Architecture

The School of Law occupies this complex on Chapman University’s main campus in Orange. The main building, rising four stories and providing 133,000 SF, offers an efficient and pleasant learning environment for students. Classrooms and seminar rooms are equipped with state-of-the-art equipment for enhanced teaching and learning and are capable of accommodating future changes in electronic, visual and on-site learning technologies. 

The law library occupies one wing of the building, offering student carrels equipped with outlets for laptop computers and related electronic devices. Two courtrooms, one designed for trials and the other for appellate hearings, provide fully equipped facilities for trial advocacy exercises, mock trial and moot court competitions, and formal hearings by visiting courts. Student lounges and facilities for student organizations are included. In addition, a new 720-car parking structure at the rear of the law building provides parking for students, faculty and visitors.

AC Martin provided architectural and engineering services for the rehabilitation of Los Angeles’ historic Subway Terminal Building as live/work loft housing. The project served as a case study model for the City’s recently approved Adaptive Reuse Ordinance. AC Martin provided public space historic renovations, new parking structure and complete seismic and structural work.  

Built in 1925 by the Pacific Electric Railroad, the 482,450 sf Historic Subway Terminal Building was originally an office building that housed the Red Car Subway Station until 1956 when the system was permanently retired. The building design features four north-south wings, joined by an east-west corridor. 

Floors three and above (totaling 294,300 sf) were reconfigured and fully outfitted by Thomas P. Cox Architects. Thirty-one unit types range from 384 sf studios to a 2,200 sf, three-level penthouse.

The roof areas between the apartment wings was given a hardscape design by Mia Lehrer Associates, who also created a roof garden on the top of one of the towers.

AC Martin’s design of the five-level parking structure mirrors the mass and strength of the historic building, and adds contemporary features such as a “green wall” of plantings.

Located one block from the historic and iconic Capitol Records building, the Yucca Hollywood is a new 30-story mixed-used project that will bring 269 residential units and 7,760 SF of commercial/restaurant space to Hollywood. A five-story podium base, clad primarily in solid panels and glass, establishes the project’s clean contemporary design while containing retail space, resident lobby and parking structure. A series of landscaped outdoor amenity areas, including a spacious pool terrace, sits atop the podium at the fifth level where residents will overlook the surrounding city views. A multi-colored glass tower steps back from the podium on all four sides and features an array of varied balcony cutouts and projections to create patterns that ripple across the facades and provides a sense of vibrancy. 

Designed for Caruso Affiliated, Excelsior is the mixed-use condominium component of the Americana at Brand Shopping Center in Glendale. To create this six-story building with ground-floor retail, recreational amenities on the second level, and 100 luxury condominium units above, our design team worked with the City of Glendale on an alternative means and methods approach to the building code to enable the use of more cost-effective Type III construction. The result is a unique living situation within an exciting retail environment.

This 60 unit multi-family affordable rental housing project is a catalyst to the redevelopment of downtown Downey. AC Martin worked closely with the developer and city to establish parameters for higher density housing which will be applied throughout the downtown specific plan. This project draws upon numerous funding sources and is targeted for LEED Silver. The building’s design is inspired from examples of mid-century modern architecture found in Downey and within the downtown area. The step down of the building along the front facade provides a terrace offering residents views of the city as well as an arable garden.

This replacement building includes six libraries - Arts and Letters; Science and Technology; Business and Economics; Music; Education; Film and Television. Each library occupies a distinct location marked by a unique portal. Every portal is a symbolic representation of the disciplines. 

The library was planned to be readily understandable, with an inviting entry leading to circulation desk, reference desk, quick look-up stations and elevators and stairs to allow easy access to upper floors. 

The building was conceived as the intellectual heart of the campus—a place where knowledge is plentiful and easily accessible.

This 25-story, 950,000 SF office building occupies one full city block in downtown Sacramento and is located directly across the street from the City Hall and Cesar Chavez Plaza.  The building serves as headquarters for the California Environmental Protection Agency (Cal/EPA) and is a project that exemplifies AC Martin’s commitment to designing great public buildings. Aligning with Cal/EPA's mandate to conserve fiscal resources to protect the environment while meeting the needs of the city and community, a highly sustainable, design sensitive building was created. Since 2001 when the building was occuppied, it has received many awards. It is LEED®-EB Platinum certified and the most energy efficient high rise in the nation according to Energy Star (2003). Additionally, the owner saves as much as $1 million annually on operating expenses (compared to buildings of similar size and function). Goals that were achieved through the design of this building include transforming and revitalizing Sacramento’s downtown civic core, increasing employee efficiency through consolidation, and improving employee health and well-being by providing fresh air and natural light.

The tower’s 28,000 SF rectangular floors are aligned to take advantage of sunlight. South side windows have overhangs and north side windows are larger allowing extra light into the building. A 30 KW array of photo-voltaic (PV) panels on the roof of the eighth floor reduce the building’s demand for power. The HVAC system feeds 100% fresh air to each floor of the building, improving both indoor air quality and energy efficiency.  Super-high efficiency and low-polluting task lights are combined with overhead lighting and motion/light sensors ensure that lights and power are used only when needed. Amenities include a child care center, public access library, auditorium, multi-purpose board hearing rooms and administrative law judge hearing room. A public art component was included in the project: four major pieces were created by internationally known artists.

The Hall of Justice Repair and Reuse Project is a renovation and upgrade of an existing County of Los Angeles building located in downtown Los Angeles. The 335,000 SF project features 308,000 SF of office space equipped with entirely new mechanical, electrical and plumbing systems that tie back into the existing central plant.

The Hall of Justice was originally built in 1925, and closed because of seismic damage from the 1994 Northridge earthquake. Historical renovations include extensive cleaning of the exterior granite and restoration of the marble-clad grand lobby and loggia. The original elevator cabs were refurbished and installed into the new elevators. In addition, the historic staircases along with one of the courtrooms and law libraries were preserved and restored to their former condition. The jail cells, which used to reside on the upper floors, were removed in order to accommodate functioning office space. The project goal was to restore the Hall of Justice as a landmark for the downtown Los Angeles Civic Center.

The design for the Library and Learning Center on the campus of Rio Hondo College, is a response to the building program, the master plan for the college, the site topography and natural amenities of the area. The new structure was also designed to seamlessly blend with the context and character of the existing campus.

The campus master plan anticipated a significant entry for the building on axis with the existing lower quad. The building entry is on this axis and was developed as a visible beacon, both during daylight hours and at night. This main entry leads to a two-story, day lit, atrium space. Within the atrium is a resin “curtain,” rising two stories within the space. The curtain adds a tremendous amount of interest to the space, as well as aiding noise control from the atrium into the library. The curtain also helps to define the periodical reading space located directly behind it to the south. 

Both floors are organized by a main corridor, or boulevard. On the library floor the curving clerestory lit boulevard ends in a grand reading room with views to spectacular landscapes to the west and north. The south facing stacks and reading spaces respond to the organic nature of the topography with a gently curving glass wall that takes advantage of the views and daylight. This space has a sloped ceiling with exposed structure to create a dramatic sense of place.