Mixed-Use & Multi-Family Residential Landscape Architecture
Design is never without story. It connects people to each other and the world around us. Together we work beyond boundaries to reveal, explore, and invent designs that amplify experiences. Rios Clementi Hale Studios Mixed-Use & Multi-Family Landscape
Mixed-Use & Multi-Family Landscape Rios Clementi Hale Studios
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About Us RIOS was founded in 1985 as a multidisciplinary design firm that maintains that design is everything in the built environment. This innate understanding led to an ethos of design as a continuum, a notion that defined transdisciplinary practice and a body of work that celebrates the connection between people and place. The practice operates at the intersection of architecture, landscape, urban planning, interior design, graphics and signage, exhibit, and product design to inform design at all types and scales — from plates to parks. We believe, fundamentally, that design is better when you think inclusively about ways to solve a problem and we practice this way within our studios and interdisciplinary teams. We are problem-solvers, innovators, and creative thinkers. This proclivity can be seen in the offshoots of RIOS, like notNeutral and Guillermo, but also in our unshakable nature as storytellers revealing the potential each project has to celebrate our diversity and humanity. Our work is irreversibly connected to the narrative of place and the complex order of human culture, creating solutions that are joyful, authentic, and unexpected. Each project is a genuine expression of the important stories that connect us and reveal location, ecology, culture, and ethnography. RIOS has been recognized for skill and design excellence across the broad spectrum of design disciplines, including as a finalist for the Smithsonian’s Cooper Hewitt National Design Award for landscape architecture, and as ‘Firm of the Year’ by the California Council of the American Institute of Architects. Our consistent body of unique design work and our redefinition of the boundaries of design practice has also led to numerous national and local AIA and ASLA awards, as well as recognition for graphics, interiors and furniture design. Our work has been featured in numerous publications, including The New York Times, The Los Angeles Times Magazine, Architecture, Architectural Record, Interior Design, Landscape Architecture and Metropolis.
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Our Approach We treat the design intent and execution for every project as a solution unique to each client and to their programmatic requirements. Our clients often actively participate in the creative process. This client-focus has allowed us to produce a consistently highquality body of work, which displays a stylistic range as broad as our client list. To align with our goals and values, we’ve implemented a structure that defines RIOS as a collective that designs both environments and experiences. The collaborative, cross-disciplinary approach is exemplified by the Creative Directors: Mark Rios, Bob Hale, Mark Motonaga, Jessamyn Davis, Andy Lantz, and Sebastian Salvadó, each of whom brings a special depth of training and experience to the design studio. Our senior leadership actively directs design efforts within project teams in addition to management and leadership responsibilities. We have been fortunate to be one of a very few firms which are widely recognized for skill and design excellence across the broad spectrum of design disciplines including: Architecture, Landscape Architecture, Interiors, Graphics and Wayfinding, Branding, and Product Design. Having these disciplines in-house allows us the opportunity to bring a holistic approach to the design of each project with our shared knowledge base and thought leadership. Our experience not only with design, but with technical delivery and on-site observation during construction, culminate in a full-service design solution brought to life by a true design collective.
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CREATING COMMUNITY & PLACE IN MULTIFAMILY HOUSING
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RIOS multi-family landscapes represent a range of programmatic and contextual designs. The studio has honed its ability to quickly synthesize the needs of residential amenities with mixed-use retail and community amenities, while situating each project within its own context. While these projects represent a diverse set of spaces between public and private: retail promenades, streetscapes, pool decks or interior courtyards, they each emphasize the desire to bring life outdoors with shared private spaces that enrich apartment and condominium living. Across the work there are a few themes that the studio consistently explores: outdoor lifestyles, contextual storytelling, shared back yard, and synthesize of public/ private. These themes emerge to uniquely brand each of the projects within their respective developments.
The following four design influences are the strategies we have found to bring life outdoors and deepen unique brand stories for each development.
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OUTDOOR LIFESTYLE
RIOS multi-family work consistently explores how outdoor living can be amplified and embraced. The pool decks are not just spaces to cool-off, they are places to linger, commune, and dine. The private spaces bring aspects of domestic sphere outside in form of hearths, living rooms, and lounges which invite the visitor to stay longer. In some cases the relationship between indoor and outdoor is blurred such as the Resort at Playa Vista where the beach seems to be displaced inland and the ocean breezes are invited through the building creating a continuity with the pool and outdoor walks.
2
CONTEXTUAL STORYTELLING
Our design work often brings in references from the greater context of a project, through the subtlety of material and plant selections, lighting, furnishings, or climate. Whether its bringing in the beach, the California foothills, or referencing the organization of a former runway, these design themes extend these landscapes beyond their boundaries, as seen at 405 San Fernando or Runway at Playa Vista. These notes of specificity also contribute to uniquely branding these spaces within the greater project.
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SHARED BACKYARD
Understanding that these spaces are often a reprieve from dense urban living, many of our multi-family projects emphasize an informality and flexibility that one would desire from their own backyard. These allow friends to gather and in some cases allow programming that is intimate but also connected to urban life, such in the spaces of South Grand Park
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SYNTHESIZING PUBLIC/PRIVATE
Contemporary projects often integrate ground floor retail and commercial space. The synthesis of these spaces with the residential experience is an aspect of careful orchestration. The projects consistently look to activate the public spaces and add to the overall richness of the experience whether visiting for an afternoon or as a fulltime resident.
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The Telephone Building Los Angeles, CA 10 RIOS
A.
SELECTED EXPERIENCE
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SELECTED PROJECTS ENTITLEMENTS PHASE SELECTED PROJECTS West Edge, West Los Angeles, CA Bergamot Transit Village, Santa Monica, CA The Reef, Downtown Los Angeles, CA Crossroads of the World, Hollywood, CA South Hill Tower, Downtown Los Angeles, CA Buena Vista, Los Angeles, CA Casitas Lofts, Los Angeles, CA 43rd Street, Los Angeles, CA
COMPLETED MULTI-FAMILY PROJECTS Runway at Playa Vista, Playa Vista, CA Runway Phase II, Playa Vista, CA Hollywood and Vine W, Hollywood, CA BW Residences, West Los Angeles, CA Habitat 6, Hollywood, CA Columbia Square Tower, Hollywood, CA CW Century Woods, Century City, CA Dunn Residence, Los Angeles, CA The Emerson, Downtown Los Angeles, CA The Residences at The Sawyer, Sacramento, CA The Ellington, Pasadena, CA D2, Del Rey, CA The LC, Los Angeles, CA The HW, Los Angeles, CA
COMPLETED MULTI-FAMILY AMENITIES South Park Commons, Downtown Los Angeles, CA Tysons Corner Plaza, Tysons Corner, VA The Resort, Playa Vista, CA
MULTI-FAMILY PROJECTS IN-PROGRESS West Edge, West Los Angeles, CA 520 Mateo, Los Angeles, CA 668 Alameda, Los Angeles, CA 1st and Hewitt, Los Angeles, CA Echo Street West, Atlanta, GA Century Plaza Towers, Century City, CA Birkdale, Los Angeles, CA Waverly, Los Angeles, CA Great 8, Marina Del Rey, CA
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B.
