Adaptive Reuse: Bringing New Life to Existing Buildings and Communities

Adaptive Reuse – As more and more consider the feasibility of adaptive reuse in lieu of new construction, conversations, and questions range from cost, agency challenges, and code changes to further move the needle to make it economical, to limitations of existing buildings.  Consisting of professionals who have successfully delivered adaptive reuse projects, this panel will address those questions as well and share their experiences, demystifying this unique project type. 

CLICK HERE to read more on LACP’s website about the newly released citywide Adaptive Reuse 2.0 draft ordinance and how this connects to the larger, more comprehensive Housing Element Rezoning Program.

MORE INFO:

Current Zoning Code, Ch. 1
New Zoning Code, Ch. 1A
Fact Sheet (March 2024)

Moderator: Gilbert Rocca – Principal, AC Martin
A Principal at AC Martin, Gilbert brings nearly 30 years of experience working on a rich array of project types, including multi-family, mixed-use and affordable housing. His award-winning multi-family experience ranges from 60-unit housing for homeless veterans to 2400 units distributed over more than 40 acres, as well as luxury urban high-rise. He has worked closely with community groups and stakeholders to ensure that the needs and expectations of the larger community are heard and addressed throughout all phases of the projects. Gilbert has developed a reputation for bringing simple effective solutions to complex projects while building strong relationships.

Garrett Lee – President, Jamison Properties
Garrett Lee is the President of Jamison Properties, one of the most active multifamily real estate developers in Southern California. Since Garrett took the helm ten years ago, the company has completed over 6,500 new apartment units, including 250 affordable units, through ground-up construction and adaptive reuse conversions of office to residential. Garrett also oversees Jamison’s general contracting firms that have built the majority of the development portfolio.

Garrett is a Los Angeles native. He attended Harvard-Westlake and went on to earn a BA from USC School of Cinematic Arts and a JD from USC Gould School of Law. Since 2016, Garrett has served on the board of the Korean American Coalition, a nonprofit organization that promotes the civic and civil rights interests of the Korean American community.

Osama Younan – General Manager, LADBS
Osama Younan is the General Manager for the City of Los Angeles, Department of Building and Safety (LADBS), where he oversees over 1,100 employees in 5 bureaus: Plan Check and Engineering Bureau, Inspection Bureau, Code Enforcement Bureau, Technology Services Bureau, and Resource Management Bureau. He has been with LADBS for 37 years.

Osama Younan led the development and implementation of several streamlining and innovative initiatives that have significantly improved operational efficiency and customer service. These initiatives include ePlanLA which allows for online plan review, and permitting (received Government Technology Outstanding IT Project Award); Online Solar Photovoltaic Permitting System (received the Mayor’s Civic Innovation Award), Online Electric Vehicle Charger Permits (received the Mayor’s Civic Innovation Award), E-Permit for Online Issuance of Permits that do not require plan review (received the City of Los Angeles Productivity Improvement Award).

As the Chief Sustainability Officer for LADBS, he represented the Department on Green Building and sustainability policies and practices. He was the lead person in the development and adoption of the Los Angeles Green Building Codes and created the Department’s Green Building Division. He also was the lead person in the development and adoption of the City’s 2016 Water Conservation Ordinance.

He worked very closely with the Governor’s Office on developing the State of California Solar Permitting Guidebook. He has chaired and served on many committees including the Green Building Code Advisory Committee for the California Building Standards Commission which provides recommendations on the development of the CALGreen Code; the International Accreditation Service Technical Advisory Sustainability Council, ASHREA Standard 189.1 “Standard for the Design of High-Performance Green Buildings” Committee; the International Green Construction Code (IGCC), and the Green Building Committee for the Los Angeles Basin Chapter which represents 89 jurisdictions throughout Southern California.

Osama Younan is a licensed Professional Engineer with the State of California and a LEED Accredited Professional with the U.S. Green Building Council.

Karin Liljegren, FAIA, has dedicated her career to community building, sustainability, and advocacy by embracing adaptive reuse as a powerful means to revitalize our cities. For over 24 years, Karin has focused on adaptive reuse projects and advocates for policy reform to make the repurposing of older buildings more financially viable and cornerstones of their communities.

For Karin, adaptive reuse represents the potential to solve four challenges: address the housing shortage, combat climate change, preserve cultural heritage, and tackle the oversupply of vacant office buildings. She is engaged at a local and national level and participates in leading real estate organizations. Karin has led the City of Los Angeles task forces on topics such as ordinance reform and adaptive reuse policy.

Karin founded Omgivning Architecture + Interiors in 2009 and the firm has built a reputation for uncovering potential in underutilized buildings by transforming them into multifamily housing, hotels, restaurants, and workspace. Omgivning has grown and expanded its reach, having worked on two-million square foot historic landmarks to small, local cafes for clients and communities across the country.

Craig Chamberlain, MS, PE, SE – Principal / Structural Engineer, IMEG &  2023-2024 President, Structural Engineer Association of Southern California (SEAOSC)

Craig leads IMEG’s structural team located in Los Angeles. He is a registered professional civil and structural engineer with nearly 30 years of experience in the industry. Craig has a wide range of experience from hundreds of projects in residential, commercial, and industrial industries which also includes expertise working with California DSA and HCAI-regulated projects. Craig has also worked on numerous seismic retrofit projects including projects involving adaptive reuse. Craig is a member of the Structural Engineers Association of Southern California (SEAOSC) and currently serves on their Board of Directors as President. He has also been a steering committee member of SEAOSC’s annual Building at Risk Summit, as well as a member of the Existing Building Committee and SEAOSC Convention committees.

Nathan B. Wittasek, P.E., LEED AP, CASp – Principal, Simpson Gumpertz & Heger
Nate brings a practical approach to the fire protection engineering field that reflects his diverse training and experiences in academia, codes consulting for both new and existing facilities, performance-based fire protection engineering, resiliency design, and the fire service. His experience includes failure analysis, fire engineering, hazardous materials and operations, systems design and building codes, and accessibility consulting for commercial, residential, and infrastructure projects in North America, Europe, Asia, and the Middle East. Nate has specialized in fire life safety systems and approaches that are used in academic buildings and campuses, assembly and performance venues, cultural heritage facilities, historic structures, institutional facilities, laboratories, multi-family dwellings, and tall buildings.

Learning Objectives: 1.5 CES Learning Unit Submitted For Approval
1. Learning about applicable local codes on adaptive re-use
2. Learning about possible historical preservation impacts
3. Learning about the structural impacts of adaptive reuse
4. Learning about life safety impacts of adaptive reuse

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