Samuel Freeman, a fine art gallery located in the City of Los Angeles, is part of the Culver City Arts District along La Cienega Blvd. The project is a complete re-purposing of an existing 5,900 square foot, one story office building with an atrium space at its center. Removal of 1,700 square feet along the rear alley allowed for the creation of nine previously non-existent parking spaces, which qualified the owner for several special Zoning and Building and Safety considerations, thus enabling the project’s construction both financially and from a design perspective.

Conceptually, the design creates a space that allows for an intimate viewing experience of the artworks. To transition from outside to inside is to enter the world of Samuel Freeman: a world that is private, calm, welcoming, and conducive to the quality of art viewing experience the owner seeks to provide. By maintaining the existing atrium space, but making its walls completely transparent and even retractable, the overall design unfolds gradually, creating an intriguing experience of outdoor/indoor circulation that encourages viewers to both linger and explore. Leaving the kinetic energy of La Cienega Blvd. behind one enters the private, calm and welcoming world of Samuel Freeman. The dissolved line between interior and courtyard affords a private connection back to the outside world encouraging guests to linger and explore this unique art viewing space.

Samuel Freeman will be the first “Green” art gallery space in Los Angeles. Innovative “light scoops” were specifically designed with passive ventilator chimneys above to bring soft North light into the main exhibition spaces and provide passive ventilation. Additional “light slots” balance the daylight entering the galleries. This innovative day lighting strategy was a key element in the development of the two main galleries. The passive ventilation system allows for flexible occupancy loading while maintaining a high level of fresh air exchange. The entire project features in-floor, solar thermal radiant heating under a reclaimed oak flooring. Salvaging much of the existing roof, concrete slab, and foundations from the original building significantly contributed to the overall sustainability of the design.

The Samuel Freeman project brings the intimacy and simple warmth requested by the client together with a design vision of “quiet creativity” to produce a unique type of space for viewing and selling artwork. The new building demonstrates both the clear viability of renovation projects and a shared client/architect vision of a sustainable art exhibition space.

Live Animals is an ambitious young digital editing and production company. This complete renovation of an existing 8,000 square foot warehouse in a transitional area adjacent to the arts district of Culver City provides for both digital editing and large-scale production space. Integration of daylighting into non-editing spaces and passive ventilation options for production areas conserve major amounts of energy. Interior surfaces include cement-fiber board, salvaged steel, colored forming plywood, salvaged wood siding and all natural interior finishes throughout.

BLK.MRKT. Gallery is a complete tenant improvement of an existing 3,000 square foot storefront location in Culver City. A combination of art gallery and advertising agency, the project accommodates both street level gallery space and upper level design and production office spaces.

An extra-large steel framed window spans vertically across the gallery up into the agency conference room. The design conceptually overlaps the two distinct business components of BLK.MRKT.

For example, salvaged lumber and other materials from the interior demolition of the original space were utilized in the new project. The horizontal wood cladding at the entry was made from 2×4’s salvaged from the lower level demolition. Keeping many of the old building materials and reusing them contributes significantly to the overall sustainability of the project.

W3 Architects is proud of our association with the Big Blue Bus because we believe in the ultimate sustainability of clean powered mass transit.

The Big Blue Bus Customer Service Center and Transit Store is an innovative example of green retail design for the City Santa Monica that transforms 1,000 square feet of retail space into a new satellite store for the Big Blue Bus part Customer Service Center with full time staff and part public retail space for Big Blue Bus merchandise, the design accommodates both public and private interactions.

Referring to the design of the Big Blue Bus itself, a blue aluminum “ribbon” wraps from the exterior into the interior and serves multiple functions from signage to retail display. Among other features, the building’s design includes a passive ventilation system, extensive daylighting, recycled car tire flooring, agricultural waste board cabinetry, eco-resin stair panels and solar photovoltaic powered signage.