California Archives

PlayLab Inc centres “space for conversation” in Los Angeles retail store

LA studio PlayLab Inc has created a flagship store that contains a sky blue conversation pit at its centre for local clothing brand MadHappy.

PlayLab Inc split the West Hollywood store into two distinct zones – one for retail space and the other for “intimate gathering spaces”, including a cafe and a courtyard.

a retail store in LA with large windows — PlayLab Inc has created a flagship store for LA clothing brand MadHappy

“Our collective goal with the design was to put space for conversation at the heart of the retail experience, creating a place that is equal parts for community dialogue and product,” PlayLab Inc co-founder Jeff Franklin told Dezeen.

“To do this we split the space down the middle, making one half a clear utility for shopping and the other a collection of intimate gathering spaces.”

a conversation pit made of light blue seating — The space was divided into separate zones for gathering and retail

Visitors enter the 2,800-square-foot (260-square-metre) store through a glass facade, which leads into a large open space with powder blue concrete flooring running throughout.

At the entrance, a blue bench emerges from a small exterior porch, while a boulder sits opposite.

a courtyard with large sliding glass doors and various stools — A cafe and courtyard were placed at the back of the store

Towards one side, the store contains a 70’s style conversation pit underneath a large skylight. Plush, sky-blue couches line the seating area, with satin aluminium side tables by Berlin-based studio New Tendency placed alongside them.

Along an adjacent limewashed wall, the studio installed built-in shelving flanked by large custom wooden speakers by New York music studio designer Danny Keith Taylor of House Under Magic.

small light green stools and tree with blue floor — The courtyard was populated with a single tree and green-stained plywood stools by Waka Waka

The social area leads into a small open-air courtyard populated by a single Tree Aloe installed by Cactus Store and green-stained plywood stools by LA studio Waka Waka.

The same green plywood was used to line the takeout window of the store’s Pantry cafe, which sits in an enclosed corner and serves local and global cuisines from brands including Japanese-based café Hotel Drugs and LA bakery Courage Bagels.

a cafe space in a retail store — Custom signage was installed along the cafe’s takeout window

A custom lightbox and a large standing menu were installed next to the takeout window to display the cafe’s signage and goods.

In the remaining interior, PlayLab Inc created a large metallic “retail bar” that spans the shop’s length for “open views of the product”, according to Franklin. The studio also dispersed custom Lego-like benches around the space, which were covered in a candy apple red gloss.

an illuminated cube sign — The store will act as a retail space and venue

Faux-stone stools and a bench were installed throughout the space.

The store also contains a multimedia room, called the Local Optimist Space, a creative venue that will host audio and visual artwork.

“The design was inspired by the concept of conversation between things – a balance of scales, materials and textures,” said Franklin.

This is the first flagship store for the clothing brand MadHappy, which previously operated from a host of pop-up concepts and stores.

wooden speakers — Local designers worked on furniture and other pieces for the store

“From the beginning, physical retail has been essential to Madhappy and its success. We’ve always viewed our shops as spaces that go beyond something purely transactional – we want them to allow our community to engage with Madhappy beyond what’s possible digitally,” MadHappy co-founder Mason Spector said in a statement.

Other recent projects by PlayLab Inc also include a plexiglass skatepark for Vans and a lifesize toy racetrack set for a Louis Vuitton menswear show.

The photography is by Sean Davidson.

Reference

Architecture

Artistree raises a telescopic treehouse in California

By Zarkon Group,28/12/2023

US company Artistree Home designed a treehouse with vaulted form, raised off the ground in Sonoma County, California.

Completed in 2023, the latest design — known as Spyglass by Hometree — is a 300-square foot (28-square-metre) residence in an 11-acre (5-hectare) forested lot in Occidental, California.

wood-fired hot tub in trees — Artistree Home has created a treehouse with a vaulted form in California

“The design for Spyglass came from that whimsical childhood moment of turning a fallen leaf into a little tube to peer through,” Will Beilharz, project designer from Artistree Home, told Dezeen. “With a dynamic cut on either end, the cylindrical shape takes on the dynamic movement of the folded leaf.”

