On a constricted site in Los Angeles’s culturally–significant Miracle Mile hub,home to the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, the La Brea Tar Pits, andmany noteworthy cultural destinations, LOHA’s Cloverdale749 explores thethreshold between the building envelope and the street, establishing a veilof transformable layers that promotes a hybridized relationship between theprivate and public spheres.

Cloverdale749’s efficient footprint and volume were determined by zoning
and development needs and yet within these parameters, LOHA designed the
project’s exterior envelope as a study in juxtaposing simplicity with complexity.
This strategy celebrates the structure’s volume with a choreographed display of
permeable layers and introduces a visual fragmentation that allows for varied
experiences of privacy along the edges of each unit.

The blurring of interior and exterior spaces is integral to the design and,
dependent on viewing and lighting angles, the building’s sheathing reveals and
conceals patios. Private open balconies front the street while the rooftop offers
decks overlooking the city. Carefully considered deck, window, and walkway
placements so that vistas of the Hollywood Sign and Downtown Los Angeles are
highlighted from within, further integrating the project with its surroundings.
Internally, the units feature open plan layouts, illuminated by light that floods in
through clerestories and expansive glazing.

In line with several passively sustainable strategies in the building, LOHA pushed
the circulation to the exterior to eliminate the need for climate-controlled inner
hallways. The exterior cladding helps reduce the solar heat load on the building andits energy expenditures for cooling. The recycled content, recyclability, and white color of the metal wall panels further contribute to sustainable building goals.

The form also presents a visually striking contrast on a street otherwise occupied
by neutral stucco neighbors, typical of Southern California apartment structures.
This project’s white skin is a powerful statement of contemporary urban optimism
that injects a distinct presence into its surrounding historic fabric.