The design proposal was called for a facelift of an
existing office space on Pico Boulevard in West Los Angeles, California. The project is located in a heavily
trafficked boulevard of Los Angeles California, which in turn had a direct
influence on the concept design.
To keep construction time short, a new façade was proposed
over and in front of the existing building. Zoning code allowed a very narrow
space for a freestanding façade to stand in front of the existing front wall.
To keep costs low, we utilized a 4’ x 8’ cement board sheet that is cut into
four panels of equal geometry, and reused the four left over small panels as
the magenta accents that create the three-dimensionality of the façade. The entire 4’ x 8’ cement board sheet
was used with nothing wasted. The
panels were assembled and attached to an alternating frame system that allowed
the panels to undulate throughout the façade. The frame system was then attached to the structure of the
existing building.
The concept for the folded cement board facade is based on
the notorious traffic experience in Los Angeles. We proposed that this new
design could interface directly with drivers, providing different experiences
based on the daily repetition of commuting. Angled panels with magenta accents
provide the three-dimensionality of the façade by allowing westbound traffic to
see the magenta pattern, while returning eastbound traffic to only see the
subdue solid portion of the facade.
The design allows for a different experience as the user moves across
the façade. Depending on the
location of user, he/she might experience a different pattern, geometry and
ultimately a different affect.
Built as a design-build project, UNIFORM-ARC contributed to
the design, construction management as well as the manufacturing of the
three-dimensional panels and frame system.