The design is centred on a large redwood tree that holds the deck structure. The black metal deck cantilevers out from a hillside with a single-step entry bridge. Hovering 25 feet (8 metres) above the ground, the house is raised on thin steel posts that minimize the disturbance to the environment.

Domed entrance to treehouse — The design is informed by folding a fallen leaf into a tube

The exterior of the tube is composed of rust-textured metal diamond shingles that are designed to mimic the colour and texture of redwood bark.

The linear house is compact with an entry walkway, pass-through kitchenette, and bathroom with penny round tile that follows the curve of the space. The centre of the plan holds the bedroom leading to the back terrace with a cedar hot tub.

Wooden hot tub on deck — A large redwood tree supports the structure

On the interior profile of the tube, tongue-and-groove panelling – reminiscent of walking through a hollowed-out log – continues from the soffit through the living space and back out to the terrace, reinforcing the perspective to the forest.

The back wall is fully glazed, creating an aperture that frames nature and looks out onto the tree that rises up through the centre of the terrace.

Domed treehouse — The exterior is clad in rust-textured metal diamond shingles

“Never underestimate the impact of whimsy in design. Time and time again, our structures have proven that inspiring, nature-focused experiences are timeless and speak to everyone on a deep level.” Beilharz mentioned.

“Even having designed the structure, I am still struck at how the space can be both calming and exciting at the same time – like the combination of a spa and a playground,” he continued.

The exterior wood cladding in PEFC-certified and thermally modified Thermory Scots Pine, meanwhile a heat pump water heater reduces the required energy.

The sustainable residence has three layers of insulation with Hempwool batts, a layer of closed-cell spray foam, and a radiant barrier. The materials reduce the overall carbon footprint and a small mini-split manages the heating and cooling load for the treehouse.

wooden kitchenette — Tounge-and-groove paneling lines the interior

“We designed our Spyglass unit to be both luxurious and replicable so that we are offering it as a pre-fab unit with the ability to modify the foundation based on the terrain of the property and the trees in the landscape,” Beilharz said.

“If we did our job right, guests stepping into the space for the first time should get that same youthful rush of discovery found amongst the trees.”

Using a similar bridge access, BIG lofted a treehouse hotel in Swedish Lapland and covered it in birdhouses.

The photography is by Jayson Carpenter.

Project credits:

Interior Designer: Artistree Home
General Contractor: Artistree Home

Reference

Architecture

Leddy Maytum Stacy Architects creates low-energy school in California

By Zarkon Group,09/09/2023

Leddy Maytum Stacy Architects has designed a school building that prioritises low-carbon solutions and water retention on restored woodlands outside of San Francisco.

Called The Science and Environmental Center, the structure is an expansion of the campus for the Nueva School in Hillsborough, Silicon Valley.

The campus comprises an 11,600-square-foot (1,077 square-metre) two-storey building on a 33-acre site, with an oak forest that was restored as part of the project.

Leddy Maytum Stacy Architects Environmental School — Leddy Maytum Stacy Architects has created an expansion to a California primary school campus

“The design integrates straightforward, appropriate, and cost-effective sustainable design solutions that provide practical and poetic connections between people and the natural world,” Leddy Maytum Stacy Architects told Dezeen.

“The building shape echoes the landform, following the topography of the hillside to minimize excavation and maximize outdoor education space that extend ground floor classrooms.”

“The narrow floor plate minimizes impacts to the existing natural features of the site, while maximizing daylighting and natural ventilation within the classrooms.”

Solar array on semi-circular school — It includes a number of passive and electric energy strategies

The building has a semi-circular form that allows for the eight classrooms to be exposed to light from two sides. With the inclusion of ceiling fans, this form allowed for mechanical heating and cooling to be mostly eliminated from the project, according to the studio.

Wood cladding wraps one side of the structure almost completely, and was also used generously for the classroom interiors. The wood was chosen based on FSC certifications.

Elevated walkway with school in background — An elevated walkway connects the new structure to the other campus buildings

The inside of the semi-circle was clad in steel and aluminium. As much as 15 per cent of these materials – as well as the cotton insulation – were garnered from recycled materials, Leddy Maytum Stacy Architects said.

