FORM - Inspiration - Jan/Feb 2011 by FORM Magazine

inspiration

pioneering design

DigiCode Data File ACCOUNT : 8290101 BALCONY MEDIA ORDERED BY : JENNIFER LOGAN P.O. NUMBER : VERBAL 0% INVOICE NO. : 1319327 (PC Illust v3.0 via EMAIL)

BALCONY MEDIA

Created on 11-18-10 at 13:05:29 by SYMBOLOGY, INC. Maple Grove, Minnesota, 55369 763-315-8080 5%

25%

50%

75%

95%

100%

NOTICE This Digi It must b Use of th See the b

1319327/1-796-1

Encode: 686345976981 45 PU

MAG 100 NBAR .0130 BWA -0.0010

11/18/2010 1:05:29 PM

jan-feb 2011

january/february 2011

U.s. $6.95 / Canada $8.95

86345 97698

a publication of balcony Media, inc.

FORMcoverJF11 ps_final.indd 1

12/15/10 9:34 AM

I N N O VAT I V E

EMPOWERING

SUSTAINABLE

25 YEARS EXPERIENCE True luxury is knowing you ’ re doing something good.

The Architect’s Choice

F U L L E R T O N

spec_113010_B.indd 1 FORMcoverJF11 ps_final.indd 2

•

S A N T A

M O N I C A

•

S A N

D I E G O

•

S A N

F R A N C I S

12/15/10 9:34 AM

TILE OVER TILE R E N O VAT I O N

N C I S C O

•

Renovate rather than rebuild.

Corporate Office

800-449-7732

Redefine your space with innovative thin Porcelain veneer tile. Reduce the cost of materials and the environmental impact. Reuse your existing floors and walls without demolition.

Santa Monica Design Librar y

310-450-7732

San Francisco Design Library

415-701-0500

San Diego Design Librar y

619-518-7847

P H O E N I X

FORMJF11 Body ps_final.indd 1

•

L A S

V E G A S

specceramics.com | ecospeceramics.com | specveneer.com

•

P A L M

S P R I N G S

•

H A W A I I

12/2/10 10:42 12/15/10 11:26 AMAM

HINERFELD WARD, INC. Los Angeles 310.842.7929 www.hinerfeld-ward.com

BUILDING IMAGINATION

ENLIGHTENED FORMJF11 Body ps_final.indd 2

Pasadena Residence Designed by B plusU w w w. b p l u s u . c o m Built by Hinerfeld-Ward, Inc. Fabrication by Tomas Osinski Design Photo by Joshua White

12/15/10 11:26 AM

january/february 2011

departments 14

30 18

events

editorâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s note

10 showroom Bright ideas in lighting 12 green works Meeting the Living Building Challenge 14 P.o.v. Dan Golden shares the ideas behind his offbeat designs 16 making the grade Student work from SCI-Arc 18 workbook Religious buildings that lift the spirit 2010 aia/La design and neXt La award winners

44 unbuiLt SPF:a imagines an Icelandic museum

features

30 the mayne idea Morphosis founder, Thom Mayne, discusses keeping his edge

BY Ann GRAY

34 CuLtivating Creativity Three architects share insights on inspiration

BY JACk SkeLLeY

38 insPired growth Two firms take business matters into their own hands

. n

BY ADAM STone

formmag.net

FORMJF11 Body ps_final.indd 3

12/15/10 11:26 AM

Ceo/Publisher

Ann Gray, FAIA LeeD AP

editor in Chief

Caren kurlander caren@formmag.net

associate Publisher Joe Cloninger joe@formmag.net art direction + design studiofuse.biz

Congratulate s a l l th e

office manager Sheila Mendes-Coleman sheila@formmag.net

2010 AI A/L A Desig n Awards Re c i pi e nts

and the i r Te ams

We als o extend our gr a ti tu de to

the Aw ard s Program Sp o n so r s,

F ORM m a g a z i n e , ou r colleagues and consul ta n ts w h o s uppor t our profess io n a n d th e A merican Ins titute of Arc h i te c ts.

Publishing interns Lisa kraege Taylor Griggs Contributing writers

James Brasuell Ann Gray Jack Skelley Adam Stone

Printing

navigator Cross-media

reprints

Peter Shamray navigator Cross-media 626.222.5646 peter@navcm.com

advertising inquiries 818.551.1073

form magazine

formmag

form: pioneering design

512 e. Wilson Avenue, Suite 213, Glendale, California 91206 818.956.5313 | FORMmag.net form (ISSn 0885-7377) is published bimonthly by Balcony Media, Inc. Principal

office: Balcony Media, Inc., 512 e. Wilson Avenue, Suite 213, Glendale, California 91206. ÂŠ Balcony Media, Inc. 2011. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part without written permission is prohibited. FoRM and the FoRM logotype design are protected through trademark registration in the United States. Printed in korea. subscription:

The basic rate for a one-year subscription to FoRM is $35 (AIA/LA, USGBC-LA, ASID/LA and IIDA So Cal members subscription included in membership). Single copy price $6.95. Subscribers: If the Postal Service alerts us that your magazine is undeliverable, we have no further obligation unless we receive a corrected address within six months. Postmaster: Send address changes to FoRM, 512 east Wilson Avenue, Suite 213, Glendale, California 91206. We make a portion of our mailing list available to reputable third parties. For customer service and subscriptions or to request that your name be removed from our mailing list, please visit our website or contact our office in Glendale, CA.

submissions : Unsolicited editorial material, manuscripts, photographs, transparencies and artwork are sent at ownerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s risk and will be returned only when accompanied by a stamped, self-addressed envelope. industry partners/readership

818.956.5313 formmag.net/newrenew

Cover: Illustration by Dan Golden

FORMJF11 Body ps_final.indd 4

12/15/10 11:26 AM

PACIFIC PALISADES RESIDENCE architect: Alberto Kalach

WINTERSSCHRAMASSOCIATES residential contractors

LOS ANGELES MUSEUM OF THE HOLOCAUST architect: Belzberg Architects

WSACONSTRUCTION commercial + institutional contractors

PARTNERS IN THE REALIZATION OF GREAT ARCHITECTURE 11777 Mississippi Avenue

FORMJF11 Body ps_final.indd 5

Los Angeles, California

90025

tel

(310) 473-8490 info@winters-schram.com

12/15/10 11:26 AM

form events money Changes Everything form gauges the State of the Industry

Photographher: Carolina Farias

To celebrate its September/october Money issue, FoRM hosted a panel and cocktail reception at the A + D Museum. Moderated by FoRM publisher/architect Ann Gray, panelists Tom Hinerfeld of Hinerfeld Ward Construction, Carl Muhlstein of Cushman & Wakefield of California, Andy Cohen of Gensler, and Jack Skelley of Paolucci Communication Arts discussed the economic and practical challenges facing architecture in a struggling economy. Guests sipped cocktails furnished by co-sponsors PAMA and IZZe, and water by Aquaovo as they listened and took in the AIA/LA 2010 Design Awards exhibition.

issue event

iNsPirATiON

Thursday, February 3, 6:30-9 PM at 1901 Avenue of the stars, suite 175, Los Angeles, 90067 come celebrate the inspiration issue and the aia/la design awards supplement.

Photo by Tom Bonner

the discussion panel will explore inspiration with leading architects and award winners of the aia/la design awards. Please rSVP to rsvp@formmag.net Include name, title, company, phone and email. Space is limited.

j /f.1 1

2010 Next LA Citation Award, Yazdani Studio of Cannon Design, Toledo United States federal Courthouse, Toledo, oH

NOT ON Our MAiLiNG LisT? sign up at FOrMmag.net

Balcony media, inc.

