This apartment building endeavors to deliver something different to a neighborhood which has seen little investment in the last fifty years. Located on an upward sloping lot at the edge of a bustling urban area in Echo Park, California, our design aggregates a diversity of 27 live-work type units ranging in size from a 410SF micro-unit to a 1,230SF three bedroom loft. No unit is repeated but each incorporates a double height space to help give the spaces an air of grandiosity. Ample exterior spaces such as balconies, patios, and courtyards are also provided for each unit while the central courtyard planter - with straight growing miniature trees - becomes the social condenser for the building and hides the rainwater filtration system within. A ‘supportive’ vegetation of herb, vegetable, and flower gardens will be planted throughout and residents will be encouraged to supplement with their own plantings.
This part of Los Angeles is alive with color, varied textures, and murals marking many generations of people. The different facades of the building reflect this diversity. Each façade is aggressively new and different, but also rooted in design inspired by the multiplicity of storefronts in the neighborhood. The main facade is an obvious sign of sustainability and serves as a second skin to provide solar shading for the building. The amalgamation of bold colors, bold form, as well as contemporary and traditional building materials, together form an architectural language tied specifically to Los Angeles.
Credits:
- Arktura - Facade Fabrication
- Kartez Engineering, Inc. - Civil Engineer
- Becker General Contractor, Inc. - Contractor
- Masoud Dejban - Structural Engineer
- Abrari Associates - Lighting Designer
- WTARCH - Architect - Warren Techentin
- Photography - Harrison Steinbuch
- Airplus Engineering - MEP Engineer