In order to connect the new structure with previous school buildings on the site, the studio included an elevated walkway called the Canopy Walk, which connects to the upper level of the centre and expands outward into the forested site to provide a vantage point for the students.

This second-floor circulation also acts as a sunshade for the classrooms below.

The Science and Environmental Center was designed to be a net zero campus and the school runs only on electricity, with much of the power generated from a 70-kilowatt array of solar panels placed on its roof.

Wood lookout — It features FSC-certified wood cladding

In response to the water shortage issues in California, the design also features a number of water retention strategies.

“As climate change continues to impact California’s potable water supply, the project takes an active role in reducing potable water use by 89 per cent below baseline,” said the studio.

Classroom in environmental school — It has eight classrooms for young students

The goal of the centre, which serves the school’s 500 students, is to “foster social acuity and environmental citizenship”, according to the studio.

The Nueva School‘s Hillsborough campus serves primary school children, while its San Mateo campus serves high school students.

Leddy Maytum Stacy Architects has designed other buildings in the region that prioritise strategies geared towards environmental and social ends, including a design centre in Berkeley and a housing complex for people with autism.

The photography is by Richard Barnes and Bruce Damonte.

Reference

Architecture

Scalloped concrete walls anchor California house by Laney LA

By Zarkon Group,19/02/2023

Undulated concrete walls form the lower portion of this Californian house by architecture studio Laney LA, while its top half is wrapped in glass and cedar.

The aptly named Scalloped Concrete House sits on a hill in the Manhattan Beach neighbourhood, just south of LAX airport, which affords the property sea views.

Its lower storey is mainly constructed from unusually formed concrete. It features a pattern of inverted curved ridges known as scalloping.

The material is exposed both on the exterior and continues across some interior walls, and “reveals its form most strikingly at each corner”, according to Laney LA.

Concrete pool terrace — The back of the house opens onto a pool terrace

“Like cliffs carved from water, the scalloped walls are even engrained with the faint grain of the formwork that shaped them,” said the studio. “Each piece of formwork was custom milled to accomplish the undulating form.”

Some of the concrete sections stretch up to windows on the upper level, while cedar clads any remaining areas that aren’t glass.

wooden Kitchen with bench island — Minimalist millwork wraps around the kitchen

Rooms at ground level feature retractable panels that open the kitchen and living room up to a concrete pool terrace and barbecue area.

More shaded outdoor spaces are created by the deep cedar overhangs from the upper floor and the roof.

Pocket door open to verdant view — A large pocket door frames a verdant view from the dining room

A 16-foot-long (4.9-metre) pocket door frames a verdant view from the dining room.

In the kitchen, millwork hides the majority of the appliances and has no visible handles for a minimal appearance.

Staircase with wooden steps and scalloped concrete walls — The staircase is sandwiched between concrete walls

Concrete forms the backsplash and countertops, as well as that of a large island that incorporates a built-in bench.

The lower level is kept private by the concrete walls, as well as strategically placed fencing and plants.

Meanwhile, the upstairs is much more open, with large windows positioned across all elevations.

Balconies that face the Pacific Ocean are accessed via full-height glass doors from the bedrooms.

Concrete corners — The scalloped pattern is most evident at the corners of the concrete walls

“With its panoramic ocean views and echoes of that element within its own walls, the architectural language of this structure speaks to a beauty shaped by the impermanent,” said the studio.

Laney LA was founded by architect Anthony Laney and was longlisted for the Dezeen Awards 2022 in both the urban house and house interior categories for its HT Residence in California.

Night view of Scalloped Concrete House — The cedar and glass upper floor overlooks the Pacific Ocean

The studio joins a long list of architects that have employed scalloping for their building facades, at varying scales.

Brooks + Scarpa used the pattern vertically for a supportive housing development in Los Angeles.

The photography is by Roger Davies.

Project credits:

Architect: Laney LA
Interior designer: Tim Clarke & Waterleaf
Builder: Silicon Bay
Landscape architect: Stephen Gabor

Reference

California

PlayLab Inc centres “space for conversation” in Los Angeles retail store

Artistree raises a telescopic treehouse in California

Leddy Maytum Stacy Architects creates low-energy school in California

Scalloped concrete walls anchor California house by Laney LA

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