FORMJF11 Body ps_final.indd 6

12/15/10 11:26 AM

Photographher: Carolina Farias

FORMJF11 Body ps_final.indd 7

12/15/10 11:26 AM

What do dragonfly wings, horror films and ernest Hemingway have in common? they’ve all provided inspiration for the designs featured in this issue. in the years i’ve spent interviewing architects and designers, i’ve always been fascinated by their creative process. Where do the ideas come from? and how are these ideas translated into completely original, inno- When Jack Skelley asks three architects where they find inspiration, he gets surprising answers vative projects? as it’s the involving sorbet and toucan beaks (page 34). start of a new year, and the Publisher Ann Gray sits down with Thom Mayne (page 30) to see how, after almost 40 years at start of a new editor, it the helm of Morphosis, he continues to produce award-winning, thought-provoking work. Just seems an appropriate time as designers need to find inspiration, their work in turn prove inspirational for those who to explore the answers to can witness it. As James Brasuell reports, the new these questions and take a Living Building rating system encourages construction practices that are not just green, closer look at design’s elusive but that achieve the highest standards of sustainability possible (page 12). And Adam Stone takes a look at how two very different firms found forward-thinking first step—inspiration. ways to grow their business despite the slow economy (page 38). Finally, our

Carly Hebert

editor’s note

special supplement devoted to the winners of the 2010 AIA/LA Design and next LA Awards represents some of the best work being done by Los Angeles’s architecture community. Work that excites, informs and inspires.

j /f.1 1

Caren kurlander editor in Chief

FORMJF11 Body ps_final.indd 8

12/15/10 11:26 AM

Building Relationships.

Eli and Edythe Broad Center for Regenerative Medicine and Stem Cell Research at USC

Architect: ZGF Architects LLP

Santa Monica . Irvine . San Diego Learn more about this project at www.morleybuilders.com

FORMJF11 Body ps_final.indd 9

12/15/10 11:26 AM

sHoWroom The limited edition bang boom Zettel’z updates Ingo Maurer’s iconic suspension lamp with graphic comic book-style illustrations by German artist Thilo Rothacker. The $2,575 fixture, made with stainless steel and heatresistant satin-frosted glass, bursts out to 47” in diameter. Ingo-Maurer.com

Ingo Maurer: photography by Tom Vack, Munich

inGo maurer

estaBlisHed & sons Inspired by Bertelli’s 1933 Continuous Profile— Head of Mussolini, designer Michael eden’s audrey revives the idea with Audrey Hepburn’s likeness. Made in collaboration with Venini, the hand-blown glass fixture measures 20.6”d x 10.4”h and sells for $2,800. establishedandsons.com

rocHe BoBois Three futuristic-looking shades—crafted from elastic fabric—stretch away from the base of Roche-Bobois’s new fly lamp. Designed by Sophie Larger, the five-foot-tall piece comes with white or red shades and a base of steel or bronze lacquer for $2,925. roche-bobois.com

foscarini

Lighting Strikes!

With a conical base and wide round screen, the binic table lamp gets its name from a lighthouse in Brittany, France, and its shape from the wind socks on sailing ships. Standing 7.9” tall, the aluminumand-polycarbonate design is priced at $262 and available in a range of colors. foscarini.com

j /f.1 1

colorful designs to brighten your space

FORMJF11 Body ps_final.indd 10

12/15/10 11:26 AM

without

live

Learn to live without. Choose to reuse. “Living without” isn’t a negative thing. Not even close. How about living without all those single-use plastic bags that plaster our world? A family of four uses 28 bags per week. Over 19 billion bags a year in California alone. Visit healthebay.org to discover ways you can help spread the word and make this cause your own.

When you do a simple thing like taking reusable bags on your shopping trips, you actively help save millions in tax dollars that now go for bag clean-up. You save our neighborhoods, waterways and landfills from junk. You save yourself. You save the future. You save the world. Now that’s a lot to live for.

Sponsored by Prudential Ltg. We support our community with eco-friendly production practices and we support causes that care for our environment. Visit Prulite.com/green.

FORMJF11 Body ps_final.indd 11

12/15/10 11:26 AM

Green Works

A New Standard

the living Building challenge raises the bar for sustainable design als, equity and Beauty. Petals are subdivided into 20 total Imperatives, which include strict guidelines for site selection (projects can only be built on greyfields or brownfields), requirements for on-site agriculture and net-zero water and energy systems. Anything less than full compliance does not meet the requirements of the standard. “We are aiming to solve problems rather than shift them,” explains Brukman. one of the first projects to receive Living Building status, after completing a mandatory 12-month operations phase, is the omega Center for Sustainable Living in Rhinebeck, nY (above). once the Center’s architects, the kansas City, Missouri, office of BnIM Architects, accepted the Living Building Challenge, the requirements pushed them to design a net-zero energy system using on-site solar panels and to give meticulous attention to material procurement. The solar array proved one of the staunchest design challenges—requirements for sun exposure for the solar panels had to be balanced with ventilation and natural light for the building.

The cost implications of achieving Living Building status vary, but the premium is relatively small due to reduced operating costs. According to BnIM principal Laura Lesnieski, AIA, LeeP AP, however, the incentives for meeting the Challenge are obvious: “At the largest scale, every decision must contribute to positive change rather than negative change. We’ve been in the negative change business for a century, so we need to shift. There are tools that shift incrementally, but we feel it’s time to shift in a quantum leap.” The ILBI’s advocacy is driving more shifts through policy change, such as legalized greywater and rainwater use for residential and commercial buildings in oregon, reforms supporting permit reviews of Living Building projects in Seattle, and an ordinance under consideration in Portland that would provide a $17.30-per-square-foot rebate for Living Building projects. Currently, there are more than 70 projects pursuing the Living Building Challenge. For more information, visit www.ilbi.org. –James Brasuell

j /f.1 1

S uStainability and green building are widely used terms in the lexicons of architects around the world, but less clear than the need to preserve the natural environment through careful construction of the built environment is how designers measure the “greenness” of their projects. LeeD certification and other rating systems advanced the green building concept (and make for good PR), but the flexibility and minimums of current rating systems fall short of the ideal—a truly sustainable built environment. A new rating system, the Living Building Challenge, certified its first two buildings in october 2010. Administered by the International Living Building Institute (ILBI), and launched by the Cascadia Green Building Council in 2006, the Living Building Challenge adheres strictly to ideals. “The Living Building Challenge focuses on the end-game,” says ILBI vice president eden Brukman, RA. “Decisions are steered by restorative principles instead of code-minimum solutions.” The Challenge, which is also endorsed by the U.S. Green Building Council, comprises seven performance Petals: Site, Water, energy, Health, Materi-

FORMJF11 Body ps_final.indd 12

12/15/10 11:26 AM

jsa_fo

Architectural Marvel. In a Chair. Introducing SAYL.

A New Addition to the HermanMiller and Jules Seltzer Associates Family ®

Inspired by the principles of suspension bridges, the frameless back of the SAYL work chair encourages a full range of movement while the suspension back material keeps you cool - all with an extremely small environmental impact. It is everything a Herman Miller chair should be. 12 year warranty. Design by Yves Behar. Sayl starts at $399.

SAYL™

AERON™

EMBODY™

SETU™

Representing the Finest in Classic and Contemporary Furnishings for Home, Office and Public Spaces 8833 Beverly Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90048 310.274.7243 julesseltzer.com

jsa_form_1010.indd 1 FORMJF11 Body ps_final.indd 13

11/5/10 11:26 1:49 PM 12/15/10 AM

P.O.V.

Conceptual artist Dan Golden discusses the ideas behind his thought-provoking designs Your website lists inspirations from Hemingway to Jackson Pollock. How are these influences reflected in your work? Everything Hemingway wrote was so considered, with nothing extraneous. That could effect how I approach a design. On the other hand, I’ll look at a Cy Twombly, where the work is super-expressive and loose and kidlike. They all have a different impact on my design practice.

How did you approach your lighting designs? I’m working with the 140-year-old German company LMW, and they want to break into the U.S. market with something really modern. I was always drawn to the modernists in art and architecture, like Philip Johnson and Mies van der Rohe. So my inspirations were the Farnsworth House, the Glass House and Frank Stella’s early black paintings.

How did your pillow designs evolve? I come from a fine art world. I studied painting and conceptual design, and I was always drawing cartoons. Then I got into psychology, so there was a mix of thought and image. I always go back to cartoons because it’s a direct way of connecting with people, and that’s really what my designs are about.

How did you translate those ideas into fixtures? I wanted to create something really minimal that could fit into those environments. The pieces are made with aluminum frames and Swarovski crystal panels, which have crystals embedded in them.

What inspired your new rug line for Odegard? One of the designs, Good Vibes, was based on a painting I did with Sharpie pens and a pencil. The whole thing was about doing something with art and design that sends out positive energy. That’s my goal as a designer, to create something that has a benefit—whether it makes someone laugh or think or feel.

