Residential architect '04 Design Awards

Residential Architect, May, 2004 by Meghan Drueding, Cheryl Weber, Nigel F. Maynard, Shelley D. Hutchins

Further cost-control measures include on-grade parking, as well as the absence of elevators and double-loaded corridors. The open-plan, 18-foot-ceilinged apartments, all with mezzanine levels except for one four-story unit, are renting to 25-to-35-year-old singles and couples. Not only do the two-story volumes provide a quality-of-life advantage, but they also help distort noise from the freeway directly opposite the building.--m.d.

principal in charge / project architect / land planner / developer / general contractor / interior designer: Jonathan Segal, FAIA; project size: 600 to 1,000 square feet per unit; site size: 0.2 acre; construction cost: $87 per square foot; rental price: $900 to $1900 per month; units in project: 22; photographer: Jimmy Fluker, except where noted. See page 128 for product information.

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multifamily

merit

norton towers-on-the-court, west hollywood, calif.

lehrer architects la

los angeles

West Hollywood, Calif., has a legacy of courtyard housing, so the city encourages developers to build within the tradition. This project however is the first one to implement the standard on such a narrow lot--and to do it successfully. "Nicely executed," said our judges.

Architect Michael B. Lehrer says the project's master stroke is the west-facing aluminum and glass tower. It enlivens the modern facade of the six-unit building while also controlling natural light and ventilation. "On the ground floor of a typical unit, it would be dark," he says. "But here all the light is captured and you experience it on all floors." The tower acts as a thermal chimney, pulling hot air from the tour floors and forcing it out through operable doors.

The exterior of each unit is delineated by bold colors, an inexpensive way to achieve richness and identity. And on the interior, Lehrer carried through the Modern aesthetic with such spare detailing as 1/4-inch reveals at wall bases, bamboo cabinetry and flooring, and synthetic concrete countertops.--n.f.m.

principal in charge: Michael B. Lehrer, FAIA, Lehrer Architects LA; project architect: Christian Arndt, Lehrer Architects LA; developer: Jonathan Lehrer-Graiwer & Leo Moore, Los Angeles; general contractor: Leo Moore, Leo Moore & Associates, Los Angeles; landscape architect: Mia Lehrer, Mia Lehrer Associates, Los Angeles; project size: 1,700 to 2,200 square feet per unit; site size: 0.17 acre; construction cost: $185 per square foot; sales price: $650,000 to $740,000 per unit; units in project: 6; photographer: Tom Bonner. See page 128 for product information.

[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]

multifamily

merit

north beach malt house, san francisco

mbh architects

alameda, calif.

in a previous life, the North Beach Malt House was home to several family-owned brewing companies. Today, the renovated building is the anchor of a four-building condo project that blends both old and new aesthetics.

The program called for conversion of the malt house into condo units and the addition of three new, Modern-style buildings. To that end, MBH Architects left the interior concrete walls of the malt house exposed, preserving its industrial roots. And the firm speced painted steel and aluminum windows to unify the old building with the new ones. "The fenestration and the width of the bays drew off the old building," says Mark Blunck, marketing coordinator.