Integrated Sustainable Design

A far cry from a simple sign on the entry, today’s progressive branding schemes have evolved into immersive environments which truly tell a story about their organization. Along with digital signage, graphical elements, creative lighting, furnishings and infographics, designers are carefully detailing, proportioning and styling interiors to make a lasting impression.

Several years ago, I wrote about a bold commercial project in Italy that blurred the lines between architecture and nature by way of a massive green roof that blended the building mass into the surrounding landscape. With Vulcano Buono, I was captivated by the concept of an architecture that relinquished the idea of being an icon and instead retreated into its environment. The project appealed to my fascination with the interplay of interior and exterior space and the correspondence between nature and the built environment.

Park Place, a well-known corporate campus in Irvine, Calif., is currently going through a transformation. The site has been long known and used as a corporate facility, where some of Irvine’s leading groups have held offices. At 100 acres, its sheer size makes the campus a focal point in the city, and with its new features and facilities, it is quickly becoming recognizable as the workplace of the future.

Has anyone noticed anything different at night while driving along the freeway? I have. In select locations, Caltrans has replaced the traditional, hideously orange sodium vapor lamps with subtly warm, white LED's (light emitting diodes), yielding clean, bright illumination on the nighttime roadways. I've found this refreshing, because I've never liked the garishly orange or yellow color rendition of the sodium lamps. And as a photographer, I've always found overly warm lighting to be frustrating to deal with, or at least be a complication on my picture shooting.

By Guest Blogger Kate Mraw

In last week’s post, we introduced e3 Civic High, San Diego’s revolutionary school-within-a-library that aims to redefine the meaning of the studio, or classroom. In this week’s feature, we’ll discuss the design goals and features, as well as the administration’s emphasis on sustainable architecture and engineering.

By Guest Blogger Kate Mraw

How does a student’s environment impact his or her learning? It’s a question that is important to many educators, researchers, designers and students alike. Research has shown that flexible room layouts can have positive impacts on the way that interactions and learning are accomplished. Beyond the classroom, what happens if we seek to change the entire school environment and experience? In this two-part feature, we will look into San Diego’s e3 Civic High, a real-life experiment in urban education.

LPA’s own Ozzie and Heather Tapia, their daughter Isabel and their stylish Eichler home were recently highlighted in the Orange County Register. Nearly one year ago, the home drew the eye of the couple. With its open layout, glass walls and effortless modernism, the 2,100-square-foot residence not only reflects the family’s taste, but also communicates their lifestyle.

Receiving one of the greatest individual honors from the American Institute of Architects (AIA), LPA Design Principal Glenn Carels, has been elected to the AIA’s College of Fellows, joining President Dan Heinfeld, as the firm’s second FAIA.

By Guest Blogger Donald Pender, AIA, REFP

As school districts continue to look at new ways to engage students with a wide range of learning styles, one new model being considered is the Thematic High School. Career Technical Education is one example of a Thematic High School, but there are others as well. Thematic High Schools can consist of Career Technical Academies, Arts and Music Academies, Science and Technology Academies, College Prep Academies, or any number of targeted themes. There are specific differences between each of these, which can affect design decisions such as learning space requirements and characteristics, and furniture and equipment requirements. For example, an Art and Music Academy would have some very different spatial and equipment requirements than say a Science and Technology Academy.

The Student Recreation Center, at Cal State Northridge, has gotten people’s attention with its eye-catching architecture since its opening in 2012. You’ve seen it featured often on this blog. Designed to incorporate a broad set of programs, for thousands of students, on a tight and narrow site, the center has received a long list of accolades.