The street facade is therefore "old" in that it uses materials, proportions, details, and an overall building scale that are consistent with the 19th century surroundings of the Mexican War Streets historic neighborhood. However, the courtyard facades are "new" with different materials and lighter colors to maximize reflection.

The design of the building is also "new" in that space is allocated in a way that is very different from what is found in conventional HUD "202" buildings. Most of the first floor is developed as a large house and includes a living room, a dining room, a fitness room, a library-TV room and a large garden courtyard. The individual apartments are small to encourage the socialization of residents by providing a variety of attractive spaces and activities on the first floor. This is very important to support an active social and physical life, one of the keys to continued independent living among the elderly and the frail elderly.