Arch Tour Fest: Canyon Drive | 10AM

Photo Credit: Here And Now Agency

Arch Tour Fest: Canyon Drive | 10AM

Arch Tour Fest – Full List of Tours Here

This is an in-person tour. Attendees will be required to show proof of vaccination. Please read and check the agreement and safety boxes in the registration. Additional information regarding the tour and check-in process will be emailed directed to registrants 24 hours before the event. Tickets are non-transferable.

Architecture Firm: Lorcan O’Herlihy Architects [LOHA]

CES Learning Units: 1 LU

Tickets Available Below & Passes Available Here

Conceived by smart growth proponents as a viable solution to Los Angeles’ tight housing market, the City of Los Angeles adopted the Small Lot Subdivision Ordinance in 2005. The ordinance aimed to encourage the construction of smaller, more affordable infill housing to target first-time home buyers in an increasingly unaffordable market; simultaneously increasing density while maintaining the residential scale of Los Angeles neighborhoods.

Located just south of LA’s Beachwood Canyon, LOHA’s Canyon Drive project examines the small lot subdivision typology by taking advantage of its efficiencies of footprint and density while creating unique homes filled with light and air. Starting from the maximum allowable envelope, the single mass is divided by tilting the exterior walls away from the lot lines at different angles to define the individual homes and create opportunities for solar exposure and natural ventilation. From their initial A-frame-like shapes, the volumes are expanded at their centers to maximize usable square footage while maintaining the angular end facades. This injects a sense of the individuality of single-family homes, missing from many small lot subdivision developments.

The curving, almost nautical forms are achieved through angled wall studs and panelized systems: a simple framing strategy. The wood framing is expressed internally so the overall geometry is legible from inside the home. The cedar-clad first floor for the two-car garages provides a material contrast for the light upper units, which are composed with aluminum panels and storefront glazing. These material choices filter natural light into the living areas but maintain privacy, essential when building close to other properties. Replacing the traditional backyard, the design of each house incorporates a roof deck to create access to more outdoor space.

Contractor: Sapphire Construction
Structural Engineers: Amir Pirbadian, Inc.
MEP Engineers: IMEG Corp.
Civil Engineers (Design): VCA Engineers, Inc
Civil Engineers (Tract Map): WestCon Engineering
Landscape: LINK Landscape Architecture
Interior Design: DISC Interiors

Tour Led By:

Lorcan O’Herlihy, FAIA – Lorcan O’Herlihy Architects
Lorcan O’Herlihy is an internationally renowned architect and urban designer with offices in Los Angeles, California and Detroit, Michigan. After a career working with esteemed firms including Kevin Roche, I. M. Pei and Steven Holl, O’Herlihy founded Lorcan O’Herlihy Architects [LOHA] in 1994 where he is the Design Principal. He has built a robust portfolio of work rooted in embracing architecture’s role as a catalyst for change. Enacting a powerful alliance of inventive designs with vigorous social ideals, O’Herlihy’s work prospers whether it is supportive affordable housing in South Los Angeles, working with grassroots neighborhood advocates in Detroit, or designing cultural institutions like Chapman University Dance School. In addition to building over 100 projects across three continents Lorcan has been published in over 20 countries and recognized with 150-plus national and international awards, including the 2021 AIALA Gold Medal, Architect’s Newspaper Firm of the Year Award, the AIALA Firm of the Year Award, the AIA California Distinguished Practice Award, and was ranked the #1 Design Firm in the US by Architect Magazine in 2018.

Learning Objectives:
+ Participants will experience LOHA’s approach to designing and integrating five homes onto a lot that previously housed just one by utilizing the Small Lot Subdivision Ordinance.
+ Participants will learn about the sustainable strategies featured in Canyon Drive that are foundational to LOHA’s practice.
+ Participants will observe the approaches LOHA took to reimagining the fabric of Franklin Village, which serves as a model for neighborhoods across the city
+ Participants will hear from Lorcan O’Herlihy the challenges and solutions to designing homes that are spacious, invigorating, and efficient.