Outdoor space

Mariposa Lily transformed a city-owned vacant lot in the Koreatown/Pico-Union neighborhood with 41-units of affordable and permanent supportive housing for low- and very low-income families and seniors. The development’s unit mix includes studios, one-bedroom, two-bedroom and three-bedroom units, all of which are fully accessible for residents regardless of their mobility status. Jonathan Ramirez ArchLenz Photography Eric Staudenmaier The project utilizes the City of Los Angeles’ transit oriented communities ordinance to increase density and reduce parking, in exchange for providing much needed affordable and permanent supportive housing units that  address Los Angeles’ chronically homeless population. E... More

“If I were to describe 212 West 93rd Street in one word it would be: seamless. It was incredibly exciting for me to work on a project that called for so much equilibrium – between new and old, indoors and outdoors, luxury and functionality,” said Eran Chen, founding principal and CEO of ODA. “With the launch of sales, I am excited for New Yorkers to discover this unique property that lends a new perspective on living on the Upper West Side.”  More

“Double Side”-Shimigiah Residential Apartment was a building with no residents for years. At first, the new owner had decided to make some minor alterations in terms of improving the building’s elevations; but under the discussion between our team and the client, we could convince him to renovate all the interior and outdoor spaces.  Caption Caption The northern and southern access to the apartment was completely different. Considering the variety of effective factors on the elevations and also the inconsistency of two facades, each side is determined to have a unique but consistent design. Regardless of all differences, some specific elements, materials and a unique color were shared on both sides, in orde... More

The site is situated on a higher ground between a peaceful residential road access with approximately 1.3m difference in level at front and approximately 0.6m at the back, facing a beautiful golf course.   The design intends to encourage owner to enjoy and engage with: Semi-outdoor & outdoor spaces Greenery surroundings Tropical climate The house is designed to experience tropical modern living with a series of indoor, semi-outdoor spaces and outdoor spaces of different functions. It is generally planned with 2 main wings with a swimming pool in between with the intention to break the building mass yet increasing the building perimeter for the vistas facing the golf course. By doing that, it also encourages more visual li... More

Located on a vegetative gradient in Northern California, this three-acre property is in the Silicon Valley community of Woodside.  The property owners commissioned Surfacedesign to merge the residential structures—designed by architecture firm Olson Kundig—and the surrounding landscape into a single, flowing, integrated entity.  The philosophical design approach prioritized blurring the sight lines of the parcel’s varying elevations and “borrowing” vistas of the adjacent Santa Cruz mountains.  This vision was realized by innovatively creating four distinct planting areas: olive orchard, house entrance (succulents), water-wise perennial meadow, and California native meadow transition edge.  ... More

Real estate developer Carmel Partners awarded Surfacedesign creative control of the outside living spaces at its luxury apartment project Atelier, designed by architecture firm Solomon Cordwell Buenz.  Taking inspiration from the building’s proximity to the former Los Angeles Garment District, Surfacedesign’s overall approach was influenced by the Bauhaus textile patterns of Anni Albers.  Geometrical lines and shapes are repeated throughout the 33-story project’s two outdoor living spaces: pool/amenity deck and rooftop lounge.  Surfacedesign injected the textile inspiration into the composition, stitching together the hardscape with a rich landscape of native and Mediterranean plantings.   Atelier&rsq... More

This project houses a growing graphic/product design office within an existing brick building located in the Jackson square historic district. The design requires the removal of all the existing interior structure while leaving the existing perimeter brick structure and original front facade intact. The new design is comprised of inserting a steel ribbon frame at the front of the facade to create a large jacketed bay window, and adding a second story structure that connects to an open roof deck area above. A series of steel moment frames are used for the primary structure throughout the building to seismically brace the existing brick walls and to collect the additional loads of the new second story. The roof plane and roof deck have bee... More