1920 Olympic

Location: Santa Monica, CA
Completed: 2007

The Architect built this project as his own office and “research station” to not only showcase his 25-year commitment to environmentally conscious design, but to also act as a positive example for the surrounding community by creating a zero net energy solar powered and carbon neutral architecture firm. The project is a creative adaptive reuse of two existing buildings, formally a Taco Stand and a Mexican Market, on a prominent corner in Santa Monica, CA. Unifying the two buildings to create a singular statement worked within the buildings original footprint and saved over 90% of the original structure. Another ecological goal was to turn the site from 100% impervious to 100% pervious.

The main architectural intervention and innovation, is an elevated aluminum clad roof monitor, which floats above the bow truss ceiling, which was exposed. The roof monitor serves three primary functions: to provide for a flat roof to accommodate the “Open Energy” integrated building photovoltaic roofing membrane, as a daylight harvester which uses the white cool roof to reflect diffused daylight into the space off its aluminum ceiling and as a solar chimney with four thermostatically controlled actuator windows that regulate natural ventilation and passive cooling.

1920 Olympic

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