TCA Architects

Rancho Los Amigos

tcaeditor - May 30, 2023

Rancho Los Amigos, situated in Downey, encompasses 62 acres of land with a rich history deeply rooted in the medical industry. Originally established as “The County Poor Farm,” its primary aim was to offer medical care and housing for the impoverished. Over time, the property underwent various transitions within the medical sector, eventually serving as a campus for rehabilitation and psychiatric services. However, with the advent of advanced medical facilities established by private corporations, Rancho Los Amigos fell into disuse. Many buildings have since been demolished, while some of the century-old structures have been recognized as historic landmarks.

TCA was entrusted with the task of repurposing the land, with a focus on incorporating residential and sports/physical fitness elements. Along the main boulevard adjacent to the project site, plans include the construction of a basketball arena intended to host an NBA G League team and other events. Additionally, a sports facility and soccer field will be developed around a central town center, leading to a connecting ribbon park. Approximately 1400 units of rental residential properties will also be integrated into the plan. Pocket parks will enhance the pedestrian experience along designated streets, which will further link to a future train station located on the southwestern corner of the site. Through thoughtful design considerations, the project aims to achieve a cohesive layout that seamlessly incorporates the historic structures into the overall vision.

Modera Little Italy

tcaeditor - Oct 01, 2020

The project is an ideal gateway to downtown San Diego from the north side of town. San Diego’s casual coastal lifestyle inspired the design as it references the dynamic waves of the ocean. Angled walls create multiple corner conditions and vantage points that direct views towards the waterfront. The result is a unique design that is both iconic and practical. The program calls for a 21-story tower comprising of 182 residential units and 12,000 sf of retail. Parking will be above and below grade through shared access with the existing county garage. Leasing is located on grade with the residential amenities located on the tower’s podium and sky deck.

BRIO

TCA Architect - May 20, 2020

Brio is the ultimate in luxury resort-style living in the city of Glendale. Apartment home interiors include wood plank-style flooring, Caesarstone countertops, a stainless steel appliances, oversized tubs, walk-in closets, and full-size stacked washers and dryers. The property has surround-sound ambient music throughout and offers an impressive amenity package, featuring a resident’s club, resort-style pool and spa, Zen garden courtyard with cabanas, rooftop decks as well as a fitness center and digital game. The 2.55-acre development site is situated between four of Los Angeles County’s largest employment centers, including downtown Los Angeles, Hollywood, Pasadena and Burbank. Brio is a five-story, podium-style building with a total of 186 units and a tri-level partially subterranean parking structure. The development also features 8,282 square feet of retail space along the heavily trafficked Colorado Street.

HIKARI

TCA Architect - May 01, 2020

Japanese for “light,” Hikari embodies the resurgence of Los Angeles’ Little Tokyo district. Once a dilapidated parking lot, the urban infill site compliments the growing neighborhood alive with students, new residents and a nightlife that was once unimaginable. The unusual pie-shaped site sits at a key juncture; an entryway accessing Little Tokyo and the resurging downtown area. Over 20 different floor plans were designed to fit this uncommon geometry and maximize city skyline views. The street orientations responded to the different nature of their community roles. Second Street is pedestrian-oriented and has a finer grain detail that terminates at the corner, an arrival point to this district.

CANVAS LA

TCA Architect - Apr 29, 2020

Canvas LA was designed to create a signature urban living environment that would attract a hip, young urban professional market. The dilapidated site, once a parking lot, had freeway frontage with wide-open views of the downtown Los Angeles skyline creating differing adjacencies on all sides. The design of each façade reflected its corresponding edge. Stacked townhomes on the freeway side create a deliberate, repetitive module overlaid with a series of random horizontal metal awnings referencing the movement of the freeway and take full advantage of the downtown LA view. The southern façade is a white, neutral building with moveable glass panels on private balconies which provides a dynamic architectural feature for the building and allows residents a fun custom lighting feature. Residents enjoy numerous vibrant indoor and outdoor spaces with views of the downtown skyline, giving a visible connection to this dynamic urban setting. The courtyards and pool area create a variety of social opportunities and acts as an outdoor extension of the resident’s living and entertaining space.

