PROJECT DESCRIPTION

California Design and Build LLC is offering to direct the development of this property on behalf of the owners or for a third party. The following is a development concept by California Design and Build (CDB) for consideration. It is the opinion of CDB that the purpose of the development should be to create a ‘multi-use’ artists’ live-work community, in order to obtain the maximum reliable return on investment in the shortest amount of time. The justification for such a specific solution will hopefully be apparent in this proposal.

BUILDING AND HISTORY

The warehouse was built as a in 1913 using brick, steel and concrete. It is a 60,000 sq ft building (85,000 sq ft including all floors). It has concrete and wood flooring, a freight elevator, a view of the downtown skyline and a 15,000 square foot fenced parking lot. There are three floors on two sides of the structure that overlook a 12,000 square ft central hall with 28 ft high ceillings. Since it was built it has always been a warehouse. Entitlements exist for its conversion into 72 artists-in-residence live-work condominiums.

CENTRAL LOS ANGELES

440 Seaton Street is located in the Los Angles Arts District, exactly one mile from the skyscrapers of downtown The skyscrapers are clearly visible from inside the warehouse. On the roof, a panoramic view of all Los Angeles. The building is currently used as a filming location not only as a disused warehouse but for rooftop chase scenes with the perfect Los Angeles backdrop. Half a block away is Urth Caffe. It is also close to the Molino Street Loft Development, Little Tokyo, Southern California Institute of Architecture (Sci-Arc), and Civic Center.

Seaton Street Warehouse, images reproduced without permission

DEVELOPMENT PROPOSAL

CDB proposes to develop the warehouse into an Artists’ live-work community while structurally changing as little as possible to the building. There becomes a point at which, if a building is altered enough during the course of a redevelopment, it is more cost effective to entirely replace the building. This building is structurally sound, and its replacement would be an unneccesary cost both financially and environmentally. Adaptive use of the existing structure as it stands is not only faster and more efficient, but it can provide, in this case, a higher return on investment with less time, energy and money. 

DEVELOPMENT PHILOSOPHY

The most beautiful product in any market will always have a customer. There is no shortage of buyers for the best in class. There are long waiting lists for million dollar cars. Unlike diamonds which have strict classifications or gold which is sold by weight, real estate is not made more valuable by spending the most amount money or the most man hours on construction. In real estate, good decisions make the property more valuable, and the really good decisions make the property more valuable with less money. In this case, it makes sense to renovate and preserve the existing structure and materials, restoring the original beauty of the building.

EXISTING STRUCTURE

Since the building was designed for the purpose of a warehouse and not an apartment complex or office building, there is no central lightwell that would be capable of bringing natural light to anywhere other than the ‘top’ floor in the center of the structure. This is why there are only the three floors on the outskirts of the building, where there are three rows of windows. The cathedral like space in the center of the building which is lit with skylights could be used as a feature of the development, instead of it being sliced up and cut off into dark spaces. Ventilation and fire safety are also critical factors besides having access to natural light and the benefit of a feature atrium.

Seaton Street Warehouse, photography by Stephen Payne

MATERIAL RESTORATION

There is a huge amount of wood in the building. The roof, the floors and the ceiling all need to be assessed, and in all liklihood, treated and preserved chemically with an environment and human friendly product. The concrete and the brickwork also needs to be investigated, although first impressions are that these are sound. It may be prudent to reinforce brickwork in certain areas or in all key areas preemptively, based on structural assessment.

SALVAGE MATERIALS

Most or all of the materials required for developing this hundred year old building can be obtained by salvage. It only makes sense to use materials with the same age and aesthetic qualities as the building they are destined for. Some materials are available as salvage, like teak, that today could not be acquired in good conscience. This may or may not result in a cost reduction, but it would be no more expensive and kinder to the environment.

COMMUNAL SPACES

The cathedral like atrium in the center of the warehouse is a perfect hub for this Artist’s Community. It is a place that can be filled with content appropriate with the development. The floorspace can be divided up between communal work and leisure areas and areas occupied by short and long term tenants, artists and vendors.

Reproduced without permission, for inspiration purposes only

GREEN UTILITIES

Electricity and water need to be meter supplied to all areas of the building. Energy use for buildings is the number one talking point in the construction industry today, and for good reason. In America, 40% of all energy consumed is by residental and commercial buildings. The target of energy efficient construction is the zero energy building (ZEB). A ZEB consumes no energy and in some cases produces energy which can be supplied back to the grid and sold to the power companies. The Warehouse would still need the grid to supply power for the many modern conveniences and special equipment of the tenants and users. However, current technologies for the heating, cooling and hot water for buildings, do not cost any more than existing products that utilize gas or electric, and they can be 100% more efficient. These heating, cooling and hot water systems consume only energy obtained locally, from the sun using solar panels or from ambient heat using ground or air based heat pumps or both. CDB has previoulsy utilized ground pump water heating systems, powered by solar panels.

ENERGY EFFICENCY

Half the task for a zero energy building is to not lose the energy that it has generated or conserved. When it’s cold, heat loss needs to be prevented. When it’s hot, solar gain needs to be avoided. LED lighting consumes 100x less energy than a system which uses regular bulbs. Even the heat generated from different areas of the house like the kitchen and bathroom can be tuned into energy using heat exchanging ventilation.

Reproduced without permission, for inspiration purposes only

INFORMATION NETWORK

As there will be anywhere up to a hundred or more users of the internet at any one time, it would be cost efficient to install a T-1 line or greater for vastly increased internet connection speeds. Modern commercial developments require plans for information and communication networks at the same time as the plans for the power and water. In-house communications and security can all be operated on one internal network, accessed via the internet.

