TCA Architects

CASPIAN

tcaeditor - Oct 18, 2024

Caspian is the gateway site into the Brooklyn Basin master plan located at Embarcadero and Brooklyn Basin Way. The building is broken down into multiple facades inspired by the Oakland Estuary and surrounding industrial maritime facilities, with the facades relating to each other to create a cohesive design. On Brooklyn Basin Way the retail takes priority with grand corners, deep recesses and rich materials to break down the street wall into a pleasant pedestrian environment. Bike facilities located on Embarcadero, help activate the street and encourage residents to use the new bike lanes connecting to the rest of Oakland. Multiple breaks; step downs and set backs scale down the size of the project. Large courtyards and roof decks provide ample outdoor space as well as view terraces. Facing the freeway, the nautical theme is played up with dramatic angles reminiscent of a ship’s bow which landmarks the entire Brooklyn Basin master plan.

5420 Sunset

tcaeditor - Oct 17, 2024

5420 Sunset is a six-story mixed-use 735-unit apartment building that will also house 95,000 SF of ground level retail. The retail level will be home to an up-scale national brand grocer offering food service and on-site dining. A new residential community will sit just above street level within lushly landscaped courts surrounding a resort style pool that looks out to the Hollywood hills, Griffin Observatory, and the Hollywood Sign. The buildings’ exterior design language reflects a piece of Hollywood’s history by evoking a modern interpretation of Art Deco and Streamline Moderne, with an emphasis on horizontality, simple forms, geometric patterns, and an earthy palette of material finishes.

PARK ON FIRST

tcaeditor - Oct 16, 2024

Park on First sits at the eastern entry to Santa Ana and is adjacent to Prentice Park and the Santa Ana Zoo. TCA planted the “seeds” for structural and environment improvements that would foster the future development of this challenged neighborhood… and lead to a district wide revitalization. The design concept resides between nature and the built environment so the public and residents can participate in the special nature of Prentice Park and adjacent zoo. The large central courtyard is strategically positioned between residential buildings to reinforce a “living in the park” environment while providing a publicly accessible and porous connection for future developments. The courtyard is activated with various amenities and landscaped in alignment with the zoo’s South African fauna. Each building facade uniquely responds to its context.

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.

VOX AT CUMULUS

TCA Architect - Oct 06, 2024

Located directly adjacent to the La Cienega/Jefferson Expo Line, VOX at Cumulus is a comprehensive residential and commercial mixed-use project that embodies all the defining characteristics of a Transit-Oriented Development (TOD). The site plan and architecture respond directly to the urban scale, fabric, and culture of its surroundings. The design is inspired by the notions of progress, change, and motion: the La Cienega frontage undulates back and forth to create a dynamic façade and to help break up the mass. VOX is a 7-story type III podium building, with access to 160,000 SF of indoor and outdoor amenities. The heart of the project features a publicly accessible 1-acre park, the Zocalo, and is flanked by 100k SF of commercial space, anchored by a new Whole Foods Market. In addition to providing a space for community events, such as movie nights and hosting food trucks, the Zocalo also serves to capture storm water and reduce the heat island effect. Those elements go hand-in-hand with more than 1,700 solar panels built into the complex, which helped the property achieve Green Point Rated Platinum status. The master plan of the 11.4 Acre Cumulus District is guided by the principles of connectivity and placemaking. Also, located on a portion of the site is a high-rise (ARQ at Cumulus) of approximately 290 units designed by SCB.

The Residences at Airport Village

tcaeditor - Aug 11, 2024

The Residences at Airport Village is a 6-story 444 units luxury apartment building, with 5 levels of residential apartments over 1 level on-grade parking garage and 1 level of subterranean parking. The project will have units consisting of studios, one-bedrooms, two-bedroom and three-bedroom units. The architectural style is responsive to the context of John Wayne International Airport and the surrounding office and commercial uses, providing materials and colors that respect the surrounding aesthetic while providing a new and distinctive aesthetic to the Newport Beach Airport Area. The courtyard provides two separate experiences: an active club style area with a resort-style pool, spa, and other amenities and a relaxation and wellness focused area with a lap pool, spa, and business center. These two areas are connected with a central covered courtyard amenity space designed to be an outdoor clubroom with entertainment areas, lounge seating, and a bar. In addition to the amenities provided on the podium courtyard, the project provides an amenity stack, this area consists of wellness-focused and entertaining-focused amenities. A connected trail loop system provides pedestrian site access around the site and to the surrounding public streets.

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.

AERO CROSSING

tcaeditor - Dec 22, 2023

Burbank Aero Crossings is located within the City of Burbank’s primary commercial, employment and transit district, transforming the 8+ acre former Fry’s Electronics store into a thriving residential and mixed-use community. The development consists of two 7-story buildings totaling 862 units (5 of which are live-work units and 9 of which are townhouses) and 9,700 SF of retail. The first residential building has 412 units, the second 450 units. Both have multiple courtyards, amenities, retail space at grade, and a sky deck located on the 6th story of their parking garages. The project is located immediately adjacent to both the Hollywood Burbank Metrolink Station and the Hollywood Burbank Airport. TCA took over as Architect of Record for the entitled project and redesigned and re-entitled the project. Design changes included enhancing the ground level experience by making wider courtyards, increasing dedicated pedestrian access, and combining isolated retail into one program. The project is targeting LEED Gold.

THE CHARLIE

tcaeditor - Sep 18, 2023

The Charlie (12575 Venice) is the companion project to 12444 Venice also by La Terra Development. A 2 story commercial building on a 0.33 acre site, was replaced by this 75,267 SF residential project on Venice Blvd. The Charlie is a 5 story apartment building (4 stories of type VA over 1 story of type IA podium) above a subterranean parking structure. Ground floor units activate the pedestrian edges. The building includes a central courtyard to allow extensive light and air in. A generous sky deck on the 5th story maximizes views to the ocean and the Santa Monica mountains to the north. The Charlie is located in the residential and commercial neighborhood of Mar Vista on the Westside of Los Angeles, California. The small, but active community offers proximity to plenty of entertainment options, activities, and amenities.

Bella Terra Mixed Use

tcaeditor - Sep 16, 2023

Bella Terra Mixed Use is a 7-story mixed-use infill project of 300 apartment units with 25,000 SF of retail and restaurant spaces located at the ground floor. It will replace the existing 149,000 SF retail building and 33,331 SF in-line retail. The new residential parking garage will have a direct ground floor connection to the existing retail parking structure, via an internal 3-lane street, for shared retail/restaurant and residential guest parking use. The ground floor incorporates a porte-cochere passenger pick-up and drop-off within the new residential parking garage footprint. Enhanced materials are used throughout the ground floor to highlight the key pedestrian pathways to activate the edges. The new community social space will become the extension of the mall’s renovated amphitheater and existing plaza at the mall.