7950 WEST SUNSET

TCA Architect - Apr 25, 2020

Located next to the Hollywood Screen Actors Guild, 7950 West Sunset aims to attract residents looking for a glamorous upscale Hollywood lifestyle without the cost and responsibility of owning and maintaining a single family residence. The units are well-appointed and amenity spaces include: a rooftop infinity edge pool modeled after older Hollywood hotels like the Roosevelt, an entertainment lounge, billiards room, fitness studio and 4 separate outdoor sky terraces offering views of the Hollywood hills, Sunset Strip and a distant downtown Los Angeles. The design team was inspired by the vibrancy and history of the Hollywood area and the brick siding is a nod to the former brick auto repair buildings that previously occupied the site. 7950 West Sunset revitalized the area by demolishing the severely dilapidated auto buildings (greatly reducing neighborhood crime) and providing much needed housing to support local businesses. The development achieved total community support from two cities and achieved successful financing for an extraordinary 65 year ground lease.

SHADE AT DESERT RIDGE

TCA Architect - Apr 20, 2020

This project was conceptualized as a “horizontal mixed-use” project in Phoenix, Arizona. The community was visualized as a contemporary enclave of mostly 3-story walk-up flats and townhomes, plus one 4-story elevator building. The master plan sought to achieve a very high level of walkability throughout the community and was developed around a circulation spine of walkable streets, with a minimum of garage doors facing the semi-public automobile access routes. The entire 1/4-mile long site is traversed by an enhanced pedestrian walk path that gathers pedestrian flow throughout the site and delivers it, by way of the central recreation area, to the adjacent commercial center which proffers a desirable blend of neighborhood-serving retail uses.

MERCURY

TCA Architect - Nov 15, 2016

Constructed in 1963, the former headquarters of the Getty Oil Company was originally designed by renowned architect Claud Beelman and is considered one of the city’s finest expressions of mid-century modern architecture. In 2007, TCA converted Mercury from office space into 238 condominiums with 10 distinctive floor plans ranging from 740 to 1,500 square feet. The major design challenge was the unusual dimension of the units (18’ wide by 52’ deep). The solution was to place the bathrooms and walk-in closets) to the deepest portion of the unit and reserve the natural light for the open common areas. In the deepest units, the entry door was embedded nearly midway into the dwelling, which helped mitigate the perceived depth of the space. The rooftop was transformed into an urban oasis with the addition of a pool, indoor-outdoor fitness facility, and expansive lawn for residents to enjoy 360 degree views of Los Angeles. Across the street, the Metro Red Line subway station connects to Pasadena, Long Beach, Hollywood, Universal City, and many downtown destinations including Staples Center, Walt Disney Concert Hall and world-class restaurants.

1100 WILSHIRE

TCA Architect - Oct 10, 2016

The 22-story triangular spire in Los Angeles sat virtually vacant for nearly 20 years before a trio of developers bought it in 2004. Previously comprised of office suites, TCA converted the building into 228 high-end condominiums totaling 260,000 square feet of residential living space. Floor plans range from 788 to 3,466 square feet of one and two bedroom floor plans or two-story loft-style penthouses. The major challenge was rerouting the plumbing systems as the entire 37 stories of the building needed to be re-cored to accommodate each unit.

Halla Vivaldi II

TCA Architect - Oct 09, 2016

TCA Architects worked hand in hand with the leadership of Halla and their Korean architect to not only re-design their high rises, but really transform the way the Korean culture views multifamily housing. The international collaboration explored new ways of land planning and building orientation to maximum light, air, and river views. The unique green spaces and gardens between buildings were a main focus and were given extra attention so that they were visually interesting from above and at ground level in Icheon, Chungla, Korea.