COMPLETED WORK
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Runway at Playa Vista Our landscape design for this 27,000 sq. ft. mixed-use development takes inspiration from the beach and Southern California’s embrace of outdoor coastal living. Location
Size
Los Angeles, CA
2 acres
Year Completed
Services Provided
2016
Landscape Architecture Urban Design
The 14-acre Runway project in Playa Vista is the commercial heart of the Playa Vista community and a vibrant living and gathering place for both residents and visitors. The site, once the location of Howard Hughes’ private runway, is bisected by a palm-lined road draped with festoon lighting. Wooden boardwalks beside the road and a plant palette featuring native, coastal plants reinforce the beachy feeling of the community, as do the custom-designed wooden site furnishings and concrete fire tables. A sense of history is brought to the project through the use of a mix of paving materials, as well as the planting of six mature trees that overhang gathering spaces and help to organize the site. A dramatic water feature and runway-inspired lighting accent and activate a large central gathering space. Residential units overlook the public spaces. At the core of the residential buildings, amenity decks feature swimming pools, spas, and gathering spaces for grilling, outdoor dining and lounging.
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Columbia Square The Columbia Square mixed-use project encompasses a full city-block in the center of Hollywood that has been used for movie, radio, television, and music production for over a century. Location
Services Provided
Los Angeles, CA
Master Planning Architecture
Year Completed
Landscape Architecture
2014
Experiential Graphic Design
Size 560,000 sq. ft. of creative office 685,000 sq. ft. total
LEED Gold
Columbia Square is a creative, mixed-use campus that includes the adaptive-reuse of the 1938 Lescaze historic studio buildings, a new underground parking garage, three new office buildings aimed at media and entertainment tenants, a 200-unit residential tower, and a site-wide network of publicly-accessible open-spaces and courtyards. For this development, RIOS’ scope included the entire campus of creative office, residential, and retail buildings. At the ground level, the ground-floor tenant spaces and the building lobbies are organized around the central garden-spine. The groundfloor spaces each have two-story entry lanterns to provide a grain to the space as well as to give the tenants individual identity and entries off of the courtyard. During the day, this green spine provides an amenity for the neighborhood, programmed as creative work spaces and communal courtyards to create relaxed setting for various scales of pedestrian interaction and for less structured work-spaces.
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Sacramento Downtown Commons Our first project in the state capital is a 16-story mixed-use tower that complements the new arena for the Sacramento Kings basketball team. Location
Size
Sacramento, CA
590,000 sq. ft.
Year Completed
Services Provided
2017
Master Planning Architecture Landscape Architecture Experiential Graphic Design
The tower will feature first- and second-floor retail and restaurants, hotel amenities on floors two and three, office space for the Kings on the fourth floor, 250 hotel rooms on floors 5-11, and residential units on floors 12-16. Because the City of Sacramento didn’t want the tower to overwhelm the surrounding cityscape, our design articulates each program distinctly, breaking up the scale of this 590,000 SF building. A glass-enclosed lobby level separates the residential units on the top floors from the hotel in the middle. Another deck on the fifth floor distinguishes the hotel from the tier of office space below it. Working with executive architects House & Robertson, we set each of the four components at slightly different angles, maximizing daylight and privacy. An urban-scaled entry along the ground floor allows pedestrians to walk straight through the building from J Street to the central plaza. Upper level terraces are the perfect perch for events overlooking the plaza. Residential units, at the highest price per SF in Sacramento, were mostly sold out before the building opened in the fall of 2017.
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Tysons Corner Center Plaza Tysons Corner Plaza provides amenities for the many needs and scales of use found in the daily life in an urban center. Location
Size
Tysons Corner, VA
1.5 acres
Year Completed
Services Provided
2015
Master Planning Landscape Architecture
Tysons Corner Center Plaza is an elevated plaza and open space in the heart of Tysons, Virginia. It is part of a plan to create a transit-oriented, mixed-use center, complete with a light rail station, a hotel, a residential tower, and an office tower. The plaza was intended as infrastructure—a bridge providing a pedestrian connection from the new Metro station to the towers and roadway. But, instead the design transforms the area into the focal point of a new urban center. As the main public space for this new community of residents, office workers, and hotel guests, the plaza balances and resolves a number of competing uses. For residents, it provides a much-needed area for daily outdoor recreation. For office workers, hotel guests, and retail customers, it serves as an independent and comfortable outdoor space. For all, the plaza is a vital community center. Two interlocking ellipses—one hardscaped, the other a man-made meadow— define large, distinct spaces for unique program elements. These elliptical geometries contrast dramatically with the orthogonal nature of the surrounding development, creating a distinct design language that increases the plaza’s visibility and prominence as a place where all manner of people interact. Spaces include an event plaza, an active recreation lawn, passive seating areas, and activities for children such as a play area and water feature. We also designed the custom seating, manufactured by Janus et cie, to define and create spaces for seating and gathering.
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The Resort at Playa Vista Conceived with the idea of “Building as Park,” the Resort at Playa Vista represented a unique opportunity to explore the intersection between this neighborhood culture and its rich natural environment. Location
Size
Playa Vista, CA
NA
Year Completed
Services Provided
2015
Master Planning Architecture Landscape Architecture
This 25,000-sq.-ft. community center sits amid a network of green spaces, on a site originally zoned as a park. That inspired us to design the building itself as a kind of park, giving its users the feeling of gathering, meeting, and exercising outdoors. Two internal courtyards bring both greenery and daylight deep into the interiors; green walls at each end of the facility blur the line between structure and landscape. A green roof filters rainwater for irrigation, and also insulates the building, reducing heat gain and cooling requirements. The Resort consists of a private fitness facility and pool deck for residents of the Playa Vista condominium development, as well as a park, classrooms, meeting rooms, and a demonstration kitchen that are open to the public. A central diagonal corridor divides the public spaces from the private areas. In addition to forming the building’s spine, it becomes a major artery for the entire Playa Vista community, linking the residential buildings to the new Runway development to the east. A raft of sustainability initiatives make the Resort eligible for LEED Platinum status. Passive cooling systems harness coastal breezes to ventilate 75% of the building. Glass walls allow the low winter sun to enter the building in cooler months, reducing heating and lighting costs. In summer, sliding glass doors throughout the property open to create cross breezes, and to allow fitness activities and community events to spill out into the courtyards. Photovoltaic panels line roof areas not covered by the green roof.
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Hollywood and Vine W
Location
Size
Los Angeles, CA
NA
Year Completed
Services Provided
2011
Landscape Architecture
RIOS was the landscape architect for the Hollywood & Vine project developed jointly by Gatehouse Capital and Legacy Partners. The new transit-oriented development consists of a 220 room W Hotel with ground floor retail and 350 additional market-rate condominiums. Included in our scope of work were the public and private plaza areas, the motor courts at the ground level and the rooftop and podium level pool and recreation decks. The seamless integration of indoors and out was accomplished through a close collaboration with all members of the design team and results in a better integration of the project into the urban and pedestrian environment. Review and approvals were obtained from a diverse group of agencies including the MTA, CRA, and Hollywood Design Advisory Board. RIOS also designed the entry canopy and plaza area for the MTA Redline Subway stop located underneath the project.
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South Grand Park Our design creates a shared backyard for urban residents to connect with nature and each other. Most residents of Downtown Los Angeles have had to trade away personal open space to enjoy the vibrant urban experiences of the revitalized city core. Our concept for South Grand Park emphasizes a green and simple space for young and old to experience the delight and imagination of nature in a Shared Backyard.
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The design for this quarter-acre park includes a series of unique garden rooms so visitors can find a variety of spaces for respite in the park. It also allows for the community to enjoy shared activities in the park, with space for small performances and readings as well as food carts and table games.
Location Los Angeles, CA Services Provided Landscape Architecture
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The Emerson Our design redefines luxury landscape with elegant outdoor spaces for entertainment and planted perimeters for added privacy at a 20-floor high-rise building in Downtown Los Angeles. Location
Located at the epicenter of Grand Avenue adjacent to The Broad Museum, the urban project emphasizes progression of spaces to create distinct experiences and elongate open spaces in narrow areas. The landscape engages with its surrounding context with amenities to augment downtown living in the cultural corridor, such as a featured pool
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deck, outdoor kitchens, a small pocket park and dog run, and rooftop terrace. The Emerson achieved LEED Gold Certification for its sustainable design. The architecture is by Arquitectonica and the interior design is by Marmol Radziner.