Furniture sketches for Verde Design Studio. An aluminum-framed LMW pendant. The Good Vibes felt rug for Odegard. Dan Golden among his pillow designs.

J/ F.1 1

CLOCKWISE FROM TOP RIGHT:

What’s next for you? I have a line of furniture coming out with Verde Design Studio in Chicago. For this collection, I was thinking about the way people want to live. People want to have a feeling of depth, balance, authenticity, clarity, warmth, simplicity and space in their lives.

How did you create furniture that expresses those values? I thought of Joan Didion, and I think of off-white, simple, austere when I think of her. That led me to the shape of a sofa and what color of leather should be chosen. I also wrote down Yamaha and Harman Kardon, two 1970s stereo companies. Acoustic to me equals authentic. These references help me focus on what I’m trying to accomplish. –Interview by Caren Kurlander

Images courtesy of Dan Golden

The Midas Touch

FORMJF11 Body ps_final.indd 15

12/15/10 11:26 AM

makinG tHe Grade

student: Michael Young

scHOOl: SCI-Arc

MaJOR: Master of Architecture

assignMent: Thesis

PROJect title: A Home within a Home

advisOR: Hernan Diaz Alonso

PROJect descRiPtiOn: The kafkaesque takeover and transformation of a suburban home by an unnamed organism, which slowly feeds off of the atrophy and decay of the home. This is a catchall for the current suburban condition in Detroit (and elsewhere). insPiRatiOn: A mixture of Anthony Vidler’s book, The Architectural Uncanny: Essays in the Modern Unhomely, the song “What’s He Building?” by Tom Waits, horror films and Detroit. aRcHitectuRe HeROes: Archigram, Thom Mayne, Wolf Prix, eric owen Moss, Hernan Diaz Alonso, Frank Gehry and others

j /f.1 1

To see more of this thesis and others by SCI-Arc students, visit formmag.net.

FORMJF11 Body ps_final.indd 16

12/15/10 11:26 AM

Aon Risk Solutions Fire Protection Engineering

UNITED IN Aon Risk Solutions

Fire Protection Engineering

RESULTS RESULTS UNITED IN

ULTS

Aon Fire Protection Engineering has the knowledge and Aon Fire Protection Engineering has the knowledge and experience to help you to comply with the City of Chicago’s mandated code criteria. experience to help you to comply with the City of Chicago’s

Aon Fire Protection Engineering (formerly Schirmer Engineering) mandated codesolutions criteria. We deliver cost effective to our clients in: Building Code Analysis and Consulting specializes in fire protection We deliverwithcost effective to our clients in: engineering, Consultation Authorities Code solutions Conflict Resolution code& consulting, life safety Fire Safety & Sprinkler System Design and Management and security consulting. WeConsulting offer a Building Code Analysis and Fire Alarm System Design comprehensive, integrated set of risk Egress Analysis and Emergency Planning Consultation with Authorities & Code Conflict Resolution management Life Safety Evaluations services for every building knowledge and Fire Safety & Sprinkler System Design and Management Securityand Consulting Systemcontinent. Design type on and every he City of Chicago’s Fire Alarm System Design

One Way and Two Way Voice System Design

The Los Angeles regional office provides full service engineering services with a highly qualified and experienced team g Security Consulting and System Design Conflict Resolution dedicated to meeting your project needs. Ourand areas expertise include: One Way Twoof Way Voice System Design As a licensed professional engineering firm that has been Egress Analysis Emergency Planning providing cost-effective and and innovative design solutions for clients in the City for more than seventy years — you can trust Life Safety Evaluations Aon to deliver engineering excellence to your organization.

clients in:

Aon Fire Protection Engineering is formerly Schirmer Engineering

and Management

As aFire licensed professional engineering firm that has been Please visit www.aonfpe.com ■ Protection Engineering or call +1.847.953.7700 cost-effective for more information. ing ■providing Code Consulting and innovative design solutions for clients in the City for more than seventy years — you can trust ■ Performance-Based Design and Fire Aon to deliver engineering excellence to your organization. Modeling n Aon Fire Protection EngineeringDesign is formerly Schirmer Engineering ■ Smoke Control and Testing Design ■ Fire Alarm and Sprinkler Design firm that has been■ Accessibility Consulting design solutions for■ Security System Design AFPE-Chicago_Building_Code_Book_Ad_092910.indd 1

years — you can trust your organization.

eering

Pleasevisit visit www.aonfpe.com AonFPE.com Please our Los Angeles office orContact call +1.847.953.7700 LosAngeles@AonFPE.com foratmore information. or 310.782.0850

Aon is the Principal Sponsor of Manchester United

9/30/10 3:10 PM

DESIGN. buIlD. SuStaIN. TM

AFPE-Chicago_Building_Code_Book_Ad_092910.indd 1

FormLA creates and maintains distinctive, inviting community spaces and residential landscapes. Our sustainable practices and products protect health and safety, while providing beautifully clean and vibrant outdoor living spaces.

9/30/10 3:10 PM

info@formlainc.com · po box 441 tujunga, ca 91043 p 818.353.7030 · p 310.979.9002 · f 818.353.6837 www.formlainc.com · CL #746838

AonFPE_Half-Page_Vertical.indd 1 FORMJF11 Body ps_final.indd 17

12/7/2010 12:59:10 PM 9/30/10 3:10 PM formLA-Ad-JulyAug-4x10.25.indd 1

5/12/10 11:26 12:00AM PM 12/15/10

WORKBOOK

Divine Design Inspiring places of worship

Kuokkala Church Location: jyväskylä, finland Designer: Lassila Hirvilammi Architects and Luonti Website: lh-ark.fi; luonti.fi

When the parish of Jyväskylä, Finland, put out a call to architects for “a church that looks like a church,” Teemu Hirvilammi and Anssi Lassila, of Lassila Hirvilammi Architects, and Jani Jansson, of Luonti, came back with a solution. The firms designed a “compact, sculptural building within which all of the church’s functions could be contained,” says Hirvilammi, of the 13,455-square-foot building. Located on kuokkala Square in the town center, the three-story building and freestanding bell tower are sheathed entirely in overlapping slate stone tiles. The single material emphasizes the simple form and creates visual contrast from the interior, which is constructed mainly from lighthued locally sourced spruce. “The most important issue in designing religious buildings is the atmosphere,” says Lassila. “That’s created with volume, proportions, materials and light.” All of those elements come together in the main floor, where the church hall and parish meeting hall, separated by sliding glass doors, join into one large space. A soaring ceiling, made from gluelaminated wood in a gridshell construction, was assembled on-site in three sections. The open-weave strips arch just below a row of skylights, flooding the room with natural light. The architects designed the furniture from european ash and the altar furniture from lime wood. “It’s a species traditionally used for carving icons,” says Hirvilammi. Artist Pasi karjula designed wood circles in varying sizes as a modern altarpiece.

formmag.net

Photography by Jussi Tianen

FORMJF11 Body ps_final.indd 19

12/15/10 11:26 AM

Jan2011F

100,000 Stupas Location: Soquel, CA Designer: roTo Architects Website: rotoark.com

“Work like this is not about self expression,” says Michael Rotondi, FAIA, principal of RoTo Architects, of a monument he designed for the retreat center Land of Medicine Buddha in Santa Cruz County, California. “This is not a personal interpretation, a critique, an argument, a commentary on religion, or intended to push the state of the art.” Rotondi’s goal was simply to turn the vision of the monks into a reality. Lama Zopa Rinpoche, the center’s spiritual director, requested one large stupa—a domed monument to enshrine relics of Buddhist masters or holy texts— and 99,999 small ones to be arranged on a structure with a base measuring 108’ x 108’. “It’s an auspicious number in Tibetan numerology,” says Rotondi, who, at the monk’s suggestion, looked to the Borobudur stupa in Indonesia for inspiration. Following its lead, Rotondi designed a terraced pyramid to be made from concrete, with a stairway leading up each side. Prayer wheels will line the base, while the higher levels will feature several glass-faced shelves holding 6” x 6” stupas, culminating in a 54-foottall stupa at the top. Inside, the 6,500-square-foot space will contain a 24-foot-tall Maitreya Buddha, small areas for long-term meditation and shelves to hold relics. “You look at architecture and it has all of this information coming out of it all the time,” says Rotondi, who aimed to distill the design down to its essential purpose. “Meditation is about being present, and this was about trying to create a place through which people could achieve that state. It’s just enough and nothing more.”

