TCA Architects

6TH STREET PLACE

tcaeditor - Oct 14, 2024

6th Street Place addresses the widespread homeless population of downtown Los Angeles. 6th Street Place uses modular construction, and services will be provided by The People Concern, a case management and advocacy organization with deep ties to the Skid Row community. The concept of community is at the core of the project’s design. Each pre-fabricated module is articulated individually on the façade, giving identity to the resident within it. Together, the modules form a cohesive building, just as a collection of individuals make a complete community. Not only does 6th Street Place provide much needed housing, but a strong sense of community through art and architecture. Built in a factory and assembled on site, modular design is environmentally friendly by reducing construction waste and impacts to the community.

Burbank Boulevard Senior Housing

tcaeditor - Oct 04, 2024

TCA redesigned Burbank Boulevard Senior Housing from an existing entitlement. The project provides much needed affordable housing to senior citizens. Small unit sizes maximize the capacity of the project, thereby providing a higher rate of housing. The compact units provide accommodation for single senior occupants, complete with individual kitchen and bathing facilities. Additional common amenity spaces provide recreational uses for the residents. Furthermore, laundry facility along with an office space is provided at every level to accommodate the residents of said level. The site is surrounded by low density multi-family housing to the East, West and North, and single family homes share the rear yard boundary to the South. The proposed setback and street dedication places the new building consistently along the prevailing setback line along Burbank Boulevard. Within walking distance are neighborhood amenities, such as a supermarket, a pharmacy, a bank, and restaurants. Public transportation by way of bus lines run along Burbank Boulevard and Van Nuys Boulevard. The project complies with all applicable access standards.

Veterans Village at San Antonio Drive

tcaeditor - Oct 01, 2024

Veterans Villas at San Antonio Drive provides much needed housing for 59 families in a combination of 1 bedroom, 2 bedroom, and 3 bedroom units. 20 of the units are set aside for homeless veterans and their families solely. In addition, there is a unit strictly dedicated for an on-site property manager. Combination of indoor and outdoor community areas are provided for the residents, including play areas for children of various ages. The large outdoor courtyard is designed adjacent to the indoor community room and laundry room to provide supervision of the children. On site offices are located on the ground floor for operating staff, dedicating their time to help the veterans and their families. The site is surrounded by single family homes to the west and south of the project. The taller portion of the building is strategically located to respect the privacy of these neighboring single family homes. The project complies with all applicable accessible standards.

Evermont

tcaeditor - May 16, 2024

Evermont is a TOD mixed use development, with 118 family affordable units, and 62 homeless supportive senior units, above 50,000 sf of ground level retail and restaurants, along with a metro on-site job training office, and residential health services. The project is located near transit for ease of commute, and in a neighborhood with a strong need for housing in South Los Angeles. The multi-generation living, along with community service retail and restaurants, help to create a vibrant and safe community within the neighborhood. At the ground level, the retail and restaurants fronts onto a public pedestrian plaza, which becomes an active community gathering space for the neighborhood. The plaza has a much wider presence along Vermont Ave assisting with articulating the long urban edge while maintaining connection to the boarding school, the 6,000 SF restaurant fronting the garage and the retail anchor. Evermont’s façade is planar with strategic ‘carve-outs’ to allow for light into interior courtyards and provide an opportunity for a material and massing break. The adjacent parking structure will be 5 stories in height to allow for retail/grocer parking, school parking as well as Metro facility parking.

LA PLACITA CINCO

tcaeditor - Sep 15, 2023

La Placita Cinco repurposes the prototypical auto-oriented strip mall into a neighborhood-serving, inclusive community consisting of family-oriented affordable homes, outdoor amenities, and reinvigorated commercial center. The site, formerly called Tiny Time Plaza is a 2.25-acre commercial property situated between a residential neighborhood to the north and east, and industrial and commercial uses to the south and west. The 50 year old retail center consists of 2 single-story commercial buildings and a former gas station. The asphalt surface area encompassed over two thirds of the property with ill defined edges that blended into the pedestrian walkways in front of the building storefronts and adjacent public sidewalks. “La Placita Cinco” replaces the former gas station and portion of the parking lot, encompassing a third of the overall property with a 3-4 story mixed-use building consisting of 50 two-, three-, and four-bedroom apartment homes with ground floor community space.

The massing of the building provides a strong urban edge along the Fifth Street commercial corridor, while responding to the Hawley Street residential connector by opening its courtyard and stepping down the building height. The two commercial buildings and all their tenants remained, and were integrated into a reimagined site plan that is anchored by the three buildings. The commercial buildings were reinvigorated by the complete transformation of the building facades with new architecture, signage, and enhanced pedestrian [ADA] access. The remaining surface parking was redesigned to support active use. Wide, landscaped plazas were added along the retail facades, allowing the businesses to extend their operations outdoors, including outdoor dining, and to support pop-up programming such as farmer’s markets and special events. Between the two retail buildings, a mini park was added to accommodate a variety of uses, from fitness programs and concerts, to a welcoming place to meet a friend or let children play while running errands.

Mercy House is providing supportive services for residents and neighbors. The ground floor space of the housing was designed to be available as a resource for community nonprofit organizations to host events. There are spaces that could be used for small meetings (job interviews, counseling, etc.) and larger ones such as neighborhood association meetings, art classes, training sessions, etc.