Los Angeles, CA Services Provided Landscape Architecture
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The BW Rooftop amenities promote an urban California lifestyle. The design of The BW project integrates landscape architecture, interior design, and signage to enrich the experience of the public spaces and other signature elements for this prominent seven-story building. The resulting identity and brand is interwoven at each opportunity. At the top, a 2,000-sq. ft. patio is carved out of the rooftop to allow residents to enjoy California outdoor living in myriad ways. The space includes a hot tub, an outdoor kitchen, and a fire pit with custom seating for large groups. An oversized communal table welcomes large gathering and can be split apart into smaller tables for intimate meals. Five-foot-high glass rails
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preserve the outstanding views. Drought-tolerant succulents, grasses, and a fragrant 15-foot-tall peppermint tree divide the space into outdoor rooms so different groups may all enjoy the rooftop’s amenities at the same time.
Location Los Angeles, CA Size 60,000 sq. ft. Services Provided Landscape Architecture Interior Design and FFE
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C.
IN PROGRESS
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Echo Street West RIOS is working with LPC on the development of an 18-acre mixed-use residential and commercial office district in Atlanta, GA. Location
Size
Atlanta, GA
18 acres
Year Completed
Services Provided
2022 (Anticipated)
Master Planning Architecture Landscape Architecture
RIOS is working with LPC on the development of a mixed-use residential and commercial center for the Westside Yards project in West Midtown, Atlanta. RIOS believes that the rich history of industrial development and railway impact on the site is a foundation for creating a unique place that builds on new city-wide interventions such as the Beltline extension, the West Midtown revitalization, and the Georgia Tech expansion. The design envisions a new Westside mixed-use district that is inspired by the industrial fabric along the former Kudzu Line that ran through the site, while employing a combination of building scale and programmatic mix to contextualize the existing urban nature of the different adjacent communities. RIOS believe this strategy will create a plan that is natural, respectful, and inventive in its site response.
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520 Mateo A lush amenity garden and rich paseo link this project to the industrial creativity of the Arts District. Location
Services Provided
Los Angeles, CA
Landscape Architecture
RIOS is providing landscape architecture services to a team led by Works Progress Architecture and SCB for a mixed-use project in the Arts District neighborhood of Los Angeles. The 2.24 acre parcel includes an activated landscape pedestrian paseo connecting the to the larger public realm network of the District. The rail themed paseo references the District’s history while providing gathering spaces varying in size and privacy. The paseo culminates at the base of a high-rise residential tower and creative office building with a performance space featuring a repurposed railcart. At the podium level, the residential tower and office building share a lush and expansive oasis, filled with gardens and amenities for work and play. Podium and rooftop garden amenities are designed to connect to interior amenities, creating spaces reflecting the indoor/outdoor Cali-urban lifestyle, while capitalizing on the views of Downtown Los Angeles and the San Gabriel Mountains In all, RCH is creating a series of unique landscape experiences that directly relate to each space’s unique adjacencies, includes the streetscape improvements, ground-level paseo and podium and roof amenity decks.
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405 San Fernando Carving vibrant residential oasis in the heart of Lincoln Heights' industrial district. Location Los Angeles, CA
Size
Year Completed
Services Provided
2023 (Anticipated)
329 units
Architecture Landscape Architecture
The Lincoln Heights multi-family development aims to reinvigorate the neighborhood’s history and community. Lincoln Heights–one of the first suburbs in Los Angeles referred to as “The Garden Territory”– is a verdant opportunity to provide a unique set of mixed-use experiences through cleverly juxtaposing industrial materials and lush landscape. The new residential and creative office space will be 7-stories tall and feature 315 new apartment homes above podium parking and 127,000 square feet of new commercial office space. Residents and office tenants will enjoy various amenities, open space, and a new venue for events, community engagement, and various pedestrian activities. Inspired by the semi-wild paradise of Elysian Park and the L.A. river, courtyard garden traditions, and the gritty industrial context, the new development at Lincoln Heights will provide immersive and authentic experiences of urban nature.
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668 Alameda A series of progressional courtyards speak to the adaptive nature and experience of discovery instrinic to the Arts District. Location
Services Provided
Los Angeles, CA
Landscape Architecture
In collaboration with Avalon Bay, Office Untitled and TSM, RIOS is designing an episodic and endemic landscape for this mixed-use, live-work multi-family project in the Arts District. The site sits on one of the former rail spurs within the Arts District and features an urban paseo, expanded green streetscape, and series of amenity courtyards emphasizing the materiality and ad-hoc character of the Arts District. Both on the ground-level paseo and on the second-floor amenity courtyards, the experience of the project is defined by a series of progressional spaces organized around a series of objects that speak to the adaptive nature of the area, and sense of discovery intrinsic to the Arts District. The resulting landscape incorporate seating areas, pavilions, Art plazas and a customized pool deck with built-in industrial amenities.
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West Edge West Edge is a new mixed-use development near public transit featuring retail, a commercial office tower and multi-family residential. RCH developed the amenity spaces and large public plaza linking and unifying the two uses. Location
Size
Los Angeles, CA
4.75 acres
Year Completed
Services Provided
2021 (Anticipated)
Landscape Architecture
The former Martin Cadillac site at Olympic and Bundy is set to become West L.A.’s next dynamic mixed-use development with 500 apartments, shops and restaurants, a grocery store, and a 10-story office building. RIOS is working on the landscape design for the site. The landscape features a shared courtyard and a paseo that focus on creating a sense of community with site, while connecting it to the surrounding urban environment. Outdoor open spaces capitalize on the uniquely Southern California ability to flow seamlessly between indoor and outdoor spaces and amenities to extend the work and living environments for all users. The development, adjacent to the Expo Line station, is also bringing pedestrian upgrades to connect people to nearby transit and includes widened sidewalk and a pedestrian plaza at the prominent corner of Olympic and Bundy.
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Waverly Multifamily The 16 units are one-, two-, and three-bedrooms are arranged in three stories of housing served by one level of underground parking. Conceived as a hybrid between and apartment and single family residential typologies, Waverly responds to the demand for increasing density in Los Angeles with a thoughtfully scaled solution designed specifically with the surrounding neighborhood in mind. The 16 units are one-, two-, and threebedrooms are arranged in three stories of housing served by one level of underground parking. The massing responds to the neighborhood context, which is mostly comprised of single family homes. As such, the design becomes more porous as the building rises from the ground, with the ground level being more solid and secure. The units are carved out along the southeast face to welcome light and air along the central “walk street” common area.
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Each of the units, ranging from 1,400 sq. ft. to 1,800 sq. ft. with one at 2,300 sq. ft., is accessed from the outside through individual private courtyards, eliminating interior corridors and the feeling of apartment living so that each unit has its own identity. To accommodate the various one-three bedroom unit plans, they are interlocked in a “Tetris” configuration for maximum efficiency.
Location Los Angeles, CA Size 80,000 sq. ft. Services Provided Master Planning Architecture Landscape Architecture
On the exterior, a combination of brick and smooth troweled cement plaster communicates a modern, minimalist aesthetic. The front landscape is intentionally wild to contrast to the minimalist aesthetic of the structure and connect to the more rural nature of the surrounding neighborhood streetscape.
