About the Building
Primera Terra, at 12920 Runway Road, is the building buyers find when they search for green construction in Playa Vista. KB Home delivered its 52 condominiums in 2011 to a design by KTGY, and the community was certified LEED Platinum under the LEED for Homes program, a rating documented in trade press including Architect magazine and recognized among the 2011 LEED for Homes Awards. In a district of courtyard buildings from the mid-2000s, this is the newer, smaller infill project with the paperwork to back its efficiency claims.
The site itself tells a Playa Vista story: the building rises atop an underground parking structure that already existed from an earlier stage of the master plan. KTGY's team designed around the garage, minimizing new penetrations of the existing slab to cut cost and construction waste, an approach the firm has written about publicly. For owners, that means the podium below the homes predates the building above it, which is worth remembering when reading reserve studies and asking about waterproofing between the two structures.
The certification was earned through the envelope rather than gadgets. Per the architect's and trade accounts, the homes tested about forty percent more efficient than California's then-current Title 24 energy code without any solar array, using high-performance windows and insulation, radiant-barrier roofing, programmable thermostats and Energy Star appliances and lighting. Each residence also received an energy-monitoring system so owners could track usage, emissions and costs online. Fifteen years on, ask which original systems remain and how the association has maintained them.
The homes themselves are deliberately simple: 52 two- and three-bedroom condominiums reported in trade coverage at roughly 965 to 1,314 square feet, a tight band that keeps the community's resale market legible. The location compensates for the modest footprints, with the Runway Playa Vista retail district and its Whole Foods Market essentially across the street, Concert Park nearby, and the district's technology employment core, including Google's campus at the former Hughes hangar, within an easy walk or ride.
Ownership follows the standard Playa Vista structure: dues to Primera Terra's own association plus dues to the master community association funding CenterPointe Club, The Resort and the parks. The parcel sits within the district's first-phase footprint, where a Mello-Roos community facilities district special tax may apply; confirm the amount and remaining term on the title report and tax bill. And like every building on these former Hughes and Ballona lands, the project incorporates the engineered methane mitigation and monitoring systems the city requires here, maintained through the association.
Amenities & Services
The Residences
The community is a straightforward stock of 52 two- and three-bedroom condominiums, reported at roughly 965 to 1,314 square feet. The narrow size band makes comparable sales easier to read than in mixed-type buildings nearby.
High-performance windows, upgraded insulation, radiant-barrier roofing and Energy Star equipment carried the homes to LEED Platinum without solar panels, per the architect. Efficiency here lives in the walls, not in hardware that ages badly.
Original buyers received an energy-monitoring system tracking consumption, emissions and costs from a computer or phone. Confirm whether the system in your unit still functions or has been superseded by newer smart-home equipment.
The residences sit atop an underground parking structure built before the building itself, a reuse KTGY has described publicly. Ask the association how the podium interface is waterproofed, inspected and funded in the reserve study.
Completed in 2011, Primera Terra is several code cycles newer than the neighboring first-wave condominiums, which shows up in energy performance and building systems even before any owner upgrades are counted.
The retail district with Whole Foods, restaurants and the theater sits essentially across Runway Road, so daily errands happen on foot. For car-light households, the address is the amenity.
Due Diligence
Owners belong to both Primera Terra's association and the Playa Vista master community association, whose dues fund CenterPointe Club, The Resort pools and fitness facilities, and the parks. Underwrite the combined monthly obligation, not just the building's.
The parcel lies within Playa Vista's first-phase footprint, where a community facilities district can levy Mello-Roos special taxes. Confirm whether one applies to your unit, and its remaining term, on the title report and tax bill.
The district's buildings stand on former Hughes Aircraft land and include city-required methane mitigation, venting and monitoring. Ask the association for its maintenance and inspection routine; this is standard infrastructure here, not a defect.
The LEED Platinum certification under LEED for Homes is documented in trade press and the architect's materials. Request the certification documentation and any commissioning records from the association to verify what was actually installed.
Because the homes were built over an existing underground garage, the podium predates the building. Review the reserve study for waterproofing, drainage and structural line items covering that interface, and any repair history since 2011.
KB Home, a large public builder, delivered the project, so construction documentation and any warranty claim history should be traceable. Ask the association whether any defect claims were made within California's ten-year statute.
With only 52 units, each owner carries a meaningful share of any major expense. Read the budget, reserve funding percentage and recent minutes closely; small associations feel special assessments more than large ones.
Confirm lease minimums and short-term rental prohibitions in the CC&Rs and current rules. Playa Vista associations generally prohibit short-term stays, and small communities tend to enforce occupancy and leasing rules attentively.
Everything above is drawn from public records, city permit data and published sources. The association’s statutory disclosure package is the only authoritative answer on dues, rules, reserves, insurance and litigation — Ben will request it and read it with you before you remove contingencies.
Common Questions
Keep Exploring
More about the neighbourhood: Playa Vista
Off Market & Coming Soon
Residences here reach the open market rarely, and some never do. Ask Ben to tell you when one is coming, including quietly.
Work With Ben
Units here often trade before they are ever listed. Tell Ben what you are looking for and hear first when something opens up, including off market.
Start the ConversationOff Market & Coming Soon
Residences here reach the open market rarely, and some never do. Ask Ben to tell you when one is coming, including quietly.
Ben will reach out shortly to set up your tour.
