Archinect - News

Five bespoke LA projects by AUX Architecture: Your Next Employer?

2024-11-11T10:58:00-05:00

Following our previous visit to OFFICEUNTITLED (OU), we are keeping our Meet Your Next Employer series in Los Angeles this week to explore the work of AUX Architecture.

Founded in 2008 and led by Brian Wickersham, the 40-person studio has amassed a portfolio along an ethos that “brings craft and clarity to designs at every scale—from hearth to urban realm.” Archinect has previously reported on the firm’s success at the 2023 AIA|LA Design Awards, the 2022 American Architecture Awards, and the 2022 AIA California Design Awards, while 2022 also saw Archinect speak with Wickersham on the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on architectural practice.

Over on Archinect Jobs, the firm is currently hiring for a Designer to join their Los Angeles team. For candidates interested in applying for a position or anybody interested in learning more about the firm’s output, we have rounded up five unique Los Angeles projects by AUX Architecture that exemplify the firm’s ethos.

Glorya Kaufman Performing...

Deadline Approaches for Architecture at Zero 2024: Showcase Your Sustainable Design by Dec 16th

2024-11-08T11:26:00-05:00

This post is brought to you by Architecture at Zero 2024

The American Institute of Architects California (AIA CA) invites students and professionals worldwide to participate in the twelfth edition of the Architecture at Zero competition, with a registration and submission deadline of December 16, 2024. This annual event calls for innovative, sustainable building designs that emphasize equity and resilience, providing a unique platform for creative solutions addressing today’s architectural challenges.

This year’s challenge focuses on designing a new facility for the Griffith STEAM Magnet Middle School in East Los Angeles, California. Participants will create a replacement for existing relocatable classrooms, incorporating science labs, an art classroom, maker spaces, outdoor learning environments, and a teacher workroom. As an ideas competition, it encourages bold, visionary proposals rather than specific construction-ready solutions.

A distinguished jury of international experts, s...

Four experiential projects by OFFICEUNTITLED (OU): Your Next Employer?

2024-11-04T13:22:00-05:00

Following our previous visit to Michael K. Chen Architecture, we are moving our Meet Your Next Employer series to Los Angeles this week to explore the work of OFFICEUNTITLED (OU).

A practice of architects, designers, and strategists working across Los Angeles and New York, the firm describes its ethos as one that “combines ambitious design with deep professional experience” to deliver “thoughtful yet unexpected design solutions.” In recent weeks, the firm’s work was celebrated at the 2024 LA Architectural Awards by the Los Angeles Business Council while in 2023 the firm’s Harland residential project was among the winners at the 2023 AIA Los Angeles Residential Architecture Awards.

Over on Archinect Jobs, the firm is currently hiring for a Business Development Specialist to join their Culver City team. For candidates interested in applying for a position or anybody interested in learning more about the firm’s output, we have rounded up four playful, experiential projects by OFFICEUNT...

New details emerge for One Beverly Hills plan in L.A.

2024-10-25T15:31:00-04:00

The design details for RIOS, Kerry Hill Architects, and Foster + Partners’ upcoming One Beverly Hills development have been updated in Los Angeles

What are going to be the two tallest structures in the neighborhood (at 32 and 26 stories apiece) will be joined by a new two-story conference center located on the site’s northern side adjacent to the new Wilshire Building.

Image: Foster + Partners

The presentation also details the inclusion of a landscaped component between the new Santa Monica & Garden Residences. That joins another 8-acre botanical garden included as part of the plan’s 10-acre open space design. The landscaping follows a "California Drape" pattern that will envelop the site, connecting the built forms with nature in an "ecological celebration" of the Golden State's natural beauty.

Image: Foster + Partners

Finally, the existing historic Beverly Hilton will receive a three-story enhancement that includes 17 new hotel rooms with shops and restaurants surrounding a pool.

I...

USC Architecture begins search for a new Art Director

2024-10-23T07:36:00-04:00

Following our previous look at an opening for a Capital Projects Manager at the DC Public Library, we are using this week’s edition of our Job Highlights series to explore an open role on Archinect Jobs for an Art Director at the University of Southern California.

The role, based in Los Angeles, calls for an individual to “lead the direction of all materials and visual media produced by the school.” Among the responsibilities for the role will be overseeing the school’s visual brand identity across media and publications, as well as leading creative design projects according to the school’s brand. The school hopes to attract applicants from those with a “thorough understanding of digital media and evolving online platforms” as well as expertise in photography, typography, and printing.