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First Street Mixed Use Currently in construction in the Arts District, this mixed-use site organizes residential around an interior garden that flows down to an activated podium. The project positions interior facing quasipublic space on top of a retail podium and between the two residential bars to achieve a communal area of living and circulation. The formal articulation draws from the utilitarian buildings that exist in the area while creating moments that expose the vibrant interior courtyard and community in contrast to this restrained exterior. Program distribution and circulation patterns support the residents’
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use of the major public transportation hub to the east as well as integrating the residents with the arts district to the southwest. The interior couryard supports a lush, vertical garden that connects every unit to landscape, fresh air and sunlight in a dense, urban environment. It's also doubles as a communal social space and provides privacy from unit to unit in the narrow courtyard.
Location Los Angeles, CA Year Completed IN CONSTRUCTION Services Provided Architecture Landscape Architecture
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Great 8 Our master plan for the massing, façade, landscape, and public spaces of this new apartment complex all work together to break down the size of the building into smaller “blocks” that connect with the local neighborhood. Location
Our client’s plan to build a 250,000-sq.ft. apartment complex in a light industrial section of Marina Del Rey, California, had the potential to overwhelm the surrounding area. So our master plan for the massing, façade, landscape, and public spaces all work together to break down the size of the building into smaller “blocks” that connect with the local neighborhood. The plan begins with massing. We limited the building’s height to four stories where it faces the street, but stepped it up to seven stories in the center. A pocket park on the north side augments the feeling of open skies. We also clad the building’s three primary facades in different materials to give each face its own character.
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The western face is stucco, to withstand the salt air coming from the ocean; the eastern façade is cement board siding; and the north face features corrugated metal panels designed to blend in with the industrial surroundings. Three second-story courtyards bring light into the interiors of each “block” and deliver outstanding views over the rooftops of the nearby buildings. A pool and deck on the westernmost roof trains its eye on the Pacific Ocean and Malibu. Another roof deck on the eastern side focuses on sunrise views of downtown and the San Gabriel Mountains. The planting palettes for each of the landscaped areas correspond to the amount of sunlight it receives, further contributing to the unique character of each “block.”
Marina Del Rey, CA Size 250,000 sq. ft. Services Provided Architecture Landscape Architecture
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D.
ENTITLEMENTS
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Bergamot Transit Village Our master plan strategy embraces an infill typology center around transit-oriented development to create a walkable neighborhood with individual character. This Site contains three warehouse/factory buildings bordered by Olympic Boulevard to the south, office buildings and parking lots to the north and 26th and Stewart Streets to the east and West. The existing site is a “superblock” with a lack of through connections and a freeway like, 1/4 mile long gap in the sidewalk along Olympic, which creates a lifeless edge and a community Barrier on all directions As the first infill development in a neighborhood in which the City intends to establish as a vital 17/7 environment, the project plan focuses on following through on the vision and guidelines established by LUCE. The public realm strategy strongly orients project buildings, public spaces, and a boulevard-scale streetscape treatment
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towards Olympic to contribute to its transformation in the LUCE and Bergamot Area Plan - envisioned as an active mixed-use boulevard corridor. It emphasizes linkage to the future Bergamot Expo Line station and establishes a new Nebraska Avenue extension as the projects’ softer and more neighborhood oriented northern street edge. In addition, for new North-south streets and pedestrian ways now sub divide the site into small blocks making it porous and enabling life to flow through. With a walkable block scale more typical of Santa Monica’s residential neighborhoods, each street or passage way - some straight others angledgains an individual identity through its distinctive streetscapes as well as associated park or open space.
Location Los Angeles, CA Year Completed 2014 Services Provided Landscape Architecture
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Crossroads of the World The 7-acre, mixed-use development revitalizes 60,000 sq. ft. of the original buildings and constructs a hotel, an apartment tower, and a condominium tower with a goal of creating an animated new district connected to the urban fabric of Hollywood. Location
Size
Los Angeles, CA
480,000 sq. ft.
Year Completed
Services Provided
2022 (Anticipated)
Master Planning Architecture Landscape Architecture
SOM, in collaboration with RIOS, is developing a master plan and concept designs in support of the entitlement process, for the Crossroads of the World site, a historic Hollywood, California landmark on Sunset Boulevard. Originally built in 1936, Crossroads was intended as a unique outdoor shopping center, but instead became home to countless Hollywood professionals who have used the location for studios and creative office space. Targeted for LEED® Gold certification, the seven-acre mixed-use development revitalizes 60,000 square feet of the original Robert V. Derrah-designed buildings and constructs a 31-story, 308-key hotel, a 32-story apartment tower, and a 30-story condominium tower. The project adds 950 units of housing, 185,000 square feet of new retail space, and 95,000 square feet of creative office space. The goal of the design for the development is to create an animated new district that is connected to the urban fabric of Hollywood while retaining Crossroads’ recognizable identity. The distinct new high-rise towers, located across three city blocks, anchor the site at three prominent thoroughfares. These are linked by a diagonal, pedestrian-only retail paseo that connects the existing iconic globetopped spire with Highland Avenue. Additionally, Las Palmas Avenue is re-aligned to enhance vehicular connectivity and access. Cladding the entire development’s ground floor retail with red brick creates a unifying element among the eight new structures, echoing the scale and tactile quality of Crossroads’ original unique mix of buildings.
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The Reef Our landscape master plan promotes a neighborhood reflecting the maker-space history of the area.
Location Los Angeles, CA Services Provided Landscape Architecture
RIOS provided both landscape design and entitlement support services for this mixed-use development located adjacent to downtown Los Angeles. Our design packaged featured open space and streetscape design including hardscape, landscape, and other various site features including pool and amenity decks, residential roof decks, communal space design, and a site lighting concept.
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The entitlement efforts included a typical entitlements package, as well as entitlement support such as meetings with various public agencies (including the City Planning Department and City Council), as well as public outreach meetings with neighborhood groups and council district representatives.
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Lacy Studios Adaptive re-use is ingrained within the urban loft spaces, warehouses, alleys, and accessible rooftops of Lacy Studios. Built as a textile mill in 1885, and converted into a Hollywood movie studio a century later, the site commemorates two vital Los Angeles institutions: industrial manufacturing and filmmaking. Today, it is morphing again, this time into a creative office campus with an abundance of architecturally significant amenities.
stand-alone buildings, each versatile enough to accommodate spaces as small as 10,000 sq. ft. or as large as 200,000 sq. ft. To maximize the leasable area, we moved all the circulation outside, into a series of walkways and landscaped courtyards. The courtyards serve as a quiet oasis amid the dense, urban surroundings.
The two-acre campus’s adjacency to the Lincoln/Cypress Gold Line Metro station makes it a perfect candidate for transitoriented development, while its storied legacy compels our design to retain as many architectural details as possible. Original exposed brick and polished concrete finishes bear the patina of decades of use. Original roll-up doors and metal framed windows still open and close. And the open-truss design and four-sided light corridors afford flexible open floor plans. We also preserved another unique amenity: the large floor plates in the five existing
Completing this rich pastiche is a 180-unit mixed-use building, a new construction whose ground floor retail and superjacent residential apartments feature all the cutting-edge amenities. Like all the existing structures on the property, it retains its own individual character, yet fits into the context of this comprehensive, environmentally sustainable renovation.