j /f.1 1

Renderings courtesy of RoTo Architects

FORMJF11 Body ps_final.indd 20

12/15/10 11:26 AM

Jan2011Form_Form 12/1/10 9:05 AM Page 1

Direct Vent 6ft er: Bill Isaman | Photo: Dennis Swanson | SPARK Site Specific 2010 | Colbert Residence | Design

modern fires

FORMJF11 Body ps_final.indd 21

Fires That Inspire

As the leader in modern gas fireplaces, our mission is to offer fires that inspire. Whether indoor or outdoor, from 2â&#x20AC;&#x2122; - 8â&#x20AC;&#x2122;, vented or vent-free, our award-winning fireplaces help create relaxed gathering spaces. See our photo gallery of inspirational installations at www.sparkfires.com or contact us directly at 866.938.3846

12/15/10 11:26 AM

first United methodist Church Location: Seattle, WA Designer: Bassetti Architects Website: bassettiarch.com

When Seattle’s oldest congregation, First United Methodist Church, traded their historic building for the corner lot in a mixed commercial/residential neighborhood, they contacted Bassetti Architects to design a structure that would meet their varied needs and reflect their straightforward character. “The architectural response,” says principal-in-charge Marilyn Brockman, AIA, “was to be economically efficient, visually striking and programmatically flexible.” Specifically, the architects designed two buildings, linked by a public alley. one houses a 500-seat sanctuary, classrooms and offices, while an adjacent building contains a homeless shelter and a revenue-generating parking structure. To create a visual connection between the two, brick was used as a primary element in both facades. The “solid and dependable” material symbolizes the “everyday effort the congregation puts toward social and economic justice,” says Brockman. In stark contrast to the brick, the exterior of the sanctuary is sheathed in titanium with a crystalline finish. The material’s reflectivity “seemed an excellent metaphor for the uplifting yet unknowable aspect of God.” The dramatic juxtaposition of the materials was intentional. “The titaniumskinned sanctuary appears physically supported by the brick,” explains Brockman, “as the spiritual soul of the congregation is sustained by its mission.” A large cross and curved roof appear to lift away from the building, “recalling the lightness offered to chose who enter the church,” says Brockman. The bowed roof beams are visible from inside the sanctuary as well, where the architects created a feeling of warmth with clerestories, a large stainedglass window and cherry wood pews.

j /f.1 1

Photography by Michael Cole

FORMJF11 Body ps_final.indd 22

12/15/10 11:26 AM

Photographher: Carolina Farias

FORMND10 Body_opt.indd 7

10/2/10 1:53 PM

Young Israel of Hancock Park Location: Los Angeles, CA Designer: GmPA Architects Website: gmpaarchitects.com

Inspired by the shape of the Star of David, GMPA Architects created a dynamic design to transform a Los Angeles synagogue—currently housed in a 1950s post office building—into a modern, multi-functional place of worship. “This symbol is referenced in an abstract, contemporary interpretation throughout the design,” says principal-in-charge J. kobi Moses, AIA. The new façade will be marked by “varied hexagonal, multi-dimensional forms, which will thoughtfully integrate the exterior, lobby and interior spaces together,” says design principal Monika Moses, AIA. Fabricated from materials including prefabricated glass-fiber-reinforced concrete, layered exterior panels will form a “structural network punctuated with triangular shapes that gradually transition from solids to transparencies,” says J. kobi Moses. Inside, the lobby’s Jerusalem-stone walls and glass ceiling will funnel members to the sanctuary, where skylights will enhance the effect of additional glass cutouts in the walls. “The continuous play of light patterns emitted from the cutouts will create a vibrant human experience,” says J. kobi Moses. The architects also kept in mind the members’ request for a sanctuary that “expresses a sense of community.” To accommodate this wish, the new plan was designed with the ability to be reconfigured in a number of ways, and a new staircase will provide access to a second-floor common area.

CMY

j /f.1 1

Renderings courtesy of GMPA Architects

FORMJF11 Body ps_final.indd 24

12/15/10 11:26 AM

Vanishing mosque Location: United Arab Emirates Designer: rUX Design Website: ruxdesign.net

“our intention was not to create a replacement for the traditional mosque,” says architect Russell Greenberg, of new York-based RUx Design, “but to offer an alternative way to worship.” With the design of the Vanishing Mosque, to be built in the United Arab emirates, Greenberg did just that. The mosque, which will double as an open-air plaza in the center of an urban development, deftly integrates public and spiritual space. Mixed-use buildings will surround an exposed central plaza and form the boundaries of the mosque, which as Greenberg explains, “will increase the value of adjacent properties and foster a powerful sense of community for residents.” White marble will be used for the plaza floor and for the adjacent saw-tooth building facades, which will gradually diminish in scale from the back to the front of the plaza, assisting in a forced perspective towards Mecca. except for the five daily salat, or formal prayer times, the mosque will be open to the public. During prayer, it can combat the harsh desert climate with a retractable cloth roof attached to the tops of the buildings and conductive cooling pipes beneath the plaza floor. “We were inspired to make a powerful, meaningful, social and lasting public space first,” says Greenberg, “and to make a mosque out of it second.”

j /f.1 1

Renderings courtesy of RUx Design

FORMJF11 Body ps_final.indd 26

12/15/10 11:26 AM

Pechanga Recreation Center

InternatIo nal InterIor DesIgn assocIatIo n soUtHern c alIFornIa cHaP ter presents Cathay Bank

the twenty third annual

C A LIBR E AWA R DS

CA Trash 4 Teaching

Honoring Design excellence, consultant teams & our Industryâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Future Designers

c a l l F o r e n t r I es Due January 24, 2011

Annenberg Space for Photography

ga l a e v e n t Friday, May 13, 2011

THE HyaTT REgEncy cEnTURy PLaZa HOTEL 2025 Avenue of the Stars Los Angeles, 90067 Selec

For more information visit www.iida-socal.org

ted 2

or call 213.747.2391

ali 010 C

Herman Miller Los Angeles Showroom

wa rd bre A W inn er s

The Wave Equity Partners FORMJF11 Body ps_final.indd 27

12/15/10 11:26 AM

Join the AIA|LA today and be part of

your community.

Architects design the iconic buildings that make Los Angeles a first class city. Architects build a community. Be part of your community. The AIA Los Angeles community. Member benefits include: - Reduced prices on AIA contract documents - Discounts on tickets to the AIA|LA Home Tours and Design Awards Party - AIA|LA job resource center and Work with Architects - Participation in AIA|LA Chapter Committees - Reduced registration rates on AIA|LA Continuing Education Courses - Opportunities to get plugged in to City Hall - Networking opportunities with the Los Angeles Architecture and Design Community

For more information on how to join today, visit our website at www.aialosangeles.org.

FORMJF11 Body ps_final.indd 28

12/15/10 11:26 AM

2010 AIA/lA desIgn AwArds

FORM.JF11_AIA_F ps 1

12/15/10 8:30 AM

IBE Consulting Engineers extends our congratulations to all AIA | Los Angeles award winners.

