XXXCLOSEXXX

LOWBOY / LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA

PROGRAM: Private studio for a furniture collector, incorporating a motorized elevator platform

SIZE: 800 sq. ft.

COMPLETION: October 2009

NOTES: WF and HSS structural steel frame with reinforced concrete retaining walls and foundation, corrugated and flat metal panel, aluminum glazing systems, modified auto lift with custom platform

PROJECT TEXT: A new accessory studio/library will be built at the bottom of 3521 Landa St., a large downhill lot in the Silver Lake area of Los Angeles, presently occupied by a 2-bedroom house which fronts the street directly at the top of the lot. This project is occasioned by the Owner’s need to invest a significant amount of work in hillside repair and underpinning the existing structure due to a large mudslide on the property two years ago which undermined the house and eroded a portion of the back yard.

The Owner has amassed a significant collection of historically important modern furniture and will use the new studio to store and show his collection. Because there is a limited amount of space available on the lot in the vicinity of the mudslide for new construction, and also because of the City of Los Angeles’ parking policy regarding Hillside construction, it is desired that the footprint of the new studio be minimized. Consequently, the project is envisioned as a multilevel structure with a 600 sq. ft. footprint. A single level/platform will translate vertically via an elevator mechanism through the volume of the tower, allowing it to access the furniture and books arranged on shelves running up the full height of the walls. In addition to this platform and the space through which it travels, the studio will include a kitchen and dining area, a bedroom area, and a single bathroom/shower space (as well as the shelving), bringing the entire assignable area to approximately 800 sq. ft. The new studio/library will itself be accessed separately from the existing house, via a new stair leading up to the street and new parking at the street level; the new stair will be designed in such a way that it may be used to transport/slide the Owner’s collection up and down to the new studio. A target budget of $300,000 has been established for this project. The Owner intends to use the contractor presently engaged in the hillside repair and underpinning of the existing building to construct the new building. It is anticipated that the contractor will be involved in value engineering the project during design and documentation phases.