Architecture

Centrally located along Ocean Avenue in Downtown Long Beach, Oceanaire captures views of Long Beach Harbor and the Pacific beyond. The urban site offers short walking distances to all major retail, entertainment and recreational amenities in the downtown district. The contemporary design for this 216-unit apartment development, targeted to mainly young singles and couples, drew praise from government officials for its bold design. Most notably, the large north-south “portal” is considered to be the project's defining element. It maximizes public views from Ocean Blvd while providing an important public pedestrian connection. Upscale top-of-the-market amenities include a third floor pool terrace with ocean views, resort seating, sun deck, outdoor clubhouse, fitness/yoga studio and a dog spa/daycare facility.

AVEN is located in South Park, one of Downtown Los Angeles’ most desirable residential neighborhoods, surrounded by landmarks such as the Staples Center and LA Live. This new, 903,000-sf transit-oriented development features 536 residential units and 14,000 sf of commercial/retail space. The residential units comprise 38 floors above ground with views of the Hollywood sign and Downtown Los Angeles skyline, and include a mix of studios, and one- and two-bedroom units, as well as three penthouse units.

AVEN occupies the entire south end of a city block, leaving space for an urban park and enabling pedestrian access across the block via a public paseo. In a similar fashion, the lobby bisects the entire development, connecting to the park and allowing for visual and physical connections to a future development on the alley side.

A unique feature of this project is its expansive amenity deck located on the seventh floor—the California Deck—where views stretch over the tree-lined streets and beyond, but still give a sense of the urban activity below. This space offers a true indoor-outdoor experience, with retractable glass walls, double-sided fireplaces, and dramatic view corridors offering exciting city vistas. It features: a grand lounge, business center, indoor-outdoor fitness center and yoga studio, private barbecue areas, communal/event kitchen, self-serve coffee and concessions, dog run and wash station, activity lawn, basketball half court, full beach volleyball court, and pool and spa. The flexibility and diversity of these spaces embodies California living at its best, day or night. It’s a small “city” on the roof—a hub of various activities promoting social collisions. Another amenity deck located on the 32nd floor—the Ojai Deck—offers a more intimate setting, with an outdoor lounge and fireside gathering space to take in the sweeping city views.

AVEN is nestled within a vibrant section of the flourishing urban community of downtown LA, providing a unique opportunity for residents to take advantage of local art and culture. It includes a six-story parking garage for 800 cars, as well as bicycle parking, and is within steps of a Metro station and a proposed downtown streetcar stop.

AC Martin, in association with Hillier Architecture, designed the new library at California State University, Fresno, home to the largest collection of volumes in California’s Central Valley. The design provided innovative solutions to the existing library’s limited capacity for its rapidly expanding collections.

The 283,000 GSF addition and 80,000 GSF renovation of the university library was a collaborative effort between AC Martin, Hillier Architecture, and CSU Fresno Librarian and President of the American Library Association, Michael Gorman. The team fused their collective expertise to create the ‘library of the future’, a building that brings together students and residents from the surrounding community.

The library provides more than just a learning experience for students, faculty and the Fresno community; it is a destination containing a variety of special spaces. One such space is the large translucent sculpture at the entrance which creates a strong exterior image and defines the library’s source of organization. Other features include a café on the second level and a rooftop terrace adjacent to University administrative offices.

The library has primarily open floor plans, but incorporates a variety of seating areas, including comfortable places tucked away where patrons can retreat for quiet reading and studying and built-in seating on the grand staircase.

Situated on the central campus adjacent to the Peace Garden, a unique feature of the library is its entirely transparent façade on the north elevation, which allows abundant light into the building while providing a beautiful view of the garden. Extensive use of natural daylight, natural ventilation and the use of recycled products during construction has resulted in a highly sustainable building.

Library experts at AC Martin and Hillier Architecture understood that the ‘library of the future’ must use technology to enhance rather than replace traditional library functions. The technological innovation employed in the new library aids librarians in creating a more efficient system and helps patrons utilize resources more effectively. Technological innovations include embedded microchips for book tracking, advanced cataloguing databases to simplify the research process, and compact moveable stacks that create more space for the library’s ever-expanding collection of volumes.

The new library is a powerful resource for the University and the surrounding Fresno community. It is a significant landmark that informs the campus plan and shapes the future of California Sate University, Fresno. The fusion of cutting-edge technology and traditional library values has resulted in a facility with the potential to redefine library design in the next century.

Situated in the heart of Downtown Honolulu, this first phase of Ward Village calls for over 500,000 square feet of new floor area. Topping out at a height of 418’, this residential tower sits atop one level of retail and six levels of parking with an expansive “Sky Lanai” at the eighth level. The 35,000 square foot open-air recreation level contains both indoor and outdoor activities, designed to promote a healthy lifestyle and sense of community among residents and guests. 37 levels of ocean view residences totaling 424 units rise above the amenity terrace.