Engineers to Award Winning Projects: • Morphosis Architects, 41 Cooper Square, New York, NY (above left) • Hodgetts+Fung Design and Architecture, Menlo-Atherton Performing Arts Center Atherton, CA (above right) • Lorcan O’Herlihy Architects, Big Blue Bus Shelters, Santa Monica, CA

IBE Consulting Engineers

Ideas for the Built Environment mechanical, electrical, plumbing, lighting, and sustainable design www.ibece.com | 14130 Riverside Drive, Ste. 201 | Sherman Oaks, CA 91423 | 818.377.8220

FORM.JF11_AIA_F ps 2

12/15/10 8:30 AM

a letter from the president

As a Chapter, it is important to offer our members a platform to highlight the extraordinary design talent that exists in our city. Given the position that Los Angeles holds in the world of contemporary architecture, and the consistent quality of work submitted by our This year the NEXT LA Awards and the Design Awards were juried by two distinguished panels. members, winning an The NEXT LA jury members included: Dan Dworsky, FAIA; sculptor Cliff Garten of Cliff AIA|LA Design Award is one Garten Studio and Wim de Wit, Head of the of the most prestigious Department of Architecture and Contemporary Art at the Getty Research Institute. honors in our profession. The Design Awards jury included: Jeanne Gang, FAIA, of Studio Gang Architects, Chicago; Joe Herzog, AIA, of Merzproject, Phoenix; and Rob Wellington Quigley, FAIA, of Rob Wellington Quigley Architecture and Planning, San Diego. The juries reviewed over 250 submissions. This year, it was our pleasure to exhibit all of the submissions at the A+D Museum. Seeing the broad range and creativity of the work displayed throughout the exhibit was evidence of how fortunate we are to practice in a city so rich with fine architects and colleagues, established practices and emerging talent. Ultimately, the juries selected 15 Design and 20 Next LA award winners. The winning projects, showcased on the following pages, represent an impressive array that rightfully captured the judgesâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; attention. Paul Danna, AIA President AIA/LA Board of Directors

FORM.JF11_AIA_F ps 3

12/15/10 8:30 AM

STRUCTURAL ENGINEERING DESIGN + CONSULTING West Los Angeles College, Math & Science Building Culver City, California

enhancing the quality of lives through better engineered structures. CIVIC CORPORATE & COMMERCIAL

GOVERNMENT & MILITARY HEALTHCARE

ENTERTAINMENT

RESIDENTIAL

EDUCATION

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

For more information visit us at www.risha.com or call 818.729.9777 Risha Engineering is a certified Small Business Enterprise (SBE)

FORM.JF11_AIA_F ps 4

12/15/10 8:30 AM

gold medal award

Brenda levin

FORM.JF11_AIA_F ps 5

Michael Gutstadt

Grant Mudford

Randall Michelson

Tim Griffith

G riffith O bservatOry , the W iltern t heatre , the b radbury b uildinG , G rand C entral market , the Oviatt Building—all of these iconic Los Angeles structures endure thanks in large part to the experience and talents of Brenda Levin, FAIA, and her firm Levin & Associates. Since founding her firm in 1980, Levin has, in addition to reviving these and other treasured landmarks, worked on projects ranging from the urban design of Old Pasadena and Barnsdall Art Park to new educational, cultural and affordable housing facilities. Along the way, her pioneering vision has helped to preserve Los Angeles’s past, while shaping the city’s future.

12/15/10 8:30 AM

1. Courtesy of Morphosis Architects, photo by Iwan Baan 2. Courtesy of Michael Maltzan Architecture, Inc. , photo by Iwan Baan 3. Courtesy of Pugh + Scarpa

design awards: honor

1 BesT In sHOw

1. Morphosis Architects, Best in Show, 41 Cooper square, new York, nY strUCtUral: John a. martin & associates, inc. and goldstein associates, plCC, mep: iBe Consulting engineers and syska hennessy group general ContraCtor: sciame 2. Michael Maltzan Architecture, pittman dowell residence, la Crescenta, Ca STRUCTURAL: B.w. smith structural engineers GENERAL CONTRACTOR: asterisk Builders 3. Pugh + scarpa, lofts at Cherokee studios, los angeles, Ca STRUCTURAL: Bpa group inc. MEP: Cobalt engineering GENERAL CONTRACTOR: Jt Builders, inc.

FORM.JF11_AIA_F ps 6

12/15/10 8:31 AM

design awards: merit

1. Courtesy of Vert Architects and Axelrod-Brobman Architects, photo by Amit Geron 2. Courtesy of Eric Owen Moss Architects, photo by Tom Bonner 3. Courtesy of Daly Genik, photo by Benny Chan / Fotoworks 4. Courtesy of Ball-Nogues Studio 5. Courtesy of Lehrer Architects

1. Vert Architects and Axelrod-grobman Architects, deichmann Center for social interaction & spitzer-salant school of social work, Beer-sheva, isreal. strUCtUral: roy asaf engineering meChanCial and plUmBing: h.r.V.a.C. Consulting engineering eleCtriCal: levi engineering general ContraCtor: atrium Construction 2. eric Owen Moss Architects, samitaur tower, Culver City, Ca strUCtUral: arUp eleCtriCal: lucci & associates, inc. general ContraCtor: samitaur Constructs 3. daly genik, palms Boulevard house, Venice, Ca strUCtUral: gilsanz murray steficek 4. Ball-nogues studio, table Cloth, los angeles, Ca general ContraCtor: Ball-nogues studio strUCtUral: Buro happold Consulting engineers, inc. 5. lehrer Architects, Jerryâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s place shalom institute, malibu, Ca strUCtUral: John labib and associates mep: davidovich & associates general ContraCtor: lambert-shaw Construction

FORM.JF11_AIA_F ps 7

12/15/10 8:31 AM

design awards: Citation

3 1. lehrer Architects, los angeles County registrar recorder County Clerk elections operations Center, santa fe springs, Ca strUCtUral: John labib and associates meChanCial and plUmBing: airplus engineering eleCtriCal: Vector delta design group general ContraCtor: mtm Construction 2. lorcan Oâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Herlihy Architects (lOHA) and Kanner Architects (KA), performance Capture studio, novato, Ca strUCtUral: tipping mar eleCtriCal: arC engineering general ContraCtor: dpr Construction, inc. 3. ehrlich Architects, schindler house on ellis avenue, inglewood, Ca general ContraCtor: shramek Building Co.

FORM.JF11_AIA_F ps 8

12/15/10 8:31 AM

1. Courtesy of Lehrer Architects 2. Courtesy of Lorcan Oâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Herlihy Architects (LOHA) and Kanner Architects (KA) 3. Courtesy of Ehrlich Architects, photo by Grant Mudford 4. Courtesy of Lynch / Eisinger / Design (LED), photo by Amy Barkow / Barkow Photo 5. Courtesy of Belzberg Architects 6. Courtesy of Hodgetts+Fung Design and Architecture, photo by Benny Chan / Fotoworks 7. Courtesy of NBBJ

lynch / eisinger / design (led), holdrege avenue Building, los angeles, Ca strUCtUral: structural focus mep: rosini engineering general ContraCtor: oltmans Construction Co. and howard Building Corporation 5. Belzberg Architects, Conga room, los angeles, Ca strUCtUral: John a. martin & associates eleCtriCal: a&f Consulting engineers general ContraCtor: winters-schram associates 6. Hodgetts+Fung design and Architecture, menlo-atherton performing arts Center, atherton, Ca strUCtUral: englekirk & sabol Consulting structural engineers inc. mep: iBe Consulting engineers general ContraCtor: Blach Construction 7. nBBJ, nhn headquarters Venture tower, Bundang, south Korea strUCtUral: Kyungjail structural engineers

FORM.JF11_AIA_F ps 9

12/15/10 8:31 AM

next la: honor

1. Courtesy of Your Building Here 2. Courtesy of Michael W Folonis Architects

1 BesT In sHOw

2 1. Your Building Here, Best in Show, embassy of the Czech republic, washington dC 2. Michael w. Folonis Architects, UCla 16th street outpatient surgery and oncology Center, santa monica, Ca exeCUtiVe arChiteCt/strUCtUral/general ContraCtor: nautilus group mep: levine/seegel associates

FORM.JF11_AIA_F ps 10

12/15/10 8:31 AM

1. Courtesy of Studio Pali Fekete architects [SPF:a] 2. Aaron Neubert Architects 3. Courtesy of Lorcan O’Herlihy Architects (LOHA) 4. Courtesy of Morphosis Architects 5. Office em 6. Courtesy of Eric Owen Moss Architects 7. Courtesy of Pugh + Scarpa

next la: merit

1. studio Pali Fekete architects [sPF:a], glide - st. patrick’s Bridge, Calgary, alberta, Canada strUCtUral: arUp 2. Aaron neubert Architects, flicker house, los angeles, Ca strUCtUral: gordon l. polon Consulting engineers 3. lorcan O’Herlihy Architects (lOHA), Calarts dormitory and educational facility, Valencia, Ca 4. Morphosis Architects, emerson College los angeles Center, los angeles, Ca strUCtUral:John a. martin & associates, inc. mep: Buro happold Consulting engineers, inc. 5. Office em, grass-road house, simi Valley, Ca strUCUtral: Chris smith, pe 6. eric Owen Moss Architects, 5800 Jefferson office tower, los angeles, Ca strUCtUral: Buro happold Consulting engineers, inc. 7. Pugh + scarpa, aronson fine arts Center at laumeier sculpture park, st. louis, mo strUCtUral: Bpa group inc. mep: farnsworth group

