Architecture

Amanda Villas is an affordable senior housing development, currently under construction, in Cudahy, CA. The 140-unit project will provide low-income seniors earning 50% below the area median income with high-quality affordable housing. The project includes a 21,000 square foot state-of-the-art health center that will deliver medical, dental, and behavioral health services to residents of the development as well as neighbors in the community.

According to LA County Supervisor Janice Hahn “the proposed development is designed to be an impactful mixed-use development that provides a one stop housing and wellness solution for low income and homeless seniors, including an array of on-site health services and economic development opportunities accessible to the surrounding community, such as job creation, and education and training programs”.

The five-story building exterior was designed with Irvin Gil’s influences, considered a pioneer of the modern movement in architecture and commonly found in southern California. The exterior design features white stucco walls contrasted by a brick cladded base and colorful tile insets. The building massing is softened with deep roof overhangs and gracefully articulated arched openings at the ground level. Rounding the street-facing building elevation is a focal entry courtyard and a landscaped rooftop terrace on the fifth level overlooking the existing streetscape.

The project is funded by a combination of LA County Development Authority (LACDA) funds and State of California Tax Credits.

The new Behavioral and Social Sciences building, which replaced Butte Hall on the Chico State University campus, creates a bookend for the campus’ east-west connection. The building massing is informed by the scale of the existing buildings, the programmatic elements, access to daylight, and accommodation of solar panels. This 94,000 gross square foot, design-build project with Turner Construction Company is a net zero energy building that co-locates several college resources to a common location and provides much needed study areas. The new building maximizes space usage, provides active learning environments, creates holistic work environments for faculty and staff, improves outdoor environments, and supports the health and wellness of all building occupants.⁠
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The building includes 22 general university classrooms, 1 large learning hall, various study and lounge spaces, 5 departmental instructional labs, and office spaces for the College of Behavioral and Social Sciences. The Behavioral and Social Sciences departments include Anthropology, Economics, Geography and Planning, Multi-Cultural and Gender Studies, Political Science and Criminal Justice, Public Health and Health Services Administration, Social Science, Social Work, and Sociology.⁠

The 44,450 SF Energy Innovation Building will be the central hub of research, experimentation, and collaboration on the future of energy in the San Joaquin Valley. The project will include research and teaching laboratories, a Capstone Design Laboratory, private/open offices, a flex-design event space, the Extended Education Global Outreach center, and an outdoor interactive space. The Energy Innovation Building will be tightly connected to its context, meeting the needs and desires of the talented and ambitious student body. Architecturally, it will seamlessly integrate with the existing campus, respecting its setting while representing a new era of energy and innovation at CSU Bakersfield. Environmentally, it will harmonize with the outdoors and the natural landscape, embodying sustainability design principles that align with the commitment to a greener, more resilient future. Communally, the design will be characterized by a welcoming spirit, creating a space where learning is not just a hidden pursuit but a visible and shared endeavor. In every aspect, this project will harness the potential of collaborative and inclusive design in order to move the region, and nation, forward with renewable energy research. With the Energy Innovation Building, CSU Bakersfield will be able to increase and promote robust industry partnerships, attract funding, facilitate faculty and student research, and engage the community. The Energy Innovation Building will solidify CSUB’s pivotal role in the future of energy solutions in the Valley and beyond.

Learn more on the CSU Bakersfield website.

The Autodesk Technology Engagement Center, which includes the Global HSI Equity Innovation Hub, focuses on closing equity gaps in STEM degree pathways and inspiring historically underrepresented minorities in STEM to pursue high-demand careers in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics.

This 34,000 GSF project is powered by cutting-edge technology to advance collaboration and interdisciplinary design and research, including labs for engineering, prototype creation, pre-manufacture, and iterative design. Flexible space for interdisciplinary teams to collaborate, innovate, and incubate is included. The project also includes a campus and community maker-space as well as student showcase space to inspire student curiosity and creativity.

To propel student success, the Equity Innovation Hub includes a next generation student success center, student study and collaboration space, and a P-14 outreach discovery lab.  CSUN will use these spaces to  engage middle, high school, and community college students as well as families, to include a whole family outreach approach.

