The project consists of a renovation of an existing condominium unit to alter the space for a live/ work condition. The living portion of the unit is the lower floor while the work space resides in the loft overlooking the double height space. The renovation provided opportunities to both amplify programmatic differentiation and explore correlating warp and weft of a thick surface in development of the office shelving system.

Beyond the classification of living versus working spaces, the delineation between the bathrooms and the bedrooms are heightened with the introduction of two continuous sliding wood walls that extends through a majority of the length of the unit. The sliding walls amplify the separation between service and living spaces, creating clear programmatic delineation. The wet zones containing the bathrooms are congregated to the north of the sliding wood door system that extends for 60% of the length of the unit. To the south, a shorter series of sliding wood doors reveal the children’s bedroom along with linen storage on the corridor side and children’s toys on the bedroom side. In the main living space, a loft was inserted into a double height space to provide an office area that is physically separate yet visually and acoustically connected to the main living area.

The shelving in the work loft explores the formation of thickened surface composed of a warp and weft direction components. The warp (horizontal) components when thickened become the shelves while the weft (vertical) components become the structure to suspend each horizontal layer. The warp and weft are not equal, but rather there is a bias toward the warp where the weft reacts to the behavior of the former. The design process for the shelving system is initiated with a series of neutral horizontal lines projected onto several walls. A topological surface defines the face of the shelving system, reacting to the existing walls, head clearance for the stair, and desired depth of shelving. Folds in the topological surface determine horizontal segments that are thickened, extending to the wall to become the shelving or warp components. The vertical components are created at every change in geometry of the horizontal components; therefore, the angle change of the warp correlates with structural support provided by the weft. Both warp and weft are integral in the cohesion and structure of the thick surface created by the shelving system, but a bias toward the warp alters the behavior of the surface assembly.

Client: Private
Location: Los Angeles, CA
Size: 1,100 sf
Planning: 2005-2012
Construction: 2012

Design Team: Chandler Ahrens, Open Source Architecture