FORM.JF11_AIA_F ps 11

12/15/10 8:32 AM

next la: Citation

1. CO Architects, phoenix Biomedical Campus - health sciences education Building, phoenix, aZ strUCtUral: John a. martin & associates, inc. mep: affiliated engineers, inc. general ContraCtor: sundt 2. Johnson Fain, Jin Jiang river Corridor in shuangliu district master plan study, Chengdu, China 3. Fleetwood / Fernandez, the local (Community Center as Co-opted space), los angeles, Ca 4. Yazdani studio of Cannon design, toledo United states federal Courthouse, toledo, oh strUCtUral/mep: Urs Corporation 5. steinberg Architects, santa monica College, student services and administration Building, santa monica, Ca strUCtUral: arUp mep: glumac 6. gensler, southwestern College - Joint Use and academic Building, Chula Vista, Ca

FORM.JF11_AIA_F ps 12

12/15/10 8:32 AM

1. Courtesy of CO Architects 2. Courtesy of Johnson Fain 3. Courtesy of Fleetwood / Fernandez 4. Courtesy of Yazdani Studio of Cannon Design 5. Courtesy of Steinberg Architects 6. Courtesy of Gensler 7. Courtesy of Morphosis Architects 8. Courtesy of Lorcan Oâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Herlihy Architects (LOHA) 9. Courtesy of UnitedLAB 10. Courtesy of Rios Clementi Hale Studios 11. Courtesy of RNL

7. Morphosis Architects, perot museum of nature & science, dallas, tx strUCtUral: datum engineers mep: Buro happold Consulting engineers, inc. general ContraCtor: Balfour Beatty 8. lorcan Oâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Herlihy Architects (lOHA), Big Blue Bus shelters, santa monica, Ca strUCtUral: francheschi engineering, inc. mep: iBe Consulting engineers 9. UnitedlAB, regeneration / Yongsan park, seoul, south Korea 10. rios Clementi Hale studios, grand avenue Civic park, los angeles, Ca strUCtUral: nabih Youssef associates mep: levine/seegel associates general ContraCtor: Charles pankow Builders, ltd. 11. rnl, el monte transit station, el monte, Ca strUCtUral: nabih Youssef associates mep: storms and lowe

FORM.JF11_AIA_F ps 13

12/15/10 8:34 AM

2010 presidential awards and honorees twentY-fiVe Year award

presenting sponsor

Museum of Contemporary Art (MOCA)

Italian Living | Umbria

honorarY aia/la

media sponsors

Jane Burrell, Hon. AIA/LA VP Education and Public Programs, Los Angeles County Museum of Art

aecKnowledge FORM magazine

gold medal

gold sponsors

Brenda Levin, FAIA – Principal, Levin & Associates

Ford Graphics Gruen Associates

exCellenCe in edUCation

Ralph Knowles – USC CitY reBUilder

Carol Schatz – President and CEO, Downtown Center Business Improvement District and Central City Association UrBan design and planning

silVer sponsors

Collins Collins Muir + Stewart LLP Gensler MATT Construction Universal Reprographics, Inc. BronZe sponsors

Bill E. Roschen, FAIA, LEED AP – President, City of Los Angeles Planning Commission

CO Architects Walters & Wolf

hUmanitY + arChiteCtUre award

patron sponsors

Skid Row Housing Trust allied profession award

Paul J. Matt – CEO, MATT Construction patron of arChiteCtUre

Wallis Annenberg – Chairman of the Board, President and CEO, Annenberg Foundation arChiteCtUral interpreter

The Architect’s Newspaper BUilding team of the Year

W Hollywood Hotel & Residences (listed alphabetically) Community Redevelopment Agency, City of L.A. Daly Genik DCI Engineers designstudio ltd Gatehouse Capital HKS Inc. Kaplan Gehring McCarroll Architectural Lighting Metropolitan Transit Authority (MTA) Perkins + Will Rios Clementi Hale Studios Roschen Van Cleve Architects Sussman/Prejza Webcor Builders

FORM.JF11_AIA_F ps 14

AHBE Landscape Architects ARUP KPFF Consulting Engineers Levin & Associates Architects McGraw-Hill Construction Nabih Youssef Associates Perkins + Will Taylor & Company friend of the Chapter

Syska Hennessy Group

firm of the Year award

Lorcan O’Herlihy Architects (LOHA) Cover and left: Fermosa 1140. Photography by Lawrence Anderson

12/15/10 8:34 AM

presidential honoree | 2010 allied profession award | matt ConstrUCtion Aj Brown Imaging

aia/la design awards CeremonY, oCtoBer 27, 2010

westmont College winter hall architect: pfeiffer partners

www.mattconstruction.com great leaders ■ great BUilders ■ great people

FORM.JF11_AIA_F ps 15

honoree, paul J. matt and matt Construction, have built over 400 projects, including some of southern California’s finest buildings from the salk institute to the skirball Cultural Center to renzo piano’s laCma transformation. matt Construction was recognized for their contribution to the practice of architecture through partnership and collaboration.

12/15/10 8:34 AM

Available at DEDON showrooms and select dealers www.dedon.us

FORM.JF11_AIA_F ps 16

12/15/10 8:34 AM

“YOu caN’T waIT fOR iNsPirATiON. YOu havE TO gO afTER IT wITh a club.”

formmag.net

Courtesy of Thom Mayne

-Jack lONDON

FORMJF11 Body ps_final.indd 29

12/15/10 11:26 AM

FORMJF11 Body ps_final.indd 30

12/15/10 11:26 AM

THE mAYNE IDEA Since founding morphosis almost forty years ago, Thom mayne is producing work that is more relevant than ever. His iconic designs have earned him membership to the American Academy of Arts and Letters, the Pritzker Prize, more than 100 AIA awards (most recently, four 2010 AIA/LA Design Awards) and commissions all over the world. Publisher Ann Gray sits down with the architect to find out what inspires his dynamic practice.

so you actually perceived a generational shift with your schooling? oh, huge! It was the ‘60s. A series of things were happening that were just amazingly powerful. I was in the Vietnam generation. Civil rights, kennedy—it was a time of huge optimism in

terms of the potential of change, which came from inspiration. You can still listen to Martin Luther king’s famous speech and have it bring tears to your eyes. Within architecture itself there was an exhausting of the modern project, so there was already a discussion of what was going to take place next. outside of architecture, there was film. I grew up with Truffaut and Fellini and Godard, an amazing group, which probably had as much affect on me as stuff within the discipline. so an overarching social component inspired creativity? The world was changing and we, the public, could make that change. And we, the students at the university, could affect that. But going back to inspiration, I think it comes from observing the world. It becomes the material of your ideas.

so it’s assimilating the input, be it creative or experiential. Architecture is so broad; it deals with everything. So it could be reading Seeing is Forgetting, by Robert Irwin. It could come from the art world itself. It could be through observation of a particular work, like Heizer’s Double Negative, or visiting a work that completely alters the way you think you know architecture. It’s your visual literacy. Over time, you’re assimilating things that you might have experienced not just last week but also 30 years ago. Have you seen a change in your inspiration over time? The time framework is quite complicated. It doesn’t quite matter if it was seen an instant ago or twenty years ago. Ideas, the gestation, take many, many years, sometimes decades. You also accumulate baggage, and I think

When designing projects, architect Thom Mayne (left) looks to the program first. “I don’t allow myself to think about solutions until I have a piece of work,” he says. above: A sketch of the Cahill Center for Astronomy and Astrophysics at Caltech. formmag.net

Sketch courtesy of Morphosis

do you have an overarching source of inspiration or does each project have its own inspiration? I think inspiration starts with some sort of a desire to change things. My sense is it’s in your DnA. Certain people look at the world and are more or less in agreement with the way things are. other people look at the world and say, “I see problems.” That sets up desires, and all action begins with desire. I can remember being an architecture student when somewhere it became understood that my role was to define my generation and somehow advance things.

FORMJF11 Body ps_final.indd 31

12/15/10 11:26 AM

“Architecture is so pragmatic, and you get involved with all of the day-to-day. I thought it was time to start freeing myself from the constraints and start looking at the conceptual directions.”