STUDIO SPACE

Among the residents and visitors, there will invariably be film-makers, photographers, musicians and many more that use specialized or technical equipment and/or studio space. Many artists require access to these kinds of resources occassionally. Studio space and equipment can be leased short or long term. The Warehouse would not provide studio lighting or sound recording equipment, but studios with photography scoops and sound proof recording rooms with electricity. Artists can bring their own tools of the trade and rent equipment from one of the many services offered in Los Angeles. These shared studios will allow all these artists come and ‘plug-and-play.’

FACEBOOK GENERATION

In recent years freelancers and professional artists have been forced to adapt or fall behind, just like the rest of the world, to technologies that have revolutionised how the world works and plays. The internet is here to stay, it’s hard to imagine a worls without it now. It has connected everybody without having to leave our laptops or look up from our mobile phone. Professional artists and freelancers go where there is work, and there is work on the internet. Bands are not the only products being sold on social networks. If we are all to stare at our laptops and mobile phones, then we may as well do it in the same room as at least some of the people on our friends list.

Reproduced without permission, for inspiration purposes only

COMMUNITY

Artists of all kinds eat food, drink beverages, read books, magazines and buy clothes and so do all their friends. Where there is a community there is business and The Warehouse can generate income by the success of its inhabitants. Stores, services and space to enoy it all, invites more traffic and provides amenities for the tenants.

ARTISTS IN RESIDENCE

In one of the many motels, hotels and showhomes across the western world, there are paintings of flowers on the walls, reproductions of old masters, ornate vases and meticulous decorations throughout. It all costs money and it’s all there for a good reason, even if it doesn’t fit everybody’s taste. Generally, an empty room is not inviting. People are attracted to content and activity. Artists provide content by definition and if you put enough of them into one place and they will fill it with art. A space with utilities, a kitchen and a bathroom is enough.

COMPARIBLE CASE STUDY

There has already been a successful enterprise using this exact same business model. The Custard Factory in Birmingham, England, was once a derilict building in desperate need of restoration. It was purchased for next to nothing and developed over the next few years to eventually become one of the largest collections of artists in Europe. It is now home to television media companies, major record labels, a nationally renowned nightclub and a lve music venue, fine restaurants, clothing and furniture stores and hundreds of independent artists.

Custard Factory - images reproduced without permission, for inspiration purposes only

RESIDENTIAL LOFTS

Modern artists live in the same place that they work, either in a loft, a home-office or an office they call home. It could be argued that they have more eclectic tastes, and these need to be catered for. Creature comforts are especially noticable in the kitchen and bathroom. Taps, sinks, showers and baths that are approporiate for the style and scale of the building are small ticket items but they can make ALL the difference. If you provide a place with facilities to prepare and eat food with ease and another to bathe in privacy and comfort, it's halfway to home.

ECONOMY OF SCALE

The current plans for the developmentof the warehouse are for 72 artists’ live-work condominiums. This leaves each artist with less than 1000 sq ft, without including any communal area. Reducing the number of units by half would mean that each artist would get twice the space, on average. Each unit would be, on average, twice as expensive, generating the same amount of income. However, only half as many units would have to be filled to reach capacity, providing the same income with half the of work and half as many kitchens and bathrooms.

DESIGN PHILOSOPHY

A lot can be achieved with very little effort. Good design comes from the use of elements that increase beauty and functionality and removing elements that do not. What doesn’t add, detracts. Making a beautiful environment does not require the most expensive decorations. It requires careful consideration of all the elements including content, colors, tones, composition and light, just like the painting of a picture or the taking of a photograph.

Reproduced without permission, for inspiration purposes only

CREATIVE SPECTRUM

Film-makers and photographers are not the only artists that need a place to call home. The Custard Factory is home to a thriving theater company and a dance school. There are also sign-printers, sculptors, copyrighters publishers, model agencies and homeopaths to name a few. These people want somewhere fun to live and work too. Variation in the range of units will cater for the different requirements of the occupants.

SERVICE AND RETAIL

Service and retail in communal areas should be encouraged and cultivated. Suitable areas should be fitted out to accomodate traders that sell items that are either universal, such as food, drink or clothing or appropriate to the general community like books, art or furniture.

THERAPY AND HEALING

Perhaps one of the less appreciated art forms is the art of healing. Yoga and reiki practitioners, masseurs and therapists may or may not consider themselves artists, but they are all welcome here. The Custard factory has many such residents and they make a significant contribution to the community. Your health is your wealth.

Reproduced without permission, for inspiration purposes only

GALLERY SPACE

A community of artists should have a permanent gallery. Although art will inevitably be scattered throughout the building there should be an offical area with art for sale. Art needs to be refreshed periodically. Galleries are businesses like any other, even though they are little more than four walls upon which to hang pieces of art. If space is not leased to an independent gallery, it would be a simple task to create a “Warehouse Gallery”

ART SHOWS AND EVENTS

Shows and events are a significant source of income for galleries and artists. They are the traditional method of networking and offer the opportunity for artists to platform new work. Professionals can meet new clients and entertain existing ones. For visitors it is an opportunity to enjoy an art show and have some fun.

Reproduced without permission, for inspiration purposes only

WORKS OF ART

Big corporations pay handsome sums for great works of art to be placed outside their offices. Merrill Lynch has a giant brass bull outside its offices. Burning Man has a giant burning man. These are grand spectacles that serve no obvious purpose but they are powerful tools. They are beacons that call people to gather in one place.

CORPORATE EVENTS

The Custard Factory rents out space short term for corporate seminars, conferences, presentations, parties and all manner of events for which corporations require a large amount of space for a short amount of time. An attractive location with ample space, utilities and amenities is an invitation to any company that needs a venue with style. As with the studios and the living accomodations, there are basic requirements that need to be fulfilled, and these can be provided for while retaining the overall aesthetic of a creative community.