TCA Architects

THE LEX ON ORANGE

TCA Architect - Jun 10, 2020

The Lex on Orange is a mixed-use, high density, multifamily community in the heart of Downtown, Glendale. As envisioned by the Downtown Specific Plan, this project brings much needed high quality urban housing to the Orange Central District with proximity to jobs, shopping, cultural and entertainment activities enable future residents of this project to live, work, and play in one location without the dependence on automobiles. The Lex consists of 310 units (307 apartment units and 3 live/work units) in two separate buildings connected by a pedestrian bridge over the existing alley. Design strategies included creating a unique architectural feature while following a pre-defined datum set by the Legendary Tower. The live/work units were aligned with the ground floor creating a continuous wall at the pedestrian level. The west facing façade is shielded by a solar screen integrated railing system to aesthetically reduce solar gain and the upper corner unit was removed to provide a resident roof deck and allow for reduced massing and articulation.

5550 WILSHIRE

TCA Architect - Jun 05, 2020

5550 Wilshire transformed an under-utilized city block in Los Angeles while reinforcing the historic character of the neighborhood. Art Deco/Moderne exterior design details connect the building to its surroundings while thoroughly modern units and amenities offer residents a vibrant contemporary lifestyle. Some unusual constraints or opportunities that the project presented, for example: Mixed-use activity retail along Wilshire required separate parking and entry sequences into the building. Design imagery that acknowledges historic district while still being a contemporary building. Variety of unit designs to capture the site’s potential, especially articulating the corners on Wilshire. Switching to townhome plans for the upper two floors allowed for a stepped configuration characteristic of Art Deco façade with overall horizontal massing articulated with vertical modules.

DOMAIN SAN DIEGO

TCA Architect - Jun 01, 2020

Domain San Diego is an ultra-modern, high-density apartment community designed to meet the needs of the young professionals and students of San Diego’s growing Millennial population. The luxury for-lease community offers 379 apartment residences in two separate, four-story buildings over two levels of basement garage offering 750 secured parking spaces. As a critical design element targeting the project’s young professional demographic, the property features a 5,500-square-foot recreation/leasing building that offers an expansive pool area with cabanas, a spa, barbeque pits, waterfall and trellises that take advantage of the area’s temperate weather, creating lush landscape. The two-story clubhouse also features a fitness center and makes use of reclaimed teak flooring throughout and a glass wall with outdoor decks overlooking the pool scene. With more than 12 floor plans to choose from, ranging from studio to two bedroom residences, Domain’s interior’s reflect a refined modern influence that is the preference of today’s young professionals, offering: private patios and balconies; modern, stainless steel appliances; granite counter tops; large and luxurious oval tubs; and floor to ceiling windows in select units.

JIA APARTMENTS

TCA Architect - May 29, 2020

Meaning “home,” JIA is an urban six story mixed-use project with 280 apartment units and 20,000 square feet of ground level retail on the North-West corner of Broadway and Cesar Chavez. The location of the project is at the main entry into Los Angeles’ Chinatown, adjacent to the Twin Dragons Tower Gateway. The project is designed in order to respect and respond to the Twin Dragons Tower Gateway with a large public courtyard on the street corner for residents and the local community. The façade along Broadway has neighborhood serving retail along the entire ground level with articulated units above to create smaller scale elements along the street edge. The urban nature of the project reflects the future of residential and mixed use design in the Los Angeles area, with the close integration of public and private uses. The contemporary architectural reflects a forward thinking approach to the revitalization of Chinatown and elements of color with strong forms were used to make a statement at the gateway to Chinatown.

THE VILLAS AT BRIO

TCA Architect - May 25, 2020

The Villas at Brio is a boutique apartment community located on a quiet residential street in Glendale, California that straddles the boundary of an adjacent industrial zone in this particular neighborhood. The project is comprised of 14, three story townhomes that average approximately 1,400 square feet on and elevated podium over a one story parking structure. Each unit is comprised of two bedrooms on the first and third floors with an open ‘living’ floor between on the second level and interconnected by open tread, cable rail stairs. The courtyard provides private access to each unit through front ‘porches’ which also serve as outdoor space and intended to promote social interaction among neighbors of this small community. Additional private outdoor space is provided by a balcony on the third floor off the master suite. Metal shingle siding, exposed steel channels, three story glass enclosed stairs and industrial aluminum windows play off the industrial character of the location and maximize light within each home. The wood fencing, refined landscaping and inviting interior pallet further enhance this unique contemporary community in this transitional corner of Glendale.

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.

Westgate

TCA Architect - May 10, 2020

Westgate is an 11.7 acre mixed-use TOD, and an urban-infill development within walking distance of Old Pasadena’s historic downtown including Pasadena’s Metro Gold Line Del Mar Station and Central Park. Westgate is LEED Silver Certified under the City of Pasadena’s Green Building Ordinance and is the first smoke-free community in Los Angeles County. The entire master plan includes 820 residences, 15,000 square feet of retail, two public parks, and two public plazas, with an overall density of 70 dwelling units per acre. The planning and entitlement process began in 2004 with numerous sessions working with City planners and engineers. Public design charettes with community members enabled residents and the local business community also to provide input and concerns. The project delivers on the City’s specific plan which calls for the site to provide an “eclectic urban village,” deliver housing and mixed use as a Smart Growth development and to redevelop a key downtown brown field site previously struggling with underuse.

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.