From the desk of Will Wright, Hon. AIA|LA
Director of Government & Public Affairs

Adaptive ReUse and Office-to-Housing Conversions

Good news! AB 2910 (Santiago) is gaining momentum. Bad News! It will only apply to projects in the City of Los Angeles, excluding the rest of the state.

As described by its author Assemblymember Miguel Santiago, “AB 2910 enables cities with a population of 400,000 or greater to adopt alternative building regulations, subject to approval by the California Building Standards Commission, to facilitate the conversion of commercial buildings to residential units.”

Osama Younan, P.E. and LADBS recently reconvened a working group on July 10th involving AIA|LA, SEAOSC, LAFD, and Fire/ Life Safety Engineers to collect pro-active feedback on specific ideas for what alternative building standards to consider. A technique for directing that feedback is via the opportunity here to update provisions of Chapters 85 & 86 so that various modifications that have been granted most often can be integrated into the updated code standards that allow for more performance-based outcomes related to making adaptive reuse projects more feasible, especially given today’s market constraints.

The working group will meet again on July 17th.

Please take a moment to review Chapter 85 and Chapter 86 and offer any specific feedback that will help improve the process. Your leadership and expertise will help improve our collective ability to deliver more adaptive reuse projects.

As an example of the type of input we’re looking for, we are grateful for the expertise and leadership of Karin Liljegren, FAIA – Founder + Principal, OMGIVNING.

Please CLICK HERE to review her ideas and let us know if you have any more specific comments and recommendations to add.

Resources:

• Chapter 85
• Chapter 86
• AB 2910 Support Letter (template)

Executive Order #1

On July 1, 2024 Mayor Karen Bass released a substantial update to Executive Order #1. This update makes the original initiative much less effective and further constrains site locations for affordable housing projects that can benefit from ED#1 streamlining.

Please review the updated guidelines and share your comments with me so that AIA|LA can offer recommendations on how to improve these guidelines, as they will eventually be made permanent as part of the Affordable Housing Streamlining Ordinance.

If you have specific feedback, please share with me by Friday, July 22nd at Will{@}aialosangeles.org.

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AIA|LA Advocacy Status Update:

As to the list of the ongoing, live-action, advocacy initiatives that we’ve been working on:

• Motion/ Report on advancing Whole Building Lifecycle Assessment for projects over 50,000 sq ft to lower embodied carbon (w/ CM Raman)
• LADWP recommendations to improve development services (ongoing)
• LADBS recommendations to improve plan-check, building code interpretations (ongoing)
• BOE recommendations to improve the Build LA portal (ongoing)
• LACP Urban Design Studio design review sessions and ways to improve the application process for development projects (ongoing)
• LACP Urban Design Studio Low Rise Design Lab (feedback)
• Self-Certification Initiative for Tenant-Improvement Projects (with BOMA)
• Recommendations to improve the overarching Development Services process with Deputy Mayor Rachel Freeman (including inter-departmental clearances)

The need to provide specific, constructive feedback on the following ordinances & motions:

• Affordable Housing Streaming Ordinance (AHSO)
• Citywide Housing Incentive Program Ordinance
• Adaptive Reuse 2.0 Ordinance
• Landscape and Site Design Ordinance
• CP Krekorian’s updates to LADWP Project Powerhouse motion

The need to the need to provide specific, constructive feedback on:

• The New Zoning Code
• Placemaking strategies to prepare for LA in 2028
• Community Plan updates (various)

If you’re interested in providing critical feedback to help advance any of the above initiatives, please connect with me directly at will{@}aialosangeles.org so that we can prepare official remarks for consideration and adoption from the AIA|LA Board of Directors.

AIA|LA & LACP DESIGN REVIEW SESSIONS

In 2024, we will coordinate thirty-six virtual design review sessions, which will serve as opportunities for architects and designers to help the Los Angeles City Planning’s Urban Design Studio critically review upcoming projects throughout the City.

Upcoming sessions include:

Tuesday, July 16 (10am – 12pm)

Tuesday, August 6 (10am – 12pm)

Tuesday, August 13 (10am – 12pm)

Tuesday, August 20 (10am – 12pm)

Join us here w/ RSVP to gain zoom access.

Reach out and get more involved!

FOR MORE INFORMATION:

Will Wright, Hon. AIA|LA
Director, Government & Public Affairs
t: 213.639.0764
e: will@aialosangeles.org
www.aialosangeles.org