Location Los Angeles, CA Size 87, 120 sq. ft. Services Provided
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Architecture Landscape Architecture
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3002 S. La Brea Multi-Family Development 3002 South La Brea will offer a half-acre park, retail, and an assortment of multifamily living options in the urban area of West Adams. Location
Year Completed
Los Angeles, CA
In Progress Services Provided Architecture
Located in a single-family opportunity zone and within walking distance to The LA Metro Exposition Line, the mixed-use project will create open space and connect the community with its unique profile, park activation, and garden-terrace living. The positioning of the building presents an opportunity to create two varying types of facades. The modular face along La Brea is active and urban with street views, while the back side is designed utilizes punched openings in the sloped roof for outdoor porches and gardens. The terraces along the back of the building interfaces with the more residential surroundings and will provide open space and a backyard for families to occupy. The modular design of the urban side will create larger units, while also breaking down the building in relation to its context. The community-orientated park will be open to the public and offer food/beverage with a restaurant. Studio, one bedroom, and two-bedroom units provide a variety of product types and types of living. One level of underground parking is proposed. The project is currently in entitlements.
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SUSTAINABILITY EXPERIENCE Mixed-Use & Multi-Family Residential Portfolio 65
Resort at Playa Vista
Sustainability Experience Our team has experience designing LEED buildings at all levels, along with WELL Buildings that target human performance and encourage wellness. Our team is well versed in designing with sustainability goals as a driver for success. We consider not only the return on investment that comes from reduced operating costs and lower energy-use, but the human-centered advantages that come from increased access to daylight and biophilia. Beyond only rating systems, we are focused on the notion resilience—from fire and flood, to water use and climatic considerations—and how we adapt to the issues of our time.
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LEED BUILDINGS STANDARDS •
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Resort at Playa Vista, LEED Platinum: The Resort takes advantage of the prevailing coastal breezes to implement natural ventilation, reducing mechanical HVAC systems by more than 75%. Passive cooling strategy is augmented by solar panels to offset the energy consumption of the building, as well as the installation of a co-generation plant (which uses natural gas to generate electricity, while heating the pools using a thermal exchanger). Indirect daylighting strategies reduce energy consumption and overall heat gain. Columbia Square, LEED Gold: A number of varied sustainable tactics are being used at Columbia Square, starting with the re-use of the site itself, renovation of existing buildings, and access to nearby public transportation. Additional sustainability measures include: highly energy-efficient variable refrigerant volume units; high-performance glazing; biofiltration planters for stormwater runoff from roofs and the overall site; smart controllers and moisture sensors for irrigation; and reduction of heat island effect.
application. The building has earned LEED Platinum certification, and is registered in the IWBI WELL Building Certification program as a pilot project. •
California Endowment: LEED Silver: The client and the designers shared a strong commitment to creating an environmentally sustainable, healthy workplace. In addition to achieving a LEED Silver rating for the building, sustainability through design was explored through the careful consideration and inclusion of ecological and botanical diversity, water awareness, and environmentally healthy workplace environmental conditions.
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San Francisco Flower Mart, targeting LEED Platinum: San Francisco Flower Mart will be the Bay Area’s most sought after creative workplace environment. In the midst of the density of San Francisco, the new urban mixed-use campus of the Flower Mart brings together the best elements of Silicon Valley and San Francisco in one unique locale.
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Harlow at Sunset Las Palmas, targeting LEED Platinum: Harlow is located at the historic Sunset Las Palmas Studios. Its greenhouse-inspired design features abundant natural light, high-efficiency layouts and expansive floorplates for today’s leading creative companies. Sustainability measures include access to daylight and views; LED lighting fixtures; light pollution reduction; commissioning for and verification of systems; and over 30% total energy cost savings.
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The Exchange is the largest WELL Core & Shell project in San Francisco. It is one of the first ever to pursue LEED and WELL certification at the same time. The design of the Exchange—with four joined volumes in two 6-story towers and two 12-story towers—creates distinct forms that are flexibly connected at lower levels. The project was completed in 2019 and is registered in the IWBI WELL Building Certification program as a pilot project and is currently participating in final testing toward imminent certification.
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West Edge is currently under construction and is targeting LEED Silver and WELL Certification upon completion.
Exchange on 16th, LEED Platinum: The Exchange on 16th in San Francisco is a 717,000-sq.-ft. office development designed around a series of public outdoor spaces located throughout the complex that target sustainability, workplace wellness, and neighborhood engagement goals. The massing made for a challenging LEED certification because the team was required to submit each tower as a separate LEED
WELL BUILDINGS STANDARDS WELL debuted in 2014 as a rating system to advance human health and wellness in buildings. In the time since its launch, RIOS has completed two projects using the WELL Building Standard. •
The Hollywood Proper at Columbia Square was completed in 2016 and registered in 2017, reaching WELL Multifamily Residential Certification under the WELL Building Standard™ (WELL). RIOS designed the Core & Shell of the Hollywood Proper, which became the world’s first rental apartment project to earn WELL Multifamily certification.
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F.
SELECTED STAFF
Mixed-Use & Multi-Family Residential Portfolio 69
Mark Rios FAIA, FASLA Creative Director, Partner
Mark founded Rios Associates in 1985 with a singular vision: to imagine, design, and build complete environments. Formally trained in both architecture and landscape architecture, Mark has long seen those two disciplines as inseparable. Under his leadership, the firm quickly developed an international reputation for its groundbreaking multidisciplinary approach to all its commissions. Selected Project Experience Columbia Square, Hollywood, CA Crossroads of the World, Hollywood, CA W Hotel Residence, Hollywood, CA West Hollywood Park Phase 2, West Hollywood, CA Grand Avenue & The Music Center Plaza Cultural Corridor Plan, Los Angeles, CA Mark Taper Forum, Los Angeles, CA Grand Park, Los Angeles, CA Row DTLA, Los Angeles, CA Dodgers Next 50, Los Angeles, CA Las Vegas Stadium, Las Vegas, NV Descanso Gardens Master Plan, La Cañada Flintridge, CA Descanso Gardens Entry Garden, La Cañada Flintridge, CA
Mark is responsible for the studio’s overall direction and operation, and he leads its staff of creative professionals. Every project that bears the firm’s stamp traces its lineage to Mark’s innate curiosity and ability to see things from multiple perspectives. By creating an environment where colleagues are free to draw from any number of influences, Mark has propelled the firm beyond the borders of architecture and landscape architecture to incorporate interior design, graphic design, product design, branding, and urban planning. The firm was renamed RIOS in 2003 to acknowledge its focus on collaboration across all these disciplines. The firm’s client list is as diverse as the services it provides. From 2001-07, Mark was Chairman of the Landscape Architecture Program at the University of Southern California. He served on the UCLA School of Arts and Architecture faculty from 1986-95, and was a visiting instructor at Harvard University’s Graduate School of Design in 1990.
