La Jolla Shores lifeguard station

The lifeguard station at La Jolla Shores Beach (California, United States) is shaped to meet its programmatic needs with the minimum possible impact on the coast. It is organized in two bodies: A one-storey block containing the bulk of the program and a small shack rising above a ladder.

The building inserted in the La Jolla Shores Beach, designed by RNT Architects in collaboration with Héctor Pérez, is elevated above the beach by a stair which culminates in a small hut. This distribution of spaces, which hides the most of the building in the rear of the beach, was chosen to cause the minimum possible impact on the beach, thus enhancing the natural panoramics of the sky and ocean over the intervention.

The project seeks to eliminate architectural interferences in the environment of the beach, rather than creating them. Therefore, the most important intervention consists on, perhaps not the building itself, but the demolition of the previously existing one, which possesed a much greater presence in the overall of the beach. The shack is clad with wood, while the rear building is covered with colorful ceramic tiles.

For further information and description of the project by the architects, watch the following video.-

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Lateral view of the surveillance hut and stairs. La Jolla Shores Lifeguard Station by RNT Architects. Image courtesy of RNT Architects.

Surveillance shack from the boardwalk. La Jolla Shores Lifeguard Station by RNT Architects. Image courtesy of RNT Architects.

Interior of the building. Access to the stairs. La Jolla Shores Lifeguard Station by RNT Architects. Image courtesy of RNT Architects.

View of the beach from the surveillance hut. La Jolla Shores Lifeguard Station by RNT Architects. Image courtesy of RNT Architects.

Interior. La Jolla Shores Lifeguard Station by RNT Architects. Image courtesy of RNT Architects.

Night view of the surveillance hut and stairs. La Jolla Shores Lifeguard Station by RNT Architects. Image courtesy of RNT Architects.

Aerial general view. La Jolla Shores Lifeguard Station by RNT Architects. Video screenshot of "La Jolla Shores Lifeguard Station" by RNT Architects.

Aerial view of the surveillance hut. La Jolla Shores Lifeguard Station by RNT Architects. Video screenshot of "La Jolla Shores Lifeguard Station" by RNT Architects.

Surveillance hut. La Jolla Shores Lifeguard Station by RNT Architects. Video screenshot of "La Jolla Shores Lifeguard Station" by RNT Architects.

Surveillance hut from below. La Jolla Shores Lifeguard Station by RNT Architects. Video screenshot of "La Jolla Shores Lifeguard Station" by RNT Architects.

Urban integration. La Jolla Shores Lifeguard Station by RNT Architects. Video screenshot of "La Jolla Shores Lifeguard Station" by RNT Architects.

Block of facilities. La Jolla Shores Lifeguard Station by RNT Architects. Video screenshot of "La Jolla Shores Lifeguard Station" by RNT Architects.

Facade detail. La Jolla Shores Lifeguard Station by RNT Architects. Video screenshot of "La Jolla Shores Lifeguard Station" by RNT Architects.

Night view. La Jolla Shores Lifeguard Station by RNT Architects. Video screenshot of "La Jolla Shores Lifeguard Station" by RNT Architects.

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Ralph Roesling, Kotaro Nakamura, Chikako Terada Roesling Nakamura Terada Architects

Ralph Roesling. Ralph believes that art and architecture are one in the same with a different emphasis, so it was an easy transition for him. Ralph loves coming into the office and being around creative people, engaging in dialogues about projects. His favorite part is working together with a design team to interpret the client’s dreams into a reality of architecture. Their happiness and inspiration is the ultimate satisfaction to him. When Ralph is not at work, he enjoys going to car museums and car shows, all the while dreaming of designing his own.

Kotaro Nakamura. Kotaro is an American Architect who was born and raised in Japan. He is a Principal of Roesling Nakamura Terada Architects as well as an Interim Director and Professor at the School of Art + Design at San Diego State University. Kotaro has extensive knowledge of energy efficiency and environmentally sensitive design methods from his environmental engineering design background. His design incorporates passive environmental solutions learned from different types of architectural vernacular adapted to area specific climate conditions and available materials in such places as Norway, Southwest United States, and Japan. His recent research involves increasing resilience in communities in crisis such as disaster aftermath and other special conditions.

Chikako Terada. Chikako decided to follow in her father’s footsteps and become an architect. She had always been interested in art and physics, so architecture seemed to be the best of both worlds. She likes how it exposes her to different dimensions in life and that she is able to experience its changes first hand as the field evolves. Architecture is also very nostalgic for Chikako; with each built project, she’s taken back in time to when she designed it and is greeted by old memories.