This rehabilitation of a modest 1960’s commercial building brings new life to a neglected structure in this coastal college town adjacent to the University of California Santa Barbara. Facade improvements included new fiber cement cladding inspired by retail barcodes and energy efficient storefronts with irregularly patterned mullions. Along the sidewalk raised outdoor dining patios were created with metal enclosures that mimic the storefronts. Inside, mechanical systems were updated along with and access for the disabled. Now the open facades entice passerby while the outdoor dining activities and rhythmic patterns of the new facade enliven the downtown streetscape.
The spatial experience unfolds as one descends from the entry ramp down into the home, here the view of the street and its noise are diminished and the quite realm of the house pervades.
The program is organized vertically with the public living, dining, kitchen, and the main art gallery spaces on the lower level and the private children’s and parent’s rooms on the upper level. The lower level’s open plan is designed for shifting social activities. The floor is seen as a “field” in which pool, furniture, and objects sit. Large pivoting and sliding glass doors extend the habitable space through to the outside. Horizontal circulation wraps this field and serves as path for the viewing of art displayed on the walls.
As part of an on-going collaboration with Skid Row Housing Trust (SRHT), a non-profit organization that provides permanent supportive housing for the homeless population of Los Angeles, LOHA was asked to design a 4,100 sf Tenant Improvement to house their management offices including training and event headquarters. Taking advantage of the heaviness of the existing ‘forest of columns’ present in the space, LOHA deployed a series of trees that concealed the existing structure while providing the framework for a custom lighting installation. The space serves as an urban oasis within the otherwise chaotic nature of its surroundings within the Skid Row district of Los Angeles both for the patrons served and the managing staff.
The house is sited to engage the undulating hillside and capture the spectacular views of Mount Tamalpais and the San Francisco Bay. A curved retaining wall follows the contours of the hillside and anchors the house to the steep site. The house is tucked under the living roof, which visually merges the house with the land. Growing out of the hillside, the roof is carved away to form a protected courtyard for the pool.
The design direction for an 800 sf master suite addition was determined by the peninsular shape of the property and the desire to respect the 1950’s post & beam house. The addition’s orientation emerged as the negotiation between the existing house, the sloping site, and a beloved sycamore tree.
This is a 30 Acre parcel of a sub-rural 327acre site in Southern California with a close proximity to Alquist-Priolo Earthquake Fault Zones to the west and south (<10 miles)
Targeted SB 1953 Compliance for 2030
This new facility will surpass 2013 deadlines and meet the January, 2030 SB 1953 Senate Bill target for all California Acute-Care Facilities to comply with both Structural (SPC) and Non-Structural Performance (NPC) Category requirements. Excerpt from the 1975 Alquist-Priolo Earthquake Fault Zoning Act 2621.5. Purpose statement
This new 65,000sf hotel is conceived as a monolithic concrete structure, carved by a system of slots and slices that bring light, air and views deep into the building.
The site is an infill parcel in downtown Los Angeles which measures just 50×150 feet. The hotel is freestanding, surrounded on all sides by alleys and streets. This allows for slots to be cut into the façade, which contrast with and dematerialize the otherwise monolithic quality of the building.
Sustainability Base, NASA’s new facility at the entrance to Ames Research Center, is designed to showcase NASA’s culture of innovation. The client charged the team with delivering a facility that embodies NASA’s spirit, fosters collaboration, supports health and well-being, and goes beyond LEED® Platinum in its pursuit of Cradle to Cradle® solutions.
To remodel an existing 7,000 sq.ft. 1930’s Art deco Masonry Building Art Gallery into office and work space for production of TV commercials and music videos.
Solution: Reactor presented the unique challenge of satisfying the client’s requirement to move into a completed space in less than fourteen weeks from the beginning of the design process. In order to meet this demand, a systematic working strategy was developed to capitalize on these extreme constraints while cultivating an inventive and dynamic working atmosphere in which client, contractor and architect collaborated with an unprecedented synergism.
Once a part of the Pacific coastline, the Wilmington community became disconnected from the waterfront by the Port of Los Angeles—a burgeoning, diverse mix of industrial maritime facilities. After completing the Wilmington Waterfront Master Plan, Sasaki identified three open spaces for implementation: the Wilmington Waterfront Park, the Avalon North Streetscape, and the Avalon South Waterfront Park. The Wilmington Waterfront Park is the first project to be fully implemented. Built on a 30-acre brownfield site, the new urban park revitalizes the community and visually reconnects it to the waterfront. The park integrates a variety of active and passive uses—informal play, public gathering, community events, picnicking, sitting, strolling, and observation—determined through an extensive community outreach process. The open space serves as a public amenity by doubling the current community open space while also buffering the Wilmington community from the extensive Port operations to the south.
email
Facebook
Twitter
RSS Feed