XBOX Plaza, Los Angeles, CA South Park Commons, Los Angeles, CA Chess Park, Glendale, CA The California Endowment, Los Angeles, CA Pete V. Domenici U.S. Courthouse, Albuquerque, NM Palm Springs Downtown Park, Palm Springs, CA Santa Monica Airport Park, Santa Monica, CA The Greening of Century City, Century City, CA Austin City Limits, Austin, TX Homeboy Diner, Los Angeles, CA Act 4 Entertainment, Santa Monica, CA Westfield Century City Dining, Century City, CA Westfield Century City Phase 1 and 2 Redevelopment, Century City, CA Westfield Family, National Locations Cafe Gratitude Restaurant Design and Branding, Los Angeles, CA Center for Early Education Sustainability Master Plan, West Hollywood, CA
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Education & Affiliations Master of Architecture Harvard University, Graduate School of Design Master of Landscape Architecture Harvard University, Graduate School of Design Bachelor of Architecture University of Southern California, School of Architecture Registered Architect in California License No. 15744 Registered Landscape Architect in California License No. 3727 Fellow American Institute of Architects Fellow American Society of Landscape Architects
Mark Motonaga Creative Director, Partner | Urban Design & Architecture
Selected Project Experience Echo Street West, Atlanta, GA ROW DTLA, Los Angeles, CA Flight at Tustin Legacy, Austin, TX Chinatown Multi-family Development, Los Angeles, CA Bow Tie Yard Lofts, Los Angeles, CA Vrbo Headquarters, Austin, TX 600 Congress Street, Austin, TX Colorado Center, Santa Monica, CA San Jose Gateway, San Jose, CA Palo Alto Square, Palo Alto, CA 11601 Wilshire Boulevard Building Repositioning, Los Angeles, CA LINK Union Station, Los Angeles, CA 634 Mateo, Los Angeles, CA Lacy Studios, Los Angeles, CA Hollywood Studio, Hollywood, CA San Diego Technology Center, San Diego, CA The Reserve, San Diego, CA The Yard, San Diego, CA Telephone Building, Santa Monica, CA
Mark’s extensive experience in the disciplines of architecture, landscape architecture, and urban design enable him to manage not only complex projects, but also the daily operations of our staff. Mark Motonaga joined RIOS in 2009, and has played a significant leadership role in the firm’s ongoing evolution. His extensive experience in the disciplines of architecture, landscape architecture, and urban design enable him to manage not only complex projects, but also the daily operations of our staff. Mark is a voice in the design community for creating memorable experiences within many project types. His grasp of creative culture and placemaking has led him to speak at such events as the Fast Company Innovation Festival to share his insights into the qualities that make great spaces succeed. Mark has served as project manager and designer on projects ranging from highly detailed residential properties to large-scale urban developments. His interest is in understanding the underlying cultural currents of a site to create bold, distinct designs that reveal the story that defines a place. His trans-disciplinary approach allows him to integrate both architecture and landscape architecture in design, as well as understand the complexity and inter-related nature of both practices.
Burbank Connection, Burbank, CA The BLOC Entitlements and Signage Use District, Los Angeles, CA 500 Broadway Entitlements and Landscape, Santa Monica, CA ilver Lake Independent Jewish Community S Center, Silver Lake, CA Bergamot Station Arts Center, Santa Monica, CA Lantana Media Center, Santa Monica, CA
Education & Affiliations Master in Regional Planning University of Pennsylvania Bachelor of Architecture University of Southern California
Wilshire Grand Landscape and Entitlements, Los Angeles, CA Act 4 Entertainment, Santa Monica, CA NBC Universal Evolution Plan, Universal City, CA Universal Cineplex Plaza, Universal City, CA Pop Zoo, Chengdu, China Portland Aerial Tram, Portland, OR* *completed at prior firms Mixed-Use & Multi-Family Residential Portfolio 71
Bob Hale FAIA Creative Director, Partner
Bob brings over 40 years of experience designing, planning, and managing highly visible and critically acclaimed architecture and places. Selected Project Experience Sacramento Downtown Commons, Sacramento, CA Columbia Square, Hollywood, CA Century Plaza Hotel Renovation, Century City, CA The Resort at Playa Vista, Playa Vista, CA Crossroads of the World, Hollywood, CA NBC/Universal Evolution Plan, Universal City, CA Universal Cineplex Plaza, Universal City, CA The California Endowment, Los Angeles, CA Metro Universal Pedestrian Bridge, Universal City, CA Microsoft Square at L.A. Live, Los Angeles, CA Mark Taper Forum, Los Angeles, CA Grand Avenue and The Music Center Plaza Renovation, Los Angeles, CA
Bob joined the practice as a principal in 2001 after over a decade of collaboration with the firm. In 2003, the firm changed its name to RIOS in recognition of Bob’s leadership contributions. Bob’s expertise extends to all facets of the design process, strategic project planning and programming, and overall project leadership and client relations. He has extensive experience in urban planning, architectural, landscape, interior design, and master planning. Over his distinguished career, Bob has led creative collaborations for corporate, entertainment, retail, cultural, commercial, and residential clients. For 7 years he worked for Universal Studios as Creative Director and as Vice President of Design and Planning. For 12 years prior, he worked for Frank O. Gehry Associates, where as a Principal, he oversaw many of Frank Gehry’s award-winning projects like the Temporary Contemporary for MOCA, Loyola Law School, The Retail + Entertainment Center for Euro Disney, The Vitra Design Museum, The American Center in Paris, and the Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao, Spain.
The Greening of Century City, Century City, CA Westfield Century City Phase 1 and Redevelopment Master Plan, Century City, CA LAX Northside Plan Update, Los Angeles, CA Paramount Studios Master Plan, Los Angeles, CA
Education & Affiliations Master of Architecture, University of California, Los Angeles Bachelor of Architecture, Tulane University
Paramount Technicolor Building, Los Angeles, CA Baldwin Hills Crenshaw Plaza Masterplan, Baldwin Hills, CA Redondo Beach Redevelopment Initiative, Redondo Beach, CA Museo Guggenheim, Bilbao, Spain* Vitra International Furniture Museum, Factory, and Master Plan, Weil Am Rhein, Germany* American Center for Art & Culture, Paris, France* The “Temporary Contemporary” Museum of Contemporary Art, Los Angeles, CA Frederick R. Weisman Art & Teaching Museum, Minnesota, MN*
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Registered Architect, CA 11663, TX 26172, IL 1023930 Fellow, American Institute of Architects Associate Member, Urban Land Institute
Sebastian Salvadó Creative Director, Partner
Sebastian’s strength as a designer stems from his ability to identify and execute solidly articulated concepts. As a Creative Director, he is involved every aspect of design, from practice to education. Selected Related Project Experience IAC Building, West Hollywood, CA XBOX Plaza at LA Live, Los Angeles, CA ROW DTLA, Los Angeles, CA Tyson’s Corner, McLean, VA Paramount Studios Master Plan, Los Angeles, CA SteelHouse Media Office, Culver City, CA Lawrence J. Ellison Institute for Transformative Medicine, Los Angeles, CA Biotech Headquarters, Santa Monica, CA Biotech Headquarters, South San Francisco, CA Bergamot Station Arts Center, Santa Monica, CA
Sebastian’s wide range of experience enables him to excel in many disciplines, to find solutions as conceptual as the initial design idea and as specific as the furniture that completes the project. Since joining RIOS in 2004, Sebastian’s contributions have expanded the Studios’ multidisciplinary expression, with work that spans scales from large, urban mixed-use, to institutional, to residential, to furniture that solve complex problems with bold, integrative designs. Sebastian’s wide range of design experience is complemented by his background living in Los Angeles, San Francisco, New Orleans, and New York, which informed his cultural understanding. He was a teaching assistant at Columbia University from 2000-01 and an instructor at Tulane University from 2001-02.
107 Hewitt, Los Angeles, CA OC Multi-use District, Orange County, CA Great 8 Housing, Marina del Rey, CA “LC” Housing, Brentwood, CA “D2” Housing, Marina del Rey, CA Sawtelle Housing, Los Angeles, CA Flower Fields Hotel, Xi’an, China Air Frame Pavilion, Bel Air, CA Modern Barn House, Santa Monica, CA
Education & Affiliations Master of Architecture Columbia University Bachelor of Arts School of Environmental Design University of California, Berkeley
Venice House, Venice, CA Rustic Canyon Pavilion, Santa Monica, CA Malibu Colony House, Malibu, CA Carolwood Residence, Los Angeles, CA Greenbank Residence, Thousand Oaks, CA Mountain Garden Residence, Montecito, CA Rio Bench (in collaboration with Janus et Cie)
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Nate Cormier ASLA, PLA, LEED AP Managing Studio Director, Landscape Architecture
Nate directs the landscape architecture practice at RIOS with a focus on dynamic public spaces.
