The amenity-rich development of Elements consists of 1,600 apartment homes and 17,000 SF of retail space on a 23-acre in-fill site. The architectural concept was to take “elements’ found in nature and develop a series of design vocabularies related to building massing, use of color, materials and textures. Inspired by the elements: wood, metal, earth, water and fire, the resulting architectural styles complement each other for design continuity yet contrast nicely to help break down the scale of the overall community. Featured in the current images is Phase I of a five-phase development.

The design for Chico State's Sutter Hall employs a “village” concept throughout the site. The proposed design engages two legs of the existing Whitney Hall to create a dynamic and diverse experience for students living in both buildings. The new building creates a vibrant courtyard, giving students who live on the site a unique sense of place. The first-floor program – dining and housing support – promotes the use of the courtyard as a spillover space for interior program functions and provide a variety of programmable uses for the courtyard. The site is a popular pedestrian circulation route for students traveling from University Village Housing north of the main campus to the academic core, so the large number of students traveling through the courtyard will charge the space with varying degrees of activity.

The building massing is developed around the concept of a butte. By acting as a “butte” to Whitney Hall, the building gradually steps up in elevation from the southwest to the northeast corner. Varying the massing softens the impact of the building on the adjacent two-story structures, while maximizing the number of beds on the site.
 

AC Martin provided architectural and engineering services for the rehabilitation of Los Angeles’ historic Subway Terminal Building as live/work loft housing. The project served as a case study model for the City’s recently approved Adaptive Reuse Ordinance. AC Martin provided public space historic renovations, new parking structure and complete seismic and structural work.  

Built in 1925 by the Pacific Electric Railroad, the 482,450 sf Historic Subway Terminal Building was originally an office building that housed the Red Car Subway Station until 1956 when the system was permanently retired. The building design features four north-south wings, joined by an east-west corridor. 

Floors three and above (totaling 294,300 sf) were reconfigured and fully outfitted by Thomas P. Cox Architects. Thirty-one unit types range from 384 sf studios to a 2,200 sf, three-level penthouse.

The roof areas between the apartment wings was given a hardscape design by Mia Lehrer Associates, who also created a roof garden on the top of one of the towers.

AC Martin’s design of the five-level parking structure mirrors the mass and strength of the historic building, and adds contemporary features such as a “green wall” of plantings.

Located one block from the historic and iconic Capitol Records building, the Yucca Hollywood is a new 30-story mixed-used project that will bring 269 residential units and 7,760 SF of commercial/restaurant space to Hollywood. A five-story podium base, clad primarily in solid panels and glass, establishes the project’s clean contemporary design while containing retail space, resident lobby and parking structure. A series of landscaped outdoor amenity areas, including a spacious pool terrace, sits atop the podium at the fifth level where residents will overlook the surrounding city views. A multi-colored glass tower steps back from the podium on all four sides and features an array of varied balcony cutouts and projections to create patterns that ripple across the facades and provides a sense of vibrancy. 

Designed for Caruso Affiliated, Excelsior is the mixed-use condominium component of the Americana at Brand Shopping Center in Glendale. To create this six-story building with ground-floor retail, recreational amenities on the second level, and 100 luxury condominium units above, our design team worked with the City of Glendale on an alternative means and methods approach to the building code to enable the use of more cost-effective Type III construction. The result is a unique living situation within an exciting retail environment.

This 60 unit multi-family affordable rental housing project is a catalyst to the redevelopment of downtown Downey. AC Martin worked closely with the developer and city to establish parameters for higher density housing which will be applied throughout the downtown specific plan. This project draws upon numerous funding sources and is targeted for LEED Silver. The building’s design is inspired from examples of mid-century modern architecture found in Downey and within the downtown area. The step down of the building along the front facade provides a terrace offering residents views of the city as well as an arable garden.

Situated in the heart of Los Angeles’ rapidly evolving Arts District, this 12-story mixed-use development dynamically blends three key components – a 129-unit Live/Work condominium tower clad from top to bottom in artwork created by a group of local muralists, a highly creative 113-room boutique “art” hotel, and over 70,000 square feet of community-serving retail space including a diverse array of shops and restaurants. Arts District Center draws inspiration from the local LA Arts District, using art as a unifying theme. Nearly a decade in development, the resulting project has intentionally differentiated itself from others by infusing artistic flourishes throughout. Additional examples of this guiding vision include dedicating a pedestrian-friendly Art Plaza on the corner of Fifth and Seaton Streets, over 10,000 square feet of Art Gallery/Event space and over 3,000 square feet of artist-collaborative space known as “CoLab” for aspiring designers and artists.

Located in the heart of Hollywood just blocks from the historic intersection of Hollywood and Vine, Modera Hollywood features 248 luxury apartment units and 12,800 sf of commercial space in two buildings. This mixed-use project in this very walkable neighborhood offers a clean, sophisticated design palette with tall transparent retail spaces at the ground level and a series of contemporary floating wood masses that create visual movement to break up the building façade above. Expansive roof decks overlooking the Hollywood cityscape are provided on both buildings while top floor units capture the surrounding views with large storefront windows under a projecting canopy.

Patterned after a Mediterranean hillside village, the eclectic architectural style and varied color palette of 360° Luxury Apartments helps to break up the building massing of this high density 1,800-unit development. An impressive array of contemporary art is featured throughout the community in public plazas, pool terraces and more secluded courtyards. A full range of resort-level amenities, concierge services and resident-serving retail make this apartment home community feel more like a destination resort.

Situated on a pair of narrow mid-block lots, this 29-story mixed-use development in LA’s Financial District spans two city streets with pedestrian-friendly commercial spaces and residential lobby entrance at the ground level. Views to the above-grade parking structure are shielded on both street frontages by façade designs comprised of residential units, resident amenity spaces and translucent channel glass. Inspired by the indoor-outdoor lifestyle of Southern California, 205 residential units feature large open-air living spaces. Whether entertaining guests or enjoying a relaxing afternoon at home, residents can open a full-width sliding glass wall system to transform their unit. The result is a seamless blending of indoor and outdoor space. Residents choose from an array of landscaped terraces including a rooftop terrace on the tower’s 29th level, a spacious terrace on the 8th level including passive seating areas, a sculptural water feature and dog run, and a pool and spa deck with private cabanas on the 12th level.