Is the baggage a tendency to repeat something that worked before? Or is it a tendency to work toward expectations that have been laid down over the years? Both. We’re all habitual creatures. You become comfortable with certain things. It comes out of a success that you’ve been rewarded for being successful in certain aspects of your work. It’s definitely something to be cautious about. You have to remember that what got you to that level of success is not necessarily the buildings, but the way you approached every single project. Exactly. In professional terms, inspiration connected to a particular endeavor—architecture—requires an understanding of an operational strategy. Meaning you understand the nature of your own creations and the procedures that got you there. How do you keep your approach fresh now? I’ve got some paintings that I started doing after fifteen years of producing architecture and kind of stopping the “secondary” stuff. It’s absolutely about wanting to rethink and rechallenge basic principals of what I’m involved in.

Is painting something you’ve just taken up? Up until about 1995 I’d always produced a lot of drawings, artifacts, objects, furniture, etc. As I got really busy in the mid-‘90s I kind of stopped doing that. Architecture is so pragmatic, and you get involved with all of the day-to-day. I thought it was time to start freeing myself from the constraints and start looking at the conceptual directions. What was I doing twenty years ago that was useful? That was it. It was incredibly important, and it actually defined the office. The studio was known as a place that dealt in ideas and wasn’t limited by the huge contingent factor of architecture. Frequently, architects like to draw for fun, but even their non-architectural drawings become very literally translated into their architectural work. What conceptual level are you operating on? I’m interested in organizational structure, which is leading to ideas that will definitely have to do with architecture, but not in any literal way. If you look at them, they are not architectural works. They’re within the realm of sculpture, painting, whatever you want to call them. For me, it’d have to operate on an abstract level if I’m doing them for myself. And I’m not doing them for anyone else. I’m doing them because it gives me a huge release. As the projects get larger they get much more cumbersome, and much more difficult in every sense, certainly emotionally. These allow me a bit of freedom. To see a video of the full interview and Thom Mayne’s paintings, visit formmag.net.

TOP AND ABOVE: “Technology totally changed our profession,” says Mayne. “The Phare Tower in Paris would not be possible without a digital

J /F.1 1

environment.” OPPOSITE TOP: The relationship of living space to academic components set up Mayne’s approach to the Emerson College Los Angeles Center. OPPOSITE, BOTTOM RIGHT AND LEFT: Morphosis’s competition design for a new U.S. embassy in London would redefine the city’s skyline. An interior bridge would appear to float in the transparent, light-filled space.

All renderings courtesy of Morphosis

that’s a problem. As you get older, you yourself produce work and that work becomes a source for future work. It’s a problem because now your own experience, your own knowledge base, is potentially hazardous territory, and it’s going to drag you down. It’s going to impede the type of creativity that looks at something from a much more naïve position where anything is possible.

FORMJF11 Body ps_final.indd 33

12/15/10 11:26 AM

kulapat yantrasast, wHy architecture

cultivating creativity Three architects seek and find inspiration

By Jack skelley

j /f.1 S/o .1 1 0

In the great division between the practical arts and the fine arts, architecture comes close to being both. It’s not just that structural design includes a strong sculptural component. Architecture, as with the fine arts, often requires one intangible element to ensure its success—inspiration. Despite the rigorous education and training involved with the practice, inspiration can’t be taught and can at times be difficult to find. But when architects see it as something to be actively pursued and nurtured, their work can be rewarded in innovative and surprising ways.

Photography by Steve Hal at Hedrich Blessing

Grand rapids Art museum

FORMJF11 Body ps_final.indd 34

12/15/10 11:26 AM

Greg lynn, Greg lynn form

When architect Greg Lynn looks at his kidsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; plastic toys he sees more than fun and games. Lynn has pioneered a way of recycling these toys into art installations, like Fountain (far left), and furniture (left). The process involves scanning the toys into a computer, cutting them apart with robots, and welding them together with a machine used for repairing car fenders. formmag.net

Courtesy of Greg Lynn Form

Fountain

FORMJF11 Body ps_final.indd 35

12/15/10 11:26 AM

tom Wiscombe, emergent

j /f.1 1

Tom Wiscombe looks at the biological systems of animals, birds and insects as working models for architectural innovation. everything from the intricate structure of toucan beaks to the function of the cartilagelike veins of dragonfly wings has played a part in his designs, including inspiring the pleated armature of the Batwing airconditioning system (far left and left).

Coutesy of emergent

Batwing

FORMJF11 Body ps_final.indd 36

12/15/10 11:26 AM

“If you don’t lead an interesting life it’s difficult to be creative.” —Kulapat Yantrasast

to create out of plastic something that functioned like brick or stone,” he says. “So here I am looking at toys and houses, and I realized we’re surrounded by plastic constructions. If I scanned and intersected these forms on a computer, I could use a robot arm to cut and interlock them to make a contemporary version of the rusticated stone wall.” Using rotomolding, Lynn builds a mold cast, turning the toys’ roundness and bright colors into abstract bricks. This “upcycling” can be applied to build interior walls or outdoor landscaping furniture. Fountain, a recent installation at the Hammer Museum courtyard in Westwood, is a functioning fountain created from more than 57 whale and shark teeter-totters. Recently, Lynn has turned from toys to boats, collaborating with nautical designers Fred Courouble and Tim kernan on two luxury power catamarans used for shuttling passengers in Abu Dhabi. In this case, Lynn’s goal was to bring architectural styling to boat design. “What’s funny about boats is that the hulls and rigs are high-tech, but the cabins are literally cabins: like goofy houses dropped on top.” So he integrated a bold cabin and deck typology into the overall concept. “I did the architecture and they did the performance part of the design,” he explains. “These were both very much a collaboration, and that can be very inspiring.” Many designers cite nature as an inspiration, but Tom Wiscombe takes it a step further. Wiscombe—who worked for Coop Himmelblau as chief office designer for the world-famous BMW Welt in Munich, Germany, before starting his own design office, emergent—is more interested in the fluidity of functions in nature, interacting in ways that are far from purely abstract or iconic, but are, as he says, “messy.” His recent prototype air-conditioning system, Batwing, is inspired in part by the biology of wing systems, such as those on

dragonflies. “Their wing structures include cartilage-like veins filled with fluid. Wing behavior is dependent on variable structural stiffness driven by fluid pressure and dynamics—it’s a great example of the coevolution of systems,” he says. Similarly, Batwing integrates HVAC, water, lighting and other building systems inside the hollows of wing-like pleats. He has also found a model in the beaks of toucans. “For many years, scientists couldn’t figure out a reason for their large beaks,” he says. “It turns out the beak is a gigantic cooling instrument of fine, spongy material that acts like a giant radiator to expel heat from the bird as it’s flying. The feature isn’t expressing what it’s doing, but has been co-opted by the metabolic system. There is a huge amount of messiness between formal features and functional behaviors in nature. It’s not a superficial approach in any way.” To get such messy info, Wiscombe attends biology conferences, such as the 2009 “From Insect nest to Human Architecture,” by the european Centre for Living Technology in Venice, Italy. “I found lots of kindred spirits,” he says. “There are the biomorphic guys stealing shapes from nature. Then on the biomimicry front are all kinds of offshoots, sustainability being one of them.” outside of architecture, Wiscombe follows the rapid evolution of jetfighters and other high-end designs. “There’s a huge revolution occurring in the world of jetfighter frames and skins,” he says. “Making the skin structural, with composite materials—say fiber and resin, like a surfboard—creates a lightweight, easy to form, extremely strong design. This is just coming into architecture now, although it’s not available because of the cost. But you’re already finding mass production bringing costs down in China.” Wiscombe advises architects to learn about these materials and then coax clients into using them. “I’m pointing at the future right now,” he says. formmag.net

kulapat Yantrasast, a disciple of celebrated Japanese architect Tadao Ando, absorbs inspiration directly from high-level visual artists. Yantrasast, with his team at the CulverCity-based wHY Architecture, designs art spaces ranging from the new gallery for L&M Arts in Venice, California, to major projects like the Grand Rapids Art Museum. “Art is a window through which you discover life and the world in a different way,” says Yantrasast. “It’s inspiring to work with artists because of the uncompromising vision they have. In architecture you want that as well, but, of course, you have many masters to serve.” Architects also need to sustain excitement during projects that can take years to complete. For this reason, wHY Architecture holds weekly inspiration sessions, focusing on art, movies, books and food. “If you don’t lead an interesting life it’s difficult to be creative,” explains Yantrasast. Most engaging for the wHY team are its in-house food competitions. Members vie to create the best sorbet, for example, with the prize being a coveted office parking spot. Yantrasast calls these contests icebreakers. “People shouldn’t be too shy or too cool.” For him, food is architecture’s perfect creative corollary. “It’s one of the fundamental needs— food, medicine, shelter,” he says. “It involves skill to master the craft, plus creativity to bring it forward. An architecture firm is like a restaurant: You can choose to be a large, family-style restaurant or a five-star restaurant. If you’re a five-star people come to eat what you cook, not to order what they want. They are willing to be taken places. We want to be a five-star.” Greg Lynn, principle of Greg Lynn Form, based in Venice, has found inspiration in an unusual source: children’s toys. A leader in computer-aided design that advances technology for design and fabrication, Lynn had an “a-ha!” moment one day looking at his kids’ molded plastic toys, such as Little Tikes rocking animals. “I’ve long had the ambition