USC studio environment. Image courtesy of USC School of Architecture

Why the role interests us

The open role at USC comes only weeks after Archinect interviewed the new Dean of the institution’s schoo...

California begins offering $13,000 for single-family seismic retrofits

2024-10-22T17:22:00-04:00

The State of California has announced a new wave of grants through its Earthquake Soft-Story (ESS) program that will offer homeowners small $13,000 grants to be used in seismic retrofits.

The grants apply to qualified homeowners in the San Francisco Bay Area and Los Angeles and could be a potential windfall for architects with expertise in such projects. Only one- and two-story homes with dwelling space above a garage are eligible, according to MSN. Seismic events in L.A. County in 2024 recently surpassed numbers that haven't been seen in decades.

Marmol Radziner talks reinstallation strategy for Aluminaire House in Palm Springs

2024-10-09T10:21:00-04:00

“We also had to reassess the structure — we’re now in earthquake country and in a very challenging desert environment [...] To make this a permanent installation, we had to work with the city to assess how to permit it. We couldn’t classify it as a habitable structure because that would trigger the ADA and energy requirements, so we had to classify it as an exhibit."

The house had sat dormant in a Long Island storage facility until its relocation was finally worked out in March of 2015. Site preparations took until last year to commence after the museum added the house to its permanent collection in 2020. The entire 37-year process earned an Advocacy Citation of Merit at the 2024 Modernism in America Awards last month.

"We understand that frustration, but we would have had to have made the entire structure accessible and install an elevator," Marmol explained of the exhibition's limitations. "It’s tiny, the stairs are too narrow and steep, the doors are too narrow. There was no way to comply with ADA accessibility and fire safety codes without redesigning the entire house."

Julia Morgan’s first home design lists for $1.9 million in Berkeley

2024-10-02T18:08:00-04:00

Julia Morgan’s first residential design completed after opening her own practice has hit the real estate market in the Bay Area after listing for the first time in 50 years. The 116-year-old home owned by architect Claude Stoller until his death last year in Berkeley is just steps from UC Berkeley’s campus and includes four bedrooms and 3.5 baths in a 2,555-square-foot envelope.

The listing is for $1.9 million. According to SFGate.com, which first reported the news last week, "The property is also a mix of Morgan’s original vision and contemporary amenities: The 4,182-square-foot lot hosts the home as well as an outbuilding — itself a diminutive replica of the main house — currently used as a studio, and a redwood board and batten garage with a 220-volt power outlet. Established maple and redwood trees as well as a vine-covered pergola put the finishing touches on this historic landscape."

Image: Peter Lyons/Claudia Mills Real Estate Team

Morgan, who designed the famed Hearst Castle ...

Your next role could be managing the Eames Institute’s design projects

2024-10-02T13:05:00-04:00

Following our previous look at an opening for a Director of Architectural Design at Palisociety, we are using this week’s edition of our Job Highlights series to explore an open role on Archinect Jobs for a Design & Construction Manager at the Eames Institute.

The role, based in Richmond, CA, calls for an individual to “ensure success across various planning, construction, landscape, and infrastructure projects.” The successful candidate will be responsible first and foremost for the design and construction management of the institute’s Richmond location, including a workspace, warehouse for the Eames Archives, and several spaces for public programming.

Eames Institute headquarters. Image credit: Nicholas Calcott, courtesy of Eames Institute

Why the role interests us

The open role at the Eames Institute offers us the opportunity to profile an organization dedicated to awareness of two of the most well-known historical figures in architecture and design: Ray and Charles Eames. A nonpr...

L.A moves new rezoning plan forward, critics say it will codify exclusion

2024-09-28T10:07:00-04:00

Will L.A. continue to preserve communities dominated by single-family homes? Or will the city make a historic shift to allow for more affordable housing in areas that have long excluded it?

City Planning officials voted on Thursday to approve the plan, which the LA Times pointed out is limited to just 28% of the city and areas that are heavily zoned for commercial and/or multifamily construction.

The publication had to use a F.O.I.L. Act petition to obtain a copy of the city-funded Architectural Resources Group/USC-UCLA report on outdated single-family zoning policies, which reads: "Detached single-family residences cover a disproportionate amount of the land zoned residential. This has resulted in an unaffordable housing market due, in part, to a pervasive lack of supply and the fact that single-family homes are more expensive than multi-family residences."

