A 'good building', according to the first century Roman Architect Vitruvius, embodies utilitas, firmitas, and venustas (commodity, firmness and delight). The Modern Architect, through the practice of Responsive Design, is also bound by conscientia (awareness). A building, new or already built, can no longer exist unaware of the impact it has on it's occupants, the …
When the viral menace of 2020 clamped down, schools closed, after-school activities dried up, and 'Work From Anywhere' became a thing, our family car began to collect dust in the driveway. With excuses for driving everywhere instead of walking exterminated like so many bugs, I stopped driving and started walking. I soon realized that a …
Continue reading "Ditch the traffic, of course. But by all means, KEEP THE COMMUTE!"
A microscopic virus is changing the world, upending the workplace, morphing family dynamics, and shuffling the routines of our lives. Dealing with all of this change puts new pressure on the four walls we call home. This building is being asked to stretch to provide work space for adults, classrooms for children and living space …
Continue reading "MASTERING MODEST, design for everyone in all the right places"
If you are reading these words, written by an architect, you might be thinking about doing a project of your own. You are in the right place, and we should talk. But first, we should think. When the demolition crew rolls in, and the walls come down, and make their way through the conventional cycle …
The bar-tailed godwit, on her epic annual migration, leaves her nest every spring. After over 7,500 miles on the wing, she needs to find a place to land. Any decent, dry nest will do the job admirably the first night, she is exhausted. But soon enough, she will want to feather her nest 'just so' …
Continue reading "THE EMPTY NEST FLIP, and why you want one"
In the small city of Santa Monica, the severity of the region's housing crisis is pushing policy. Our city must prove to the State Department of Housing and Community Development, by the deadline of October 2021, that there is enough capacity within it's jurisdictional boundaries of 16 square miles to accommodate the cyclical RHNA targets. …
Continue reading "PEER TO PEER ACTION for abundant housing in Los Angeles"
Living in cities, as most of us do, we get around pretty easily, either by habit, by landmark, or by street name. Walking, driving in the car, or on public transportation, we have been doing it for so long, we can do it with our eyes closed. We can tell cardinal direction and time by …
Continue reading "ANALOG INDEPENDENCE: Urban Wayfinding for Beginners"
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Construction in Los Angeles is expensive (really expensive). Getting projects, even the small ones, permitted and constructed in Los Angeles is complicated, and lengthy (really lengthy). As architects, and problem solvers, we navigate these hurdles every day. Is there a way to manifest nimble and affordable solutions to address the housing crisis in LA using …
Continue reading "ARCHITECTS REVEAL INVISIBLE SOLUTIONS to the housing crisis in Los Angeles"
MARK YOUR CALENDAR. Once your home has been substantially completed, you may have moved in, and the Contractor is almost done completing the tasks on the final punch list, an important clock begins to tick. Take note of the date of 'substantial completion'. This date marks the beginning of the 12 month 'correction period'. Your …
Continue reading "5 IMPORTANT THINGS TO DO, now that the paint is dry: A Resource Guide"
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