Light Box
ANX
Posted: October 3, 2018 | Projects
On a gritty stretch of Venice Boulevard in Los Angeles, the Pacific Shore Property Management office sits on a previously vacant 2,500-square-foot infill commercial parcel. Dubbed the “Light Box” for its simple geometry slotted in acknowledgment of the natural solar conditions, the 2,200-square-foot office for the boutique property management firm discreetly slips into the streetscape of tightly packed auto body shops, neon sign fabricators, digital printers, and various light commercial businesses. The design expands upon the urban texture of the street, while also carving out a bright, naturally-illuminated respite for the office staff and their clientele.
The project is composed of two primary furniture elements – a double height rift-sawn white-oak-clad spatial volume, and a white lacquered cluster of seating modules – inserted into a 25′-wide × 66′6″-long × 22′6″-tall building envelope.
To maximize the usable area of the narrow lot, the exterior walls were assembled and waterproofed horizontally on site and then tilted into position with a crane along the property lines.
Following the completion of the envelope, the furniture elements were installed within the space. The office’s interior is organized into three zones: the double-height ground floor area contains the primary circulation and the staff seating; the ground floor of the wood insertion is populated by the waiting room, conference room, two management offices, and the restrooms; and the mezzanine holds additional staff workrooms and storage areas.
In response to the contrasting goals of an open and naturally lit, yet secure and private working environment, the “Light Box” is fitted with an array of skylights within the ceiling slots at the roof and a perforated steel screen at the Venice Boulevard façade.
The skylights register the time of day through the constantly changing light on the wood interior. In addition, the scale and orientation of the façade screen provides diffused lighting in the afternoon and presents an illuminated edifice by night to safely light the sidewalk and bike parking at the street. Ultimately, the “Light Box” serves as a device to both capture and emit the quintessential glow of Los Angeles.
Project Team: Aaron Neubert (Principal), David Chong (Project Architect), Jeremy Limsenben, Xiran Zhang / Structural Engineer: Gordon Polon Consulting Engineers / General Contractor: Bulson / Steel Fabrication: CWI / Fred Vasquez / Millwork Fabrication: Dan Taron and Bulson / Photography: Brian Thomas Jones
PRODUCT INFORMATION
Windows, Entrances & Storefronts: Metal Window Corp.
Daylighting/Skylights: VELUX
PROJECT TEAM
Architect
ANX
2814 Rowen Avenue, #1
Los Angeles, CA 90039
www.a-n-x.com
Structural Engineer
Gordon Polon Engineering
1718 22nd Street
Santa Monica, CA 90404
Mechanical & Electrical Engineer
Hariton Engineering
751 N. Fair Oaks Avenue, #201
Pasadena, CA 91103
General Contractor
Bulson & Company, Inc.
14044 Ventura Boulevard, #308
Sherman Oaks, CA 91423
Location: Los Angeles, California
Date Bid: Jul 2014
Construction Period: Feb 2015 to Mar 2016
Total Square Feet: 2,207
Site: 0.58 acres.
Number of Buildings: One.
Building Sizes: First floor, 1,573; second floor, 634; total, 2,207 square feet.
Building Height: First floor, 17′11½″; second floor, 9′; total, 22′7″.
Basic Construction Type: New/V-B.
Foundation: Cast-in-place, reinforced concrete, slab-on-grade.
Exterior Walls: Curtain wall, stucco with storefront glazing.
Roof: Built-up.
Floors: Concrete, wood.
Interior Walls: Wood stud drywall.
View full project details in magazine issue September-October 2018.