FORMJF11 Body ps_final.indd 37

12/15/10 11:26 AM

INSPIrED j /f.1 1

growth

Courtesy of Hok

By adam stone

Photography by evan kelly

Two forward-thinking firms create their own opportunities

FORMJF11 Body ps_final.indd 38

12/15/10 11:26 AM

Back in cat-skinning days, folks knew there was more than one way to go about things. The same could be said for architects, who are finding creative solutions to staying gainfully employed during this long, long recession. The Labor Department reported employment in architecture firms was down 18 percent from 2008 to 2009, and the decline continued through 2010. Despite the discouraging numbers, some firms have stopped waiting for the phones to ring and have found innovative ways to keep the wheels turning.

Hok, the multi-disciplinary architecture firm with offices located around the world, found a way to leverage its expertise and experience by expanding in a new direction. In 2009, the company launched Hok Product Design. The concept was generated internally through the company’s idea board—think “suggestion box”—where employees proposed that a separate product division could thrive. “Hok has been doing product design for 30 years, but in an informal, ad hoc kind of way,” says senior vice president and director of product design, Susan Grossinger. In addition to bringing in work, the effort helps to smooth out financial ups and downs. “Architecture is a fee for service, whereas product design is a royalty-based business. We see it as a way to diversify Hok’s revenue stream.” To simplify implementation of the program, Hok has spun off the products division as a separate business entity. “We had to develop all new legal documents, a new financial plan and new P&L statements,” says Grossinger, who is the sole employee of the business. To bring a product to market, designers examine a manufacturer’s line and look for the opportunity to add value. “If we design a light sconce for the healthcare market,” explains Grossinger, “we will want a manufacturer that has strength in the healthcare market, but doesn’t already offer 50 sconces.” Their targeted approach, combined with strong existing relationships, is proving successful. “So far, 80 percent of the time that we’ve approached a manufacturer with an idea, they’ve ended up licensing it,” she says. “It hasn’t been difficult to get these initial meetings, but the idea has to speak for itself.” of 300 ideas submitted by the staff, about two dozen are actively in development. The firm’s initial product introductions include a

rubber-and-carpet tile to be made by Mannington Flooring, an executive lounge seating group adopted by Cumberland Furniture and a wall coping detail licensed by WP Hickman. The Freno Rain Garden, to be manufactured by Midwest Products Group, and two other products are patent-pending. Thanks to these pairings, the new division is expecting to turn a profit in 2011. An added benefit of the product division is staff enthusiasm. Design talent is found internally, and typically the individual who submits an idea goes on to become design lead on that project. This helps to keep the talent productive and satisfied. With a typical one- to two-year turnaround, a product design project can deliver tangible results faster than the usual architectural timeline. “We really look at this as a great recruitment and retention vehicle for Hok,” says Grossinger. “It allows people to be creative in another way.”

be YOur OwN bOss Rather than wait for clients to put a project on the table, leadership at Studio one eleven in Long Beach, California, took matters into their own hands. Seeking a new space for their offices, the architecture and urban design firm, located an ideal opportunity in the midst of Long Beach’s east Village Arts District. They bought three derelict, conjoined buildings sheathed in weathered wood siding, brick tile and stucco and became their own developer. Having staked its reputation on urban infill, the firm was eager to show how they could transform the worn-down structures into vibrant, sought-after spaces. The designers broke down the 20,000-square-foot interior into eight office suites ranging from 1,500 square feet to 4,000 square feet. office entries and clerestories were cut into existing masonry walls and braced by steel frames,

while a portion of the roof was removed in the creation of a central open-air paseo. By acting as its own developer, the firm was able to take a creative approach that might have been blocked in a more traditional scenario. “Many times a traditional developer has pre-conceived ideas” about how return on a space can be maximized, says principal Michael Bohn, AIA. “In this project we actually took away square footage, because we thought it would bring greater value to the remaining square footage. A traditional developer would have said that was just ridiculous.” (not so ridiculous: nineteen months after buying the property, Studio one eleven had sold five of the eight newly created office spaces.) But development costs money. While the City of Long Beach kicked in $400,000 in façade improvement money, that still left $1 million in construction costs. Creative financing made it possible: The firm put its own money on the line as a down payment, and the seller acted as the lender, agreeing to a loan structure that allowed for payback of the purchase price as units were sold. The principals worked closely with bankers to ensure tenants could get loans, and they learned to forge relationships with brokers. “We had never really dealt with brokers before, but ultimately they are the ones who sell the project for you,” says senior principal Alan Pullman, AIA. The end result has had unexpected benefits, beyond just putting a profitable project on the table. “This was a really bright spot,” says Pullman. “not only because it kept us busy, but because it was so exciting. The energy kept us going during what was really a dismal time in the architecture business. Being developers has also made us very responsible for how we spend money and how we design things. It made us better architects.”

opposite Top: As part of Hok’s new product division, the firm’s rubber-and-carpet floor tile design will be produced by Mannington Flooring. opposite Bottom: Studio one eleven acted as their own developer when they purchased three rundown buildings in Long Beach’s east Village Arts District and transformed them into eight light-filled office suites, which they then took an active role in selling.

formmag.net

PrODucT PLAceMeNT

FORMJF11 Body ps_final.indd 39

12/15/10 11:26 AM

The U.S. Green Building Council Los Angeles Chapter (USGBC-LA) We are a high-performing nonprofit organization incorporated in 2002 by a motivated and diverse group of individuals with a common interest in environmental conservation. USGBC-LA expresses a commitment to promote sustainability in LA Countyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s built environment by delivering access to knowledge, resources, recognition and networking.

USGBC-LA would like to thank our Platinum Founding Sponsors for their continued support.

U. S. Green Building Council-Los Angeles Chapter 444 S. Flower Street, Suite 525, Los Angeles, CA 90071 213.689.9707 www.usgbc-la.org FORMJF11 Body ps_final.indd 40

12/15/10 11:26 AM

Successful Real Estate Strategies Real Estate’s Role in Economic Development

SPEAKERS • ROUNDTABLE DISCUSSIONS • MARKETPLACE EXHIBITS

SAVE THE DATE! Wednesday, March 16, 2011 7:00am - 1:00pm Dorothy Chandler Pavilion 135 N. Grand Avenue Los Angeles, CA 90012

ULI Los Angeles celebrates its 11th year of bringing together real estate professionals to learn from industry leaders the challenges and opportunities of today’s economy. Join ULI Los Angeles in a discussion with a Panel of City Mayors on real estate’s role in sustaining economic development in the region.

Presenting Sponsor

ROUNDTABLES

Downtown L.A.’s Alive and Kickin’ TOD Opportunities: Part II Colleges Go Green Opportunities in Health Care Facilities The Greening of the Ports Through Creative Financing Fight On! Changing Campus-Adjacent Neighborhoods Sustainability and Preservation at LAX Growing the Clean Tech Corridor Keeping the Panel of City Mayors Discussion Going Jordan Downs Renewal Opportunities Hollywood: Preserving Entertainment Venues What Does the Media Say About Real Estate? Affordable Housing: Making It Work Building Mixed Use in a Tough Market with P3 Successfully Leveraging Incentives