Hospitality

Adjacent to the University of Southern California's (USC) School of Architecture & Roski School of Fine Arts, the 790 SF Shop Café is designed to provide a convenient grab ‘n’ go coffee shop for the students and is a continuation of the University’s long-range plan to provide quality on-campus food service to the student body and faculty.

The existing shell, a former student wood shop for the architecture school, was gutted and all remaining elements were painted yellow. The interior architecture consists of a mosaic tile ‘wrapper’ that warps and transforms to seamlessly integrate all functional elements: the condiment counter, the recycling center and the stand-up bar where patrons can enjoy their drinks. The simple wall graphics liken a museum or gallery tag that announces its title, contents and patrons as the media of this living sculpture.

The City of Burbank has promoted new pedestrian oriented standards in its Downtown District, including 12’ to 15’ wide sidewalks. Situated to take advantage of this enhanced pedestrian connectivity, the AC Hotel site is located next to the newly renovated Burbank Town Center and cater corner to a new mixed-use residential development. Known as “The Media Capital of the World,” Burbank appeals to movie and television companies and new economy creative types in general. The hotel’s architectural design taps into this sophisticated market through a clean and modernistic design aesthetic realized in a soberly exuberant play of building mass and skin, quality materials and color. Featuring 196 guest rooms, the L-shaped hotel opens to the intersection of N. 3rd Street and E. Cypress Avenue with a 7,500 sf open air plaza punctuated with a public art fountain where the public can lounge freely. From here visitors and guests can enter to find the hotel lobby and bar, and take an elevator to a 6th floor open viewing terrace. The 3,800 sf hotel restaurant is also available to the public and has outdoor seating along the expansive 3rd Street sidewalk. A 2nd level pool deck, designed for the exclusive use of hotel guests, overlooks the corner plaza below.

The lower lobby transitions hotel guests from the porte cochere to the sky lobby and features a signature art installation by Korean artist Do Ho Suh. The piece, entitled  “Screen”, is composed of 86,000 individually cast resin figures. The multi-colored piece dominates the space spanning the entire height and occupying multiple walls. From here, four double-deck high-speed elevators whisk guests to the unprecedented 70th-floor check-in lobby in under forty seconds. This experience is enhanced by a large digital display screening movie shorts and digital art installations.

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.