City Council has until February to approve a final rezoning plan in line with the state's original 2022 mandate.

Bespoke hotel company Palisociety is looking for a new architecture director

2024-09-25T08:00:00-04:00

Following our previous look at an opening for a Transportation Project Manager at Skidmore, Owings & Merrill, we are using this week’s edition of our Job Highlights series to explore an open role on Archinect Jobs for a Director of Architectural Design at Palisociety.

The role, based in Los Angeles, calls for an individual with hospitality design experience to “lead a growing team of design project managers in the production of relevant documentation to execute design at a high level.” Among the tasks and responsibilities for the role will be the hands-on creation of full drawing sets with specifications as well as the management of design team members. “Technical skills, passion, speed & efficiency, diligent attention to detail, and elevated taste level are a must,” the company adds.

Why the role interests us

The open role at Palisociety offers us the opportunity to explore the design approach behind Palisociety’s bespoke hotels and residences. Founded by Avi Brosh in 2007, the co...

Five rural contemporary homes by Koch Architects: Your Next Employer?

2024-09-09T10:20:00-04:00

Following our previous visit to New York-based Perkins Eastman, we are moving our Meet Your Next Employer series to California this week to explore the work of Koch Architects.

Founded by principal Joanne Koch in 1998, the Berkeley-based firm has developed a portfolio ranging from small interventions to larger residential projects. “We see the design process as an intimate, personal collaboration with our clients, and our role as guides, facilitators, and co-creators,” the firm says about its approach, adding that it is “dedicated to integrating intuition with experience, precedent with innovation, creative vision with practical constraints.”

Over on Archinect Jobs, the firm is currently seeking an Intermediate Designer to join its Berkeley office. For candidates interested in applying for the position or anybody interested in learning more about the firm’s output, we have rounded up four residential projects by Koch Architects that exemplify the firm’s ethos.

Sea Ranch Forest Retre...

Studio Gang's Verde creates an unforgettable waterfront connection in San Francisco's Mission Rock

2024-09-06T15:40:00-04:00

Studio Gang’s completed Verde mixed-use tower is turning heads in San Francisco. The latest addition to the skyline of Mission Rock, which recently includes MVRDV’s The Canyon, is a 23-story design that features 254 apartments with a competitive amenities suite and ground-floor retail and commercial spaces.

Image: courtesy Jason O'Rear

“For Verde, we wanted to create spaces where residents could connect with each other while feeling embraced by the natural beauty of San Francisco,” says Jeanne Gang. “The tower’s floorplates are carved back at the corners to create outdoor terraces that are unique across each floor. These terraces are oriented to maximize sunlight and protect from the wind while providing residents views of the surrounding city and San Francisco Bay. From the street, the alternating carved terraces give the building a rhythmic play of light.”

Image: courtesy Jason O'Rear

This rhythmic effect is added to by the selection of emerald-colored sp...

Ye’s gutted Tadao Ando home is purchased by a crowd-sourced real estate investment startup

2024-08-27T12:25:00-04:00

An upstart California property investment venture named Belwood Investments has announced the signing of a purchasing agreement for the Malibu home Tadao Ando designed for Richard Sachs (and later purchased by Kanye West) in 2013. News of the announcement was made public on Monday after the home was placed on the market for a discounted price of $39 million this spring. In a press release, the firm states the deal was made for under $22 million.

The rapper-cum-fashion mogul’s devastating handiwork might otherwise be an obvious drawback. However, the firm, which promotes a crowdsourcing model of ownership, says it plans on spending $5 million to restore its interiors to their original state (the home was worth $75 million when it was constructed). The renovation is expected to take between 12 and 16 months, according to their announcement.

Good with robots? University of Redlands' architecture school is hiring a robotics and prototyping specialist

2024-08-26T08:30:00-04:00

Following our previous look at an opening for an Exhibition Design Internship at the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, we are using the latest edition of our Job Highlights series to explore an opening on Archinect Jobs for a Robotics/Prototype Specialist at the University of Redlands School of Architecture.

The role, based on-campus in Redlands, California, calls for an individual who will “support the application of computer science/information technology including robotics and prototyping to architecture and design,” as well as deliver orientations and demonstrations to students, staff, and faculty for the university’s robotics lab. Among the prerequisites for the role are a bachelor’s degree in architecture, information technology, or a related field, alongside experience in computational design.