The project leveraged traditional and innovative funding sources that are unique to rehabilitating a blighted commercial property with affordable housing. In its final form La Placita Cinco is supported through a 9% tax credit award, and cooperative lender and investor partners who worked diligently to find solutions that supported both the new construction of affordable residential units with the plaza renovations. Making everything possible was the support from the City of Santa Ana, who approved not only all the necessary entitlements, but also $6 million in subordinated funding to ensure the financial feasibility of the project.

Design Architect: City Fabrick

Placentia Veterans Village

tcaeditor - Aug 25, 2023

The Placentia Veterans Village, offers 50 furnished apartment homes to low-income and disabled veterans residing in Orange County, including a designated manager’s unit. These veterans have access to a range of on-site services, including comprehensive, individualized case management and service coordination to connect with education, employment, healthcare, benefits assistance, legal assistance, and family reunification services.

Located on 3.66 acres of unimproved land in an industrial/commercial corridor of Placentia, the development enhances the quality of life in the area while helping to meet the need for affordable housing for veterans.

The Placentia Veterans Village apartment project is designed in a traditional Craftsman style using simple expressive forms and articulated massing to create an environment that is both comfortable and familiar. The one and two bedroom residences offer amenities such as indoor and outdoor community spaces, elevators, private terraces and laundry rooms. The project also provides a private community garden along with ample green space for the residences. The development is designed to achieve LEED Gold certification, utilizing energy efficient design principles and building materials.

Funding for the project comes from a variety of sources, including a federal Low Income Housing Tax Credit, California Proposition 41, a conventional mortgage (relying on a HUD VASH subsidy), Project Based HUD VASH and/or Project Based Section 8 – Orange County Housing Authority, and a pending City of Placentia Development Impact Fee Deferral.

5001 73rd Street

tcaeditor - Aug 07, 2023

5001 73rd Street is an affordable project for low-income families and individuals with annual incomes up to 60% of the San Diego County median income, with one-fourth of the apartments set aside as permanent supportive housing for homeless families and individuals. The site provides an opportunity to serve as an anchor for the neighborhood, providing a buffer between a busy street, car dealership, and single-family neighborhood. The design draws inspiration from the California Coastal Modern architectural style, maintaining simple lines and refined details while blending with the existing single-family neighborhood. The building articulation and material choice follows the Central Urbanized Planned District’s design guidelines for Contemporary Style for multifamily developments. Planned amenities include a ground floor community room, office space for case management, 2 elevated courtyards, a playground, a computer lab, electric vehicle chargers, an area for bicycle storage and repairs, a laundry room, and an outdoor tot lot. Designed to be sustainable, the building would be all-electric with on-site solar panels, heat-pump water heaters and drought- tolerant landscaping.

BALDWIN ROSE

tcaeditor - Jul 14, 2023

Baldwin Rose is a veterans housing project that brings 54 units of critically needed affordable housing to low-income veterans and their families residing in the San Gabriel Valley. Of the 54 units, 32 are designated for low-income veterans and their families, and 22 are specifically for homeless veterans. 19 units are fully accessible for persons living with disabilities. The project also includes one onsite manager’s unit.

Designed in a Craftsman style using composite shingle roofing, fiber cement lap siding, stone, and wrap around porches, the dual-site project is designed to create a strong sense of place and a feeling of security, without being isolated from the neighborhood at large. The buildings are organized and oriented to front the main artery (Baldwin Ave) creating a pedestrian-friendly environment. The units are arranged in a series of “row houses” that collectively integrate the project within the surrounding community of single-family homes and every unit comes with a large private patio or deck.

The main “campus,” located on the East building, provides residents of all ages with ample outdoor space, including a tot lot, landscaped sitting areas and edible gardens. There is also a large community room for recreational activities.

The project is designed for LEED Gold and was built in accordance with ENERGY STAR Homes version 3 guidelines. Sustainability measures include a graywater irrigation system, and solar hot water, among others.

The City of El Monte will be transferring property rights to the site and is also providing financing in the form of a low-interest loan over a period of 55 years. Funding was also provided through NOFA and TCAC.

ANTON PORTOLA

TCA Architect - Feb 23, 2023

Anton Portola is an affordable community consisting of 12 three-story apartment buildings with a total of 256 apartment units in Irvine, CA. Additional buildings on the site include a leasing and recreation building, central laundry and maintenance building, carports, and trash enclosures. The site plan for Anton Portola is designed around two large open greens that are centered within the community. The first is used as the main recreational area with the communities’ pool. The second houses a large play area and a shared laundry facility. The residential homes all work around these two areas, enhancing views and helping to keep eyes on the neighborhood. The homes are two and three stories in height and are based on an early California theme. Massing steps down at the buildings edges to help break down scale. Garages are tucked into the building and hidden from view along drive courts.

EL MONTE VETERANS VILLAGE

TCA Architect - Jan 20, 2023

El Monte Veteran’s Village is the San Gabriel Valley’s first supportive housing community focusing exclusively on Veterans. TCA utilized the HighDEF product to reach the ideal density and provide a design program compatible with the client’s goals. The project came with an allocation of vouchers that provided financial assistance for housing costs and support services through the Department of Veterans Affairs. Through a redevelopment-funded City of Industry allocation, Los Angeles County committed over $2 million in gap funding to the project, in addition to the project based vouchers. The project combines an array of sustainable technologies across the board and exceeds California’s Title 24 Energy requirements by over 24%. In addition to the sustainable features of the building, the property includes an edible garden, fruit tree orchards and on on-site composting facility to process yard waste. El Monte Veterans Village is a GreenPoint Rated project.