Victor on Venice is a KFA project circa 2006. Check out the video to see why the residents love their home.

Mosaic Apartments, developed by AMCAL Multi-Housing, Inc. and designed by Killefer Flammang Architects, had its Grand Opening on December 8th.

Mosaic Apartments is a 56-unit affordable housing development in the historic Pico Union neighborhood of Los Angeles. The genesis of the design came from the community itself: through a series of meetings, future residents expressed the desire to have seniors and families living together in one project, but also wanted a degree of separation. This led to a long two-building scheme - seniors on one side, families on the other - with a landscaped paseo running between them from the front to the back of the building, connecting between two streets. The paseo is the central circulation court and gathering space for the project - a place for seniors to walk, children to play, and for everyone to interact. Both the developer and the residents also wanted the building to fit into the historic Craftsman residential architecture of the neighborhood, leading to a vocabulary of pitched roofs, traditional fenestration, and wood details.

The project is LEED Silver certified. 

Did you know that KFA has a Facebook page?  Don’t forget to click on the “Like” button on our page to get all of the latest KFA news delivered directly to your Facebook feed.

Visit KFA’s Facebook Page

If you’ve passed by 512 East Rose Avenue in Venice, you’ve seen some major construction going on at the historical Pioneer Bakery site.  The KFA designed project, developed by Gerding Edlen Development, includes 67 units of market rate housing, 7 affordable units, and 10,000 SF of retail fronting Rose Avenue, including two restaurants.  Café Gratitude, also designed by KFA, will occupy the northwest corner of Rose and 5th Street.
 
The project was first designed in 2002 for the owners of the Pioneer Bakery, which occupied the site. There were several community meetings which dictated that this full-block project be broken up into discernable components along Rose Ave. The central courtyard has Craftsman elements, which were desired by the neighbors; the remainder of the project has a contemporary style.
 
Emphasizing the developer’s commitment to sustainability, the project includes a solar hot water system and will exceed the requirements for a LEED platinum rating. The E-shaped plan has two 25’-30’ wide courtyards which bring abundant natural light to the units and large private patios and balconies will allow tenants to enjoy the mild Venice climate. A 15’ wide easement at the south side of the property adds even more usable outside space and will include edible plants and space for Café Gratitude to grow produce for their restaurant.
 
Construction is scheduled to be complete in April 2012.

A new mixed-use project at Santa Monica Boulevard and Federal Avenue in West LA, built by Wiseman Development, opened this year during the height of the recession, with the brisk leasing of all 63 units in a matter of weeks.

KFA designed the building to add a fresh modern style to the owner’s portfolio of market-rate rental properties defined by spacious units with high-end finishes. The exterior features white metal cladding with contrasting dark bronze metal work and frames. The project includes 11,000 square feet of retail and three loft-style units at the ground floor with open floor plans, high-ceilings, mezzanines, and direct access to the street.

A new boutique hotel-- described as a distinctive little jewel box--has opened in the heart of Wilshire Boulevard’s Miracle Mile.

Distinguishing the chic, seven story, 74-room upscale boutique hotel is its luminescent street façade and an exciting rooftop terrace,” said Michael Orwitz, president of Brentwood-based OSM Investment Company, the managing member of 6317 Wilshire LLC, the owner and developer.

Originally, The Hotel Wilshire was a hum-drum medical building built in the 1950s, but in concert with its architectural firm, Killefer Flammang Architects (KFA), Orwitz developed a strategy to appeal to sophisticated travelers doing business in the local area as well as tourists headed for the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, Pacific Design Center and myriad Westside attractions.

“Fact is,” the developer pointed out, “while the Miracle Mile is a vibrant area, there are relatively few places to enjoy upscale dining and entertainment, which is a void our hotel will fill with the help of Chef Eric Greenspan, of the Foundry on Melrose Avenue.

MORE..

Check out this Google Map with virtually all of KFA’s projects.  Click on a pin for project details.

View Map

The Killefer Flammang Architects designed Ray Bizjack Arts Village at the Westerly School in Long Beach was awarded the Grand Award in Education Design by the Concrete Masonry Association of California and Nevada.

Jury Comments:
We admired this simple, elegant project because it created such a special learning environment.  The buildings are carefully oriented to define beautiful outdoor classrooms and recreation areas.  The classrooms seem to extend into the courtyard thanks to ample natural light and large sliding glass doors.  This project likely had a very modest budget.  However, it is obvious here that excellent design can elevate any building project to Architecture, even with a modest budget.  This project was well-considered, well-detailed, and simply beautiful.

Westerly School Arts Village Project Page

Housing the nation’s first learning center of its kind, Lafayette Library, designed by Killefer Flammang Architects, won a special citation at the awards program for the California Redevelopment Association.  The project, in Lafayette, CA, was hailed as a “model for learning.”

Lafayette Library and Learning Center Project Page

Construction has started on an expansion of PS#1, a private school in Santa Monica, that includes a new multi-purpose building, administrative offices and classrooms.

The program calls for a new two-level, 7,500-square-foot building and a 60-foot covered walkway with photovoltaic panels that link the new and existing buildings, reported Bob Timmerman, KFA principal and project manager.

A contemporary theme will prevail in the new building, he said.

Marking its 40th anniversary this year, PS#1 espouses a philosophy committed to diversity and the reality that children learn in different ways at different times and different rates, says founder and headmaster Joel Pelcyger.

“Different subjects are often brought together under the umbrella of a unifying theme,” added Pelcyger.

A strong advocated of environmental and sustainability issues, the school won the 2011 grand prize for Excellence in Sustainable Economic Development, Social Responsibility and Stewardship of the Environment - a program annually sponsored by the City of Santa Monica and the Santa Monica Chamber of Commerce.

Simply put, Pelcyger said, the award reflects the school’s motto: “Use Less, Do More.”