Selected Project Experience Skyline Park, Denver, CO Philbrook Museum of Art and Gardens, Tulsa, OK Wilshire Boulevard, Beverly Hills, CA The Third Street Promenade 3.0, Santa Monica, CA Lynn Wyatt Square, Houston, TX Dana Point Harbor, Dana Point, CA Drake Bridge Commons, Austin, TX Palm Springs Downtown Park, Palm Springs, CA Exposition Square Streetscapes Plan, Los Angeles, CA South Park Commons, Los Angeles, CA Lincoln Heights Jail Makers District, Los Angeles, CA 1 Hotel, West Hollywood, CA
His interest in landscape design as a form of storytelling drew him to Los Angeles after two decades of practice in Seattle and a Masters in Landscape Architecture from Harvard University’s Graduate School of Design. Nate’s projects, including downtown central parks in Denver, Houston, Seattle, Los Angeles, and Palm Springs, unearth stories of place as catalysts for authentic urban life. Nate teaches and lectures on landscape design at universities and conferences around the country. He has been active on the boards of the national Landscape Architecture Foundation and numerous urban environmental and civic groups. Nate’s current research interest centers around the culture of comfort in places that experience extreme heat. As many regions are growing hotter and as more people are migrating to precisely these regions, what can we learn from global cultures past and present about how to survive? From the urban forest and breeze blocks to porch swings and evening strolls, how do people beat the heat? The contemporary application of this collective wisdom is inventive ways to reduce dependence on air conditioning and attract people to be together outside.
Bradley Green Alley, Pacoima, CA Tustin Hanger Park, Tustin, CA City of Santa Monica Parks Master Plan, Santa Monica, CA Seaport Public Realm, San Diego, CA* Gumbiner Park, Long Beach, CA* Downtown Loop, Denver, CO* Park Paseo, Glendale, CA* Orange Country Great Park, Irvine, CA*
Education & Affiliations Master of Landscape Architecture Harvard University, Graduate School of Design Bachelor of Arts, Asian Studies Bowdoin College
Bell Street Park, Seattle, WA*
Registered Landscape Architect in Texas, California, & Washington
Hing Hay Park, Seattle, WA*
Associate Urban Land Institute
Pioneer Square Alleys, Seattle, WA*
Stewardship Council Member The Cultural Landscape Foundation
*Completed at prior firms
Director Emeritus Landscape Architecture Foundation Director Emeritus Downtown Los Angeles Neighborhood Council
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Brent Jacobsen ASLA Studio Director | Landscape Architecture
Much of Brent’s work at RIOS has been in the public realm, be it a civic park, federal courthouse, or public plaza.
Selected Project Experience West Edge Mixed-Use Development, Los Angeles, CA Martin Expo Town Center, West Los Angeles, CA Tysons Corner Center, Tysons, VA Playa District, Los Angeles, CA ROW DTLA, Los Angeles, CA Horton Plaza Mixed-Use, San Diego, CA Horton Plaza Campus Park, San Diego, CA
Brent’s talents for design and construction emanate from his twin affinities for fine art and woodworking. He specializes in bringing sustainable solutions like green roofs, green walls, and rainwater harvesting to urban sites. Much of his work for our firm has been in the public realm, be it a civic park, the landscape around a federal courthouse, or a plaza for a private shopping center. He has also designed landscape for many of our private sector projects, and has been able to switch between different types such as religious institutions, retail developments, or office complexes, with ease. Brent’s leadership skills propelled him to initiate an office wide effort to streamline project resources, and staff planning. An active member of the American Society of Landscape Architects, Brent has served on the ASLA’s National Emerging Professionals Committee and on the ASLA’s Committee on Education.
SoLA Multi-Family Village, Los Angeles, CA Lynn Wyatt Square for Performing Arts, Houston, TX IAC Building, West Hollywood, CA Parcel M, Los Angeles, CA Pete V. Domenici U.S. Courthouse, Albuquerque, NM The Burbank Collective, Burbank, CA Lantana Media Center, Santa Monica, CA Christ Catholic Cathedral, Garden Grove, CA West Hollywood Aquatic & Community Center and Park, West Hollywood, CA Paramount Studios Master Plan, Los Angeles, CA NBC Universal Master Plan Implementation, Universal City, CA Santa Monica Airport Park, Santa Monica, CA Center for Early Education, Los Angeles, CA
Education & Affiliations Master of Landscape Architecture University of Arizona Bachelor of Arts, Studio Art Stanford University Registered Landscape Architect California License No. 5989 Member American Society of Landscape Architects Member California Native Plant Society Member Sigma Lambda Alpha Honor Society
CEE Sustainability Master Plan, West Hollywood, CA The Music Center Plaza Renovation, Los Angeles, CA Allegiant Stadium, Las Vegas, CA
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Katherine Harvey Studio Director | Landscape Architecture
Kate’s training as both an architect and landscape architect is aligned with the practice’s goal of breaking down boundaries between the design disciplines to create holistic experiences. Selected Project Experience Descanso Gardens Master Plan, La Cañada Flintridge, CA Westside Spur, Confidential, GA Triunfo Retreat, Agoura Hills, CA Tustin Linear Park, Tustin, CA Tustin Streetscapes, Tustin, CA Tustin Flight, Tustin, CA Los Angeles Zoo Event Space, Los Angeles, CA Venice High School, Venice, CA* Chouteau Greenway, St. Louis, MO* LAX Cultural Planning Study, CA*
Katherine Harvey is a Landscape Studio Director of RIOS in Los Angeles. She has worked on a range of projects in the public realm from public parks, cultural planning, to master planning from institutional to neighborhood scale. From the scale of the master plan to the plaza Kate’s interests lie in the resolution of the ecological and tectonic aspects of landscape as a medium, and in exploring how the performative aspects of landscape create enriching experiences. She recently led the effort for the Descanso Gardens Master Plan and the conceptual planning for the Triunfo Retreat, in the Santa Monica Mountains. Kate received her MLA from the University of Pennsylvania. She is a lecturer and studio instructor at the University of Southern California and her work has been published and exhibited nationally.
La Cienega Multi-Family, Los Angeles, CA* Crawford Hall Plaza, University of California, Irvine, CA* Miraloma Park, City of Anaheim Community Services, Anaheim, CA* Paramount Academy, Delano, CA* Chatsworth Hills Academy, Chatsworth, CA* SOHO House Santa Fe, Los Angeles, CA* *Completed with prior firms
Education & Affiliations Master in Landscape Architecture University of Pennsylvania Bachelor of Architecture University of Oregon Columbia University, GSAPP, New York / Paris Program New York, NY and Paris, France Registered Landscape Architect CA License No. 5892
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Peter Emerson Studio Director | Landscape Architecture
Peter melds landscape, planning, and architecture at all scales of design, while working closely with stakeholders, collaborators, and clients to create inspiring places for people to live, work, and play. Selected Project Experience South Park Commons, Los Angeles, CA Lynn Wyatt Square, Houston, TX Third Street Promenade, Santa Monica, CA Crossroads of the World, Hollywood, CA Malibu Living Shoreline Project, Malibu, CA Santa Monica Parks & Recreation Master Plan Update, Santa Monica, CA 1111 Broadway, Oakland, CA US Embassy Master Plan, Canberra, Australia Sunset Las Palmas, Los Angeles, CA Airport Avenue Streetscape, Santa Monica, CA 1 Hotel, West Hollywood, CA NoMa Station Master Plan, Washington, D.C. Wolf Trap National Park Master Plan, McLean, VA Confidential Master Plan, Los Angeles, CA 11601 Wilshire Boulevard, Los Angeles, CA Santa Monica Airport Park, Santa Monica, CA Horton Plaza Park, San Diego, CA
Peter has built a career around complex projects and integrated design. Since joining RIOS, Peter has quickly contributed these skills to become an integral part of the practice. His wealth of experience designing and building campus landscapes, parks, and iconic public spaces has been an asset to some of our most complex projects. His experience spans levels of scale and expertise, from organic farming and systems all the way to international experience designing landscapes for U.S. embassies that promote ecological diplomacy and design excellence. Prior to becoming a landscape architect, he developed two organic farming operations: one at the Rodale Institute Experimental Farm, and the other for Goodwill Industries International. His stance on productive landscapes is that they should be both beautiful and accessible. His projects find balance, whether it be between security and accessibility like at the Lincoln Memorial reflecting pool and grounds, or design and programming like at Jones Plaza in the Houston Theater District. He is a registered landscape architect and a 2009 Olmsted Scholar.