Related on Archinect: Inside a new robotic housing factory in British Columbia, Canada. Image courtesy: Intelligent City

Why the role interests us

Redlands’ search for a robotics specialist ...

LA issues RFQ for $352 million Exposition Park recharge

2024-08-19T11:52:00-04:00

The City of Los Angeles will issue a major $352 million upgrade to Exposition Park in its build-up to the 2028 Olympic Games in an effort to address spatial inequalities in neighborhoods that had been “historically left behind,” Governor Gavin Newsom’s office said at the August 1st announcement.

In order to help mitigate the effects of an urban heat island in one of California’s most park-deficient and densely populated areas, the project will install a new six-acre green space and underground parking structure. Residents of the surrounding neighborhoods in South LA will benefit from the incorporation of other state-of-the-art amenities like EV charging stations and a new community space after asphalt surface parking areas are removed from its southeast corner. The announcement noted this area is currently underserved with only about 1 acre of green space available per every 1,000 persons, which is about ten times less than the national average.

Image: Torti-Gallas + Partners

Califor...

Four modern Los Angeles homes by Alloi: Your Next Employer?

2024-08-19T11:44:00-04:00

Following our previous visit to Washington-based mwworks architecture + design, we are moving our Meet Your Next Employer series to Los Angeles this week to explore the work of Alloi Architecture + Construction.

Founded in 2009, the architect-led design and build firm was established with the vision to “seamlessly blend architectural design and construction, with the aim of enhancing and harmonizing strengths of each discipline.” The firm specializes in residential and commercial projects inspired by Southern California’s mid-century modernists including Neutra, Schindler, Lautner, Revere Williams, and Koenig.

Over on Archinect Jobs, the firm is currently seeking an Architectural Studio Manager, Interior Designer, and Carpenter / Site Supervisor to join their Los Angeles office. For candidates interested in applying for the position or anybody interested in learning more about the firm’s output, we have rounded up four homes in the city by Alloi that exemplify the firm’s ethos.

Wago...

Take a look inside the new Eames Institute Headquarters Workspace

2024-08-14T11:53:00-04:00

The Eames Institute of Infinite Curiosity has shared first photos of its new Eames Institute Headquarters Workspace in Richmond, California. Following the opening of the Eames Archive, the organization's first public space, earlier this year, the new office provides learning opportunities with expanded work environments for its staff members.

Photo: Nicholas Calcott, courtesy of Eames Institute

The project included the gut renovation of an original Jim Jennings commercial design from 1997. Two floors – the lower 2,755-square-foot first-floor workspace and the larger, 4,739-square-foot second floor for offices – were remade over the last year after being identified by the owner of the San Francisco-based bookstore William Stout Architectural Books.

Photo: Nicholas Calcott, courtesy of Eames Institute

"It’s such a pleasure to expand the reach of the Eames Institute and further share t...

Terner Center's report on construction defect liability turns a new page for California housing reformers

2024-07-26T11:48:00-04:00

The latest report from UC Berkeley’s Terner Center for Housing Innovation on the stasis of multifamily developments in California has identified existing construction defect liability laws as a barrier to enabling housing justice statewide.

This issue involves the risk taken on by developers of condominium projects and particularly affects BIPOC communities who are less likely to be homeowners than their peers. California’s policies are therein compared to others in the United States and Canada. The findings will help lead to legal reforms to increase homeownership and should be considered especially by architects working in the state's surging multifamily market.

Burning down the house to make American homes disaster-proof

2024-07-21T11:00:00-04:00

Last year's devastating wildfires in California and Hawaii once again came into focus as part of a New York Times exposé on the Insurance Institute for Business & Home Safety (I.B.H.S.)-led movement towards the “biggest overhaul of building standards in more than 30 years.”

Burn demonstrations help visualize protective interventions that best resemble moats in unison with better building materials. The Times says: “The message to homebuilders is stark: Homes in certain parts of the United States must now be constructed with wildfires in mind, or they most likely will not be insured, which would mean they couldn’t be bought with a mortgage.”

Landscape designers as well as architects working on private residences will be equally affected. The MIT Technology Review wrote more extensively on the subject of design and the disaster-proof home in California last April.

