In the city of Los Angeles in California, the Brooks + Scarpa architecture studio led by architects Angela Brooks and Lawrence Scarpa, intervened on the site of a former gas station to transform it into a new building. 

Magnolia Hill is a complex consisting of 19 apartments distributed in the three upper floors and a ground floor offering retail space. With this project, the site of the former gas station has been transformed into a more compact and responsible urban living model.
The characteristic form and function integrated into Brooks + Scarpa's project result in a high-performance building, where maximization of natural light and bioclimatic design is the project guidelines that articulate this project. 

The permeable layers of the façade are made of perforated aluminum. This choice creates an ever-changing screen that glows in the sun and shines at night. It provides shade, reduces noise, and improves privacy.
 

Description of project by Brooks + Scarpa

This 19-unit mixed-use multi-family building includes three stories of flats and double-height mezzanine loft apartments, as well as 1600 square feet of retail on the ground floor. The site of a former gas station has been transformed into a model for more compact, responsible urban living.

The permeable layers of the perforated aluminum façade creates an ever- changing screen that sparkles in the sun and glows at night, while simultaneously providing shade to cool the building, reducing noise, enhancing privacy, and still allowing for spectacular views, great natural light and ventilation from prevailing breezes which pass through its millions of perforations. 

The material reappears as a strategic arrangement of screens on the east, west and north-facing walls, lending a subtle rhythm to the exterior circulation while filtering direct sunlight thru the façade. This lends unexpected visual depth, enhancing the structure’s geometric texture. 

Its unique architectural form and integrated function creates a high-performing building that is an expression of the people who live there and the environmental and cultural context in which it is built. 

The building form is also shaped to create a light filled courtyard on the second level providing residents with a secure and welcoming surrounding while connecting directly to the street below. Exterior walkways eliminate the need for climate-controlled circulation, while allowing for cross ventilation and ample daylight from a multitude of  directions.

Large areas of glazing and operable window maximize daylighting and optimize building performance. Indoor air quality was emphasized by minimizing off-gassing. Formaldehyde-free MDF cabinetry, no-VOC paints, natural linoleum, and LED lighting were used to minimize pollution from materials. These details, coupled with the qualities and character found throughout, distinguish this project from similar projects and benefit not only each individual resident but also the community at large.

Read more
Read less

More information

Label
Architects
+ + copy Created with Sketch.
- + copy Created with Sketch.
Label
Collaborators
Text
Lead Designer.- Lawrence Scarpa, FAIA. Structural Engineer.- John Martin Associates. MEP Engineering.- Henderson Engineering. Civil Engineering.- Barbara Hall. Landscape Architect.- PLAN(t) Landscape Studio. Project Team.- Angela Brooks, FAIA, Micaela Danko, Tod Funkhauser, Jeffrey Huber, FAIA, Dionicio Ichillumpa, Iliya Muzychuk, Chinh Nguyen, Fui Srivikorn, Diane Thepkhounphithack, Yimin Wu, Arty Vartanyan.
+ + copy Created with Sketch.
- + copy Created with Sketch.
Label
Builder
Text
Hillock Land Company, Danny Kradjian.
+ + copy Created with Sketch.
- + copy Created with Sketch.
Label
Area
Text
2107.97 sqm.
+ + copy Created with Sketch.
- + copy Created with Sketch.
Label
Budget
Text
€5.5 M. / $6.2 M.
+ + copy Created with Sketch.
- + copy Created with Sketch.
Label
Dates
Text
2021.
+ + copy Created with Sketch.
- + copy Created with Sketch.
Label
Location
Text
11714 Magnolia Blvd., Valley Village, Los Angeles, CA, United States.
+ + copy Created with Sketch.
- + copy Created with Sketch.
Label
Photography
+ + copy Created with Sketch.
- + copy Created with Sketch.
Brooks + Scarpa is a collective of architects, designers and creative thinkers dedicated to enhancing the human experience. Honored with the 2014 Smithsonian Cooper- Hewitt National Design Award, the firm is a multi-disciplinary practice.

Founded in 1991 as Pugh + Scarpa, the firm changed its name in 2010 to reflect the current leadership under Angela Brooks, FAIA and Lawrence Scarpa, FAIA. Today, Brooks + Scarpa is a 25 person interdisciplinary practice involved in rigorous design and research that yields innovative, iconic buildings and urban environments.

With more than one hundred significant national and international awards and thousands of publications awards include; the Smithsonian Cooper-Hewitt National Design Award, National and State of California American Institute of Architects Firm Award, The Lifetime Achievement Award from AIA California Council and Interior Design Magazine, Architectural Record Houses, Architectural Record Interiors, The World Habitat Award and The Rudy Brunner Prize. 

The firm’s work has been exhibited worldwide including venues such as The Museum of Contemporary Art Los Angeles, The National Building Museum, Portland Museum of Art, the Gwanju Bienale and has also appeared on The Oprah Winfrey Show.
Read more
Published on: January 3, 2022
Cite: "Freshness and dynamism guided by light. Magnolia Hill by Brooks + Scarpa" METALOCUS. Accessed
<https://www.metalocus.es/en/news/freshness-and-dynamism-guided-light-magnolia-hill-brooks-scarpa> ISSN 1139-6415
Loading content ...
Loading content ...
Loading content ...
Loading content ...
Loading content ...
Loading content ...
Loading content ...
Loading content ...
Loading content ...
Loading content ...
Loading content ...
Loading content ...
Loading content ...
Loading content ...
Loading content ...
Loading content ...
Loading content ...
Loading content ...
Loading content ...
Loading content ...
Loading content ...
Loading content ...
Loading content ...
Loading content ...
Loading content ...
Loading content ...
Loading content ...
Loading content ...
Loading content ...
Loading content ...
Loading content ...
Loading content ...
Loading content ...
Loading content ...
Loading content ...
Loading content ...
Loading content ...
Loading content ...
Loading content ...
Loading content ...
Loading content ...
Loading content ...
Loading content ...
Loading content ...
Loading content ...
Loading content ...
Loading content ...
Loading content ...
Loading content ...
Loading content ...
Loading content ...
Loading content ...
Loading content ...
Loading content ...