The project is uniquely designed with equity as a core design principle. AC Martin led a series of design workshops, meeting with university leadership, an interdisciplinary faculty and staff collaborative group, and a student focus group, to ensure the project design would achieve its goals to:

• Be welcoming and approachable to students and the community.
• Highlight & inspire interest in STEM professions, education, real-world applications & technology.
• Ensure diverse representation of historically underrepresented minorities.
• Create flexible spaces & adaptable design.

The Autodesk Technology Engagement Center provides a new, modern, state-of-the-art facility, creating a new identity for the College and University at a prominent campus location. Additional site improvements include outdoor gathering space, seating areas, and hands-on STEM activity areas.

The new 8,000 SF Mervyn M. Dymally African American Political & Economic Institute (MDAAPEI) building at California State University, Dominguez Hills, will embody progress, purpose, and vision, marking the start of a new era of growth and expanding the Institute’s significance.

Once confined to a 450 SF space in the campus library, where the Executive Director worked from a converted janitor’s closet, the Institute has consistently documented and celebrated African American leadership in politics, business, and public policy. Despite space constraints, MDAAPEI has empowered students and the community through training, leadership programs, and cultural events that highlight the African Diaspora. The 8,000 SF AC Martin-designed facility will be built on a vacant site near the College of Continuing & Professional Education. The building will include administrative offices, a reading center for rare works, and ample space for community engagement on critical issues. The Institute will house a digital archive, oral histories, a research space, and a 2,000-volume library open to scholars statewide. Signature events, including the Aging Symposium, the Distinguished Speaker Series, and the African American Leadership Summit, will now have a dedicated home, amplifying the Institute’s impact. AC Martin was also tasked with developing a conceptual furniture plan to guide future furnishings, ensuring every detail aligns with the Institute’s goals. Thoughtfully designed interiors will honor the Institute’s mission and inspire visitors, reaffirming MDAAPEI’s commitment to empowering future generations, preserving vital histories

Based on the success of Phase I and II student housing, CSUN hired AC Martin for Phase III, including 200 beds and a major renovation of the main outdoor dining courtyard for campus housing residents. The project also includes a large study lounge, classroom, two multi-purpose rooms for programmed events, a large eat-in communal kitchen, a mail/package room for all on-campus students, and the Housing Facilities offices. Phases I and II are a 4-minute walk from Phase III. Phase III is directly adjacent to CSUN’s 1990’s dining hall. Our project upgraded and renovated the dining courtyard and connects it to the Phase III student housing courtyard. This area will be the new social HUB for freshmen with a large, shaded trellis enclosing the two courtyards and creating student life event spaces. The communal kitchen was doubled in size allowing for larger student groups to cook together. Phase III also has the package/mail room for all on-campus housing to draw students to this new social HUB. Phase III completed construction in August of 2025.

See Phase II Student Housing at CSU Northridge

See Phase I Student Housing at CSU Northridge

Located within the Hollywood community of the Los Angeles area, this new mixed-use development is a seven-story building with 276 residential units - 13 of which are affordable housing for ‘very low income’ households. The project includes an approximately 27,000 SF Bristol Farms grocer and 318 parking spaces.

AC Martin’s student housing proposal for Long Beach City College reimagines the residential experience with a strategic, student-centered approach focused on wellness, equity, and long-term value. In partnership with an integrated Design-Build team, the project elevates baseline criteria through a flexible framework of performance-driven enhancements. Highlights include a welcoming campus arrival sequence, an expanded 12,000 SF courtyard, and vibrant ground-floor amenities—such as a grab-and-go market, tech commons, and multipurpose spaces—crafted to foster connection and enrich student life.

The residential program organizes students into 34-person pods, each featuring a shared kitchen, lounge, and gender-inclusive restrooms to promote community, safety, and belonging. A mass timber structural system advances sustainability goals while creating warm, biophilic interiors that reduce stress and enhance well-being. Further improvements include a pet-friendly amenity suite, reimagined social spaces, and infrastructure optimizations that increase bed count and efficiency—all without expanding the building footprint. The outcome is a scalable, future-ready housing environment that reflects a deep understanding of how students live, learn, and thrive.