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HABITAT
Los Angeles, CA
Client: LendLease
Habitat’s vibrant landscape armature is borne of the site’s former morphology—a Cienega. Meandering pathways, fed by metaphorical networks of ground water, create a constellation of open spaces that vary in density and character, each programmed and planted at various levels of immersion to create a rich tapestry of experiences.
DIVERTING ENERGY INWARD
A textural array of experiences knit the site together, from moments of respite to office lunches to spontaneous encounters in the urban realm. The project’s focal point and ceremonial heart, Cienega Square, is the project’s largest expanse anchoring an urban park experience that remains intimate despite its prominence. A large thicket of trees screens the shared bikeway and the elevated Metro platform beyond.
The project’s focal point and ceremonial heart, Cienega Square, is the project’s largest expanse anchoring an urban park experience that remains intimate despite its prominence. A large thicket of trees screens the shared bikeway and the elevated Metro platform beyond.
PROGRAMMING
While a highly desirable infill opportunity along the E Line, site conditions made for a challenging pedestrian response. RELM conceived of a ‘park to plaza’ programming model, modulating degrees of verdancy and public/semi-public space.
Our design thoughtfully reconciles the elevated metro line with at-grade uses and experiences: office and residential tenants, busy street frontages, and a city-managed bike lane. Paving unifies the site beginning at the Metro portal where landscape is used to buffer and create rooms within an urban expanse.
JUXTAPOSING VERNACULARS
Our use of timber logs, stone, and fractured concrete harken the old Cienega while creating a sublime tension between SHoP’s sleek architecture. Modernity and nature intersect to create a compelling, contemporary design expression.
