Arch Tour Fest: The Barker

Image Credit:Adam Preisler

Arch Tour Fest: The Barker

Additional information regarding the tour and check-in process will be emailed directly to registrants 24 hours before the event.

Tour Organizer: Historic Resources Committee

The 1909 Barker Brothers Building is among the oldest buildings in the Historic Broadway Theater District to be revived and restored. One of the few remaining works by prolific Los Angeles architect R. B. Young, the 8-story loft structure was the largest furniture store west of the Mississippi when it opened, but by the 2000s it was hardly more than an empty shell stripped of architectural features.

During this tour, project architects John Bechtel and Kimbro Frutiger will discuss how they worked with the preservation-conscious Swedish developers Sätila Studios to help realize their vision for a mix of offices, artist spaces, a wellness spa, and unique restaurant and retail, as well as a rooftop urban garden. Construction is currently near the end of a meticulous exterior restoration and interior reimagining.

Building Credits: 

Owner: Sätila Studios
Architects: Architectural Resources Group
General Contractor: Baypost Builders
Restoration Contractor: Kaptive Construction & Preservation
Structural Engineer: Charles Tan & Associates
MEP Engineer: BSG – Building Solutions Group

Tour Led By:

John Bechtel, AIA Architecture Studio Director, Architectural Resources Group

John Bechtel is the Architecture Studio Director for ARG’s Los Angeles office. He brings over 30 years’ experience to ARG. In the course of his career, he has been involved in a broad variety of markets, project types and clients in California and the West Coast. He has led design teams in Education, Civic, Sports and Hospitality and Commercial projects, and has managed local and regional practices. His teams’ work has been recognized for their design and technical excellence.

John is a member of the American Institute of Architects, the Construction Specifications Institute, the National Organization of Minority Architects, and the Asian American Architects and Engineers.

Kimbro Frutiger, Architect LEED AP

Kimbro Frutiger is an architect with twenty-five years of professional experience in New York, Chicago, and Los Angeles. He specializes in projects with compelling cultural and historical aspects and has worked on sensitive sites for institutions including the National September 11th Museum, the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures, and the US State Department.
Kimbro has served as project architect on 722 S Broadway from the beginning of construction work, collaborating with Sätila Studios and the construction team on extensive field coordination and refinement.

Learning Objectives:

1. Explore the commercial redevelopment of Downtown Los Angeles’ Broadway Theater Historic District.
2. Apply the California’s Historical Building Code and the Secretary of the Interior’s Standards for Rehabilitation to commercial core structures.
3. Explain how Los Angeles’ High-Rise Retrofit Ordinance applies to qualified non-conforming historic buildings.
4. Identify treatment approaches for historical glazed brick façades.
5. Apply strategies to research and accurately recreate lost architectural features such as cornices and storefronts.