Mission Gateway in North Hills is a new 100% affordable housing that will bring 356 units of much needed affordable housing to accommodate low-income families. As a two-phased project, Phase I consists of a 4-story building that has 70 units, which is a mix of studio, one-, two-, three-, and four-bedroom units while Phase II is a 5-story building with 286 units. The design strategically incorporates over an acre of combined common open space with multiple courtyards, an event space, and a playroom/recreation space for the tenants to benefit from a larger sense of community.

Located in the historic West Adams neighborhood of Los Angeles, the new mixed-use transit-oriented development will be located approximately a quarter mile from Metro’s Expo/Crenshaw light rail station. The development will include 168 studio, one-, and two-bedroom residential units; 17 of which will provide housing for extremely low income households. The 6-story 171,000 square foot project includes 5 levels of residential units and amenities over 40,000 square feet of commercial retail at the ground level. Residents will enjoy amenities including a pool, spa, gym, club room, lounge areas, and bike parking.

The design pays homage to the eclectic neighborhood fabric which includes a blend of newer contemporary buildings, midcentury and art deco commercial buildings, and Spanish style single family residences. Two-story design elements with angled walls and archways on the ground level honor the midcentury West Angeles Church, which previously occupied the site. Divisions and volumes create visual interest on the upper residential levels, while iron Juliet balconies honor the Spanish style architecture in the neighborhood. The street-facing corners of the building are designed with a modern approach to color and shape. On the front façade, the cross design of the laser cut perforated metal is a nod to the former church at the site. The rear of the building will feature set back landscaped terraces full of green vegetation to soften the edge and relate closer to the adjacent neighborhood.

The Bank of America Plaza, formerly the Security Pacific Bank World Headquarters, is a dramatic 55-story light granite structure with a unique square design on a 45 degree angle to the site. The design provides an aesthetic addition to the skyline as well as opening new vistas for the estimated 8,000 inhabitants of the building.

The angle also serves a functional purpose as it provides improved sun control with accompanying economies in lighting, heating and air conditioning. In addition to offices, the 1.6 million-SF project contains a concourse level restaurant accommodating 160 persons, a 200-seat auditorium, an 800-seat cafeteria, a 30,000-square foot branch bank, speciality shops and on-site parking for 2,500 cars in the base structure.

The project is predominantly garden and people-oriented, with the tower taking up approximately a fourth of the 4.21-acre, mid-city site. At the building base is a bi-level public garden, landscaped and decorated with art and sculpture. The main entrance is a series of steps in semicircular design leading to the main level of the plaza and a sculpture by Alexander Calder that stands 50 feet tall. Small gardens on the northern part of the complex are composed of semi-circular fountains.

 

AC Martin completed a programming and feasibility study for a 192,000-SF, 600-bed student housing building for sophomores and juniors that will include staff and graduate student apartments, lounge space, recreation space, a multi-purpose room, and housing support functions.

The Mesa Court Expansion Project is a new student housing building at the University of California, Irvine (UCI). Driven by a need for more affordable and inclusive student housing, the project provides 400 residence hall beds for undergraduate students in quadruple-occupancy rooms, shared bathrooms, and common areas distributed throughout the building, including study areas, living rooms, kitchens, and laundry facilities.

The project vision and goals created:

• Affordable housing
• Inclusive, universal design
• Comfortable, student-centric environments
• New center for Mesa Court housing community
• Gateway presence statement along Campus Drive.

The design and criteria creates residential blocks of 40 students and one RA, forming a small community for students to connect and identify with. Two blocks occur on each floor, creating a neighborhood community, which shares living, dining, and laundry facilities. In this way, the building planning supports the development of a variety of scales of community for students.

The project’s impact is extended through outdoor amenities, such as outdoor living rooms, study space, and recreation areas. The site design also incorporates bike parking, walking/jogging paths, bike paths, and a pedestrian “promenade” connecting the site with the existing student housing community.

UCI first engaged AC Martin on the project with a site feasibility study. Through the study, our team assessed two site options for the project, including development of pros and cons and site selection criteria and recommendation. Upon site selection, AC Martin confirmed the site’s viability for buildable area, site utilities, and overall opportunities and constraints.

AC Martin developed a Detailed Project Program and Design Criteria for the project, for design-build delivery procurement. The Detailed Project Program and Design criteria scope and deliverables included: site analysis, visioning and goal setting, space program development, adjacency development, scenario development options, conceptual design, and design criteria.

Out of the programming process, AC Martin and UCI identified a need to renovate the nearby Mesa Court Community Center. UCI is currently engaging ACM in the Community Center renovation feasibility study.

AC Martin completed programming and concept design for the Filmmaker's Village at Chapman University. Significant effort went into the design of this new, three-story, Type V Construction residential village study in order to keep it at a scale that wouldn’t overwhelm the historical facades of the adjacent structures. The main circulation spine runs straight east to west across the site and connects all three student housing buildings.