.NMSProperties.com.