First California High-Speed Rail segment in LA County gets final EIR approvals

2024-07-09T11:18:00-04:00

The penultimate segment of the forthcoming California High-Speed Rail connection from Southern California to the San Francisco Bay Area has been approved for construction. The stretch begins at Palmdale in northern LA County and connects to Burbank. It will be followed by the final link between Downtown Los Angeles and Anaheim.

ABC7 first reported the milestone and said: “[O]fficials noted that the Palmdale-Burbank section will be largely underground, with four separate tunnels accounting for roughly 30 of the 38 miles. The tunnels will run beneath the Acton community and through the Angeles National Forest. Travel time between Palmdale and Burbank is expected to be about 17 minutes on the high-speed train.”

The initial renderings of the first four Foster + Partners and Arup station terminals were released last month. As per ABC, work is already underway at 25 sites across t...

Foster + Partners and Arup release first designs of California High-Speed Rail stations

2024-06-28T15:46:00-04:00

Foster + Partners and Arup have announced the first four designs for the hotly anticipated California High-Speed Rail as part of a series of open house sessions currently being undertaken with key stakeholders across the state’s Central Valley region. The first set of designs will stand as models for all future nodes in the 500-mile linkage that connects San Francisco to Los Angeles/Orange County.

Construction is underway, and planners expect to have the first operable line readied between 2030 and 2033 after years of financing issues and a recent multibillion-dollar boost from the federal government.

Image: courtesy of Foster + Partners

Stefan Behling, the Head of Studio at Foster + Partners, said: “We are developing an architectural language for the four Central Valley stations, including soaring canopies that draw in fresh air and shield waiting passengers from harsh sunlight. The station design reflects the sustainable ethos of the wider project.”

Meg Cederoth, the Authority Di...

FreelandBuck's LA hillside home design responds to a challenging topography

2024-06-27T15:53:00-04:00

FreelandBuck has designed a pair of stunning single-family residences, built with a shared foundation, atop a steep lot in Los Angeles’ Mount Washington neighborhood. They are defined by strong rectilinear forms and a restrained material palette, in addition to white open spaces illuminated by natural light.

Image: Eric Staudenmaier

The houses are each 2,000 square feet and stretch four storys in order to minimize their impact on the hillside. They respectively respond to the curve of the adjacent street, with one home featuring a perpendicular façade and the other taking on an angled one.

Image: Eric Staudenmaier

They both include an open, loft-like main level that joins together the front living and dining areas and a double-height kitchen. The homes also each include three bedrooms, an elevator, backyard, and patio spaces.

Image: Eric Staudenmaier

Responding to the topography of the site, the lower house is composed of shifted floor plates that cantileve...

Four stylish cafe/restaurant interiors by STUDIO BANAA: Your Next Employer?

2024-06-24T13:45:00-04:00

Following our previous visit to Portland-based LEVER Architecture, we are moving our Meet Your Next Employer series to San Francisco this week to explore the work of STUDIO BANAA.

Founded in 2015 by Nastaran Mousavi and Dane Bunton, the firm has built a portfolio of fresh, dynamic spaces defined by color, pattern, and personality. “Our design process is very collaborative, and we bring our entire team to the table and tackle it together,” Mousavi and Bunton told us in 2021 as part of our Studio Snapshot series. “Since we are small, our office structure is not as rigid as you see in bigger corporate offices, and each member of our team becomes involved in every aspect of a project.”

Over on Archinect Jobs, the firm is currently hiring for several positions at their San Francisco studio. For candidates interested in applying for the position, or anybody interested in learning more about the firm’s output, we have rounded up four cafes and restaurants featuring stylish, colorful interi...

Billionaire-backed plan to erect a model California city qualifies for the ballot

2024-06-13T19:25:00-04:00

The billionaire proponents of a brand-new city that would rise from the rolling prairie northeast of the San Francisco Bay cleared their first big hurdle Tuesday, when the Solano County Registrar of Voters certified the group had enough signatures to put its proposal before local voters in November.

The plan calls for up to 400,000 residents to be housed nearly 60 miles from San Francisco on an over 16,000-acre land parcel currently used mainly for tomato, walnut, and plant nursery farming. The group responsible for the development, California Forever, has continued quietly surveying Solano County residents for their opinions since our last update in January. But, the LA Times says: “Project opponents said a recent [independent] poll they conducted found that 70% of the people surveyed were skeptical.”

What could come next might provide a case study for the long-held theories of Ebenezer Howard, Leon Krier, and other noted New Urbanism scholars.