U.S. Embassy Campus, Beirut, Lebanon* U.S. Embassy Renovation, Helsinki, Finland* U.S. Embassy Campus, The Haag, The Netherlands* Fort Lauderdale Beachfronts, Streetscapes and Intracoastal Park, Fort Lauderdale, FL* Jinan Central Business District Landscape Conceptual Design, Jinan, China* John G. and Phyllis W. Smale Riverfront Park, Cincinnati, OH* Renovation of the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool + Grounds, Washington, D.C.*
Education & Affiliations Bachelor of Science Landscape Architecture Temple University Registered Landscape Architect Connecticut License No. 1358 Member  American Society of Landscape Architecture
*Completed at prior firms
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Jessa Chisari Senior Project Director | Landscape Architecture
Jessa’s strong organizational abilities allow her to streamline and synthesize complex projects to get to the heart of the design puzzle.
Selected Project Experience Grand Park, Los Angeles, CA The Buckley School, Sherman Oaks, CA Padaro Lane Residence, Carpinteria, CA Getty Entry, Los Angeles, CA East Valley Adult Center, Sherman Oaks, CA Runway at Playa Vista, Playa Vista, CA
Jessa is a Senior Project Director at RIOS. In her 20 years of experience, she has led a wide range of projects, including commercial and institutional landscapes, public parks and plazas, and residential gardens of all complexities and scales. After completing her graduate degree in architecture, Jessa realized she was most interested in the design of outdoor spaces, and quickly gravitated to landscape architecture. She’s adept at taking rough concepts and bringing them to fruition and especially loves the fast pace of the construction phase, when she has to figure out how to make things work on the fly.
Playa Vista Stage II Housing, Playa Vista, CA Cornerstone Tustin Legacy, Tustin, CA Whittier College Student Center, Whittier, CA The Campus at Playa Vista, Playa Vista, CA Lincoln Heights Jail, Los Angeles, CA Westside Neighborhood School, Playa Vista, CA Mountain Drive Residence, Beverly Hills, CA Colorado Center, Santa Monica, CA Temple Emanual of Beverly Hills, Beverly Hills, CA Main Plaza, San Antonio, CA Tysons Corner Plaza, Tyson, VA Columbia Square, Los Angeles, CA NBC Universal Childcare Center, Universal City, CA 514 Chalette Residence, Beverly Hills, CA
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Education & Affiliations Master of Architecture, Southern California Institute of Architecture Bachelor of Arts, History University of California, Los Angeles
Jason Shinoda
ASLA
Senior Project Designer | Landscape Architecture
Jason has a refined ability to understand and find innovative, elegant design solutions to complex and challenging issues.
Selected Project Experience Columbia Square, Los Angeles, CA San Francisco Flower Mark, San Francisco, CA The Exchange on 16th, San Francisco, CA ROW DTLA, Los Angeles, CA London 2012 Olympic Park Master Plan and Legacy Redevelopment Master Plan, London, UK* North West Cambridge Development Parklands and Public Realm, Cambridge, UK* Education City Campus Master Plan, Oxygen Park, Western Green Spine, and Qur’anic Gardens, Doha, Qatar* Metropolis Phase 1 Hotel and Residential Towers, Los Angeles, CA* The Park at San Diego Tech Center, San Diego, CA The Yard Office Campus, San Diego, CA South Park Highrise Tower, Los Angeles, CA The Reserve, San Diego, CA Towne Center Drive, San Diego, CA
Jason specializes in the design of public spaces, from master plans to plazas and parks, and brings his interest in sustainable urbanism and social and natural ecology to thoughtful, well-crafted designs that are rooted in each project’s context. Jason’s experience spans all stages, scales and typologies. In addition to design, he is skilled at project management and considers his projects with this dual point of view. His ability to understand and find innovative, elegant design solutions to complex and challenging issues have made him a vital part of our leadership team. A Los Angeles native, Jason joined RIOS in 2014 after seven years practicing in London, where he worked on two of the United Kingdom’s most significant landscape urbanism and green infrastructure projects. His experience working abroad taught him the values of empathy and flexibility required of working in new, diverse environments. Jason received his Bachelor of Arts degree from Amherst College, where his studies focused on the intersection between architecture and cultural anthropology, and his Master of Landscape Architecture from the Harvard University Graduate School of Design, where he graduated with Distinction.
Cognition Lobby Interior Landscape, Hollywood, CA National Museum of Qatar, Doha, Qatar* Philbrook Museum and Gardens Master Plan, Tulsa, OK Palm Springs City Park, Palm Springs, CA LT Platinum Anaheim, Anaheim, CA Brentwood Residence, Los Angeles, CA Kuki’o Residence, Kailua-Kona, Hawaii *completed at prior firms
Education & Affiliations Master of Landscape Architecture Harvard University, Graduate School of Design Bachelor of Arts Asian Studies, Cultural Anthropology and Art/ Architectural History, Amherst College Registered Landscape Architect California License No. 6402
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Mike Cheng, ASLA Senior Project Designer | Landscape Architecture
Mike has diverse experience in many landscape types, but his vast experience in residential landscapes shapes spaces that engage users with surprise and delight in their natural surroundings. Selected Project Experience Capitol Milling, Los Angeles, CA NBCU New Child Care Center, Los Angeles, CA D2 Multi-family Residential, Los Angeles, CA Dunn Multi-family Residential, Los Angeles, CA Great 8 Multi-family Residential, Los Angeles, CA 380 Union ARE Office, Pasadena, CA Elysian Station Lofts Mixed Use, Los Angeles, CA Murphy Residence, Pasadena, CA Ostin Residence, Pacific Palisades, CA
Mike has been with RIOS since 2003. His experience in the field of landscape architecture range from conceptual design through design development and construction. He has 17 years of experience working in Landscape Architectural offices such as Peridian International and Melendrez Design Partner and served as a key member on the design staffs. At RIOS Mike has served as Landscape Architect for projects ranging from residential, private estates, institutional, master plans and commercial mix use projects. Most recently he was a key design team member of the recently completed Mexican American museum in downtown Los Angeles, LA Plaza de Cultura y Artes.
Dunn Drive Residences, Culver City, CA R3 Landscape, Los Angeles, CA Neece Residence, Los Angeles, CA Cayton Residence, Los Angeles, CA Burbank Collection, Burbank, CA Sierra Madre Villa Apartments, Pasadena, CA Bay Residence, Bel Air, CA Parcel M, Los Angeles, CA LA Plaza de Cultura y Artes, Los Angeles, CA LAC + USC Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA Kaiser Permanente Hospital, Panorama City, CA LAUSD Edward Roybal Learning Center, Los Angeles, CA The Colburn Center Plaza, Los Angeles, CA
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Education & Affiliations Bachelor of Science Environmental Design, California State Polytechnic University Affiliations Member, American Society of Landscape Architects Member, United States Green Council
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