TCA Architects

METRO 417

TCA Architect - Aug 10, 2023

This historic building is located in the heart of downtown and once served as a station for Los Angeles’ fabled Red Car trolleys. Constructed in 1925, this building has been designated a historic-cultural monument. It’s one of the largest historic adaptive reuse projects in LA County history and many elements of the building were salvaged for architectural appointments. In addition to respecting the building’s historical significance, this effort of preservation was intended to give the spaces more character and reflect the building’s past. Remodeling presented many design and structural challenges. Since the structural elements couldn’t be changed, they had to be worked into the design.

TCA provided architectural services along with AC Martin. TCA was responsible for the conversion of floors three and above into residential units.

APEX

TCA Architect - Jul 20, 2023

APEX Apartments developed by Mill Creek Residential Trust includes 284-units on the former Mission Yamaha and Hilborn properties at the northeast corner of Crown Valley Parkway and Cabot Road. The project includes four stories of residential units over three levels of parking in the city of Laguna Niguel. A total of 32 studio, 161 one-bedroom and 91 two-bedroom units ranging in size from 600 to 1,453 square feet are proposed. The project design includes a contemporary California style of architecture with a varying roof line, stepped elevation planes and warm earth tone colors. The project includes approximately 3,340 square feet of indoor and outdoor amenity space including a pool/spa, fitness, club rooms, and multiple barbecue areas.

888 SAN MATEO

TCA Architect - Jul 15, 2023

The project is located on an unusually narrow 3.08 acre site located at the southeast corner of Peninsula Ave and North San Mateo Drive. The site includes 2 residential buildings, totaling 4 stories in height and provides 155 studio, one and two bedroom units ranging from 590 – 1,070 square feet above a subterranean garage. The project achieved LEED Platinum certification and includes green features such as a self-service bike repair facility, on-site transportation outreach coordinator, informational kiosk and on-site sales of BART Clipper cards. A landscaped plaza with public art is located at the corner of North San Mateo and the property is within walking distance to the Burlingame Caltrain Station as well as bus route 292 which includes transportation to San Francisco. Parking was subterranean plus surface level.

BURBANK TOWN CENTER

TCA Architect - Jul 05, 2023

Burbank Town Center is a 27.5 acre mixed-use TOD, and urban-infill development located in the heart of downtown Burbank, adjacent to the 5 freeway and within walking distance of the Metro Link. The entire master plan proposes 1,025 new market-rate apartment units, 56 condominiums, a 200 key limited service hotel and 45,000 square feet of restaurant and retail space oriented around a community plaza. The master plan also proposes a renovation and remodel to the existing Burbank Town Center Mall.

1335 GRAND

tcaeditor - Jul 01, 2023

1335 Grand Avenue is a 28-story luxury apartment tower along Grand Avenue in downtown Los Angeles. The high-rise will contain 297 residential apartments, 6,200 SF of retail, 16,000 SF of amenities and will be topped by an expansive sky deck overlooking the downtown skyline. Five levels of above grade parking wrap around the tower and support an open-air pool deck that is located six stories above the surrounding streets. This 1.25 acre site is in the emerging South Park district of downtown Los Angeles.

THE LEX ON ORANGE

TCA Architect - Jun 25, 2023

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.

W HOTEL RESTROOM RENOVATION

tcaeditor - Jun 20, 2023

TCA converted the former single-sex women’s toilet room to serve all genders in San Francisco, CA. Stalls are all concealed behind a smooth black millwork wall made of a highly durable P-Lam, specifically selected to mimic a lacquered wood finished and to match the Lobby Bar paneling. Inside, each stall is flush-framed with sound-proof 8 foot high doors. Two-inch square LED down-lights decorate the ceiling and a contemporary concrete ramp-type sink lines an adjacent wall.

LINCOLN PLACE

TCA Architect - Jun 15, 2023

Lincoln Place is currently the largest apartment community in the United States to be entirely HUD financed. The community is a historical rehabilitation of 696 existing apartment units (40 buildings) plus 99 new apartments (18 buildings) within the 35-acre apartment community. Initially developed as a result of the housing shortage of World War II, the original project was built in 1951 and was at the time the largest apartment project west of the Rockies. It was designed by African-American architect Ralph A. Vaughn, a onetime senior set designer at MGM and son of prominent Chicago architect, Roscoe Vaughn, with a “Garden City Movement” planning philosophy in mind. TCA helped restore Lincoln Place to its original luster using many of the original materials during the rehab. The new buildings, leasing office and 6,500 square foot recreation facility were all designed as a nod to the original mid-century style and create a cohesive community in the city of Venice.

WILSHIRE LA BREA

TCA Architect - Jun 05, 2023

Bounded by busy streets, Wilshire La Brea is the corner to bus stops in both directions and it will be adjacent to a future subway stop. It is bordered by smaller scale residential properties on two sides and book-ended by historic Los Angeles structures. To respond to the rich context of the site and the opportunity to create a truly urban transit-oriented community, the sidewalk will be widened along Wilshire Boulevard providing space for exterior dining and ample pedestrian passing. The southern tower has six levels of residences and the northern tower has thirteen. Both towers are arranged in a “wing” configuration, which creates building “fingers” that surround open-ended courtyards. The courtyards open to the east taking advantage of city skyline views and providing a more articulated building face to the adjacent residential neighborhood. The fingers also “step” down toward the east, dropping several stories from the high point to present a more modestly scaled façade facing the adjacent residential neighborhood. Wilshire La Brea is a LEED Silver-certified project.

5550 WILSHIRE

TCA Architect - Jun 03, 2023

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.