Four award-winning California projects by Abramson Architects: Your Next Employer?

2024-06-03T11:48:00-04:00

Following our previous visit to Connecticut-based Beinfield Architecture, we are moving our Meet Your Next Employer series to California this week to explore the work of Abramson Architects.

Based in Los Angeles, the firm has built a portfolio based on an “earnest desire to elevate the human soul, to facilitate connection, and to improve the lives of the people they serve.” The firm’s work seeks to preserve and express design themes reflecting its Southern California roots, while its team is composed of members the firm describes as “a true artisan, fostering the type of creative and supportive environment that allows design freedom to flourish.”

Over on Archinect Jobs, the firm is currently hiring for a Junior Interior Designer to join its Los Angeles office. For candidates interested in applying for the position, or anybody interested in learning more about the firm’s output, we have rounded up four California projects by Abramson Architects that exemplify the firm’s ethos.

The Br...

AIA California Announces Twelfth Annual Architecture at Zero Competition

2024-05-29T19:22:00-04:00

This post is brought to you by Architecture at Zero 2024

The American Institute of Architects California (AIA CA) has launched the twelfth edition of its renowned Architecture at Zero competition. This annual event invites students and professionals from around the world to design innovative buildings with a focus on sustainability, equity, and resilience.

This year’s challenge centers on creating a new building for the Griffith STEAM Magnet Middle School in East Los Angeles, California. Participants will design a facility to replace existing relocatable classrooms, incorporating science labs, an art classroom, maker spaces, outdoor learning environments, and a teacher workroom. The competition encourages bold, creative ideas, as it is an ideas competition and not tied to a specific construction project.

A distinguished panel of international experts, including Paul Torcellini from the National Renewable Energy Laboratory, Lance Collins AIA from Partner Energy, and Allison Williams ...

California environmental review process is hindering affordable housing development, according to new state agency report

2024-05-28T12:57:00-04:00

A new report on California’s entrenched housing crisis from the state's independent Little Hoover Commission has identified the 54-year-old California Environmental Quality Act (or CEQA) as the greatest barrier currently in the way of architects and planners looking to meet the demand for 2.5 million new units statewide by 2030.

LAist.com has more on the report, which took over a year to compile. Among its findings is the concerning fact that 25% of all lawsuits initiated under CEQA have been challenges to infill housing developments in densely populated urban areas (e.g., Los Angeles). Authors say this could grow into all-out “urban warfare” that, in turn, overburdens exurbs and more inland areas. LA has been more proactive recently under the mayorship of Karen Bass but must still overcome hurdles to meet its mandate to build 500,000 new homes before 2029.

Cosmic set to produce prefabricated ADUs in California with water recycling and solar energy

2024-04-23T13:58:00-04:00

San Francisco-based Cosmic has raised $1.5 million in funding for their micro-home product designs aimed at bringing “self-sustainable homes in California and beyond.” The company’s leading product, Cosmic ONE, is described as a “limited-edition high-quality micro-home” that can serve as an ADU, a primary single-family home, or a component in a wider residential community.

Showroom model. Image courtesy: Cosmic

Cosmic ONE has been designed as an all-electric, prefabricated unit that can use recycled water for non-potable needs, as well as being equipped with a solar and battery system. The first 100 CosmicOne units will be available for sale in California.

Showroom model. Image courtesy: Cosmic

“Building a new home and expanding an existing one today can be very challenging due to the intricate permitting process, labor scarcity, and complexities of site infrastructure works,” the company says about their prop...

A rustic ‘entertainment barn’ in California’s wine country is completed by Malcolm Davis Architecture

2024-04-19T11:31:00-04:00

San Francisco-based Malcolm Davis Architecture (MDa) has completed a rural timber home addition in Northern California Wine Country. Titled Wine Country Barn, the scheme is described by its designers as “a testament to modern architecture’s ability to blend harmoniously with nature.”

Image credit: Joe Fletcher

The project client sought a communal living space for weekends with family and friends. Originally imagined as a large addition to the original house, the projects evolved into an “entertainment barn and guest house addition.” For the scheme’s design, MDa drew inspiration from the region’s rustic barns, while incorporating modern detailing, including locally harvested redwood siding to reflect the area’s history as a mill town.

Image credit: Joe Fletcher

The resulting building features a guest suite, covered parking, and an outdoor kitchen and living space, with interiors by Grant Gibson Interior Design. The design unites the e...