AVA Arts District: Live/Work Hub Transforms LA’s Creative Core with Street Art, Industrial Design, and Urban Renewal.

OFFICEUNTITLED’s design for AVA Arts District is a finalist in the 8th annual GRAY Awards in the Mixed-Use Development breakout category.

FINALIST

Breakout category: Mixed-Use

Designer: OFFICEUNTITLED

Images: Here And Now Agency; Vittoria Zupicich

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SUBMISSION

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AVA Arts District is a base camp for a wide range of creators and artists, tapping into the district’s irreverent art and street scene. Located on the eastern edge of Downtown Los Angeles, AVA LA takes inspiration from the neighborhood’s irreverent art and street scene. Over the last forty years, artists moved into this former industrial area and brought it to life within closed studios. Today, art has moved from behind the scenes to the street, with new storefronts, gallery spaces, and large-scale murals.

The AVA project taps into the neighborhood’s redevelopment and future transformation. The site, situated along Alameda Street—an essential north-south artery linking Union Station to South LA and the Port of Los Angeles—captures the district’s evolving identity. Positioned across from the future Metro underground station and at the heart of the Los Angeles River revitalization, AVA LA is poised to engage with the district’s dynamic transformation. Part of nearly two dozen planned developments in the neighborhood. AVA opens up to this context and the new urban fabric at ground level while reinterpreting the horizontality of Los Angeles through its form.

Rooted in the materiality and fenestration techniques characteristic found throughout the Arts District, the design concept embodies the idea of " Buildings on a Building." The concept draws from a long-standing tradition of commandeering rooftops of industrial buildings for new development atop the expansive warehouse and factory floor plates found throughout the neighborhood. Board-formed concrete and fiber cement paneling reinforce the base of the project as a solid platform for lighter white and black metal panel-clad upper buildings to reside. The result is a project that is read as an assemblage versus a single, monolithic building, while simultaneously anchoring itself in the Arts District through materiality and massing.

Influenced both by the local artist community and creative residences, AVA Arts District is a vibrant testament to the district's history and creative spirit. Large-scale murals by local artists adorn the walls of the lobby, gym, and clubhouse spaces, paying homage to the creative history of the Arts District. Industrial materials including precast fluted concrete panels, cloverleaf perforated metal accents, and locally sourced reclaimed timber perches parallel the warehouses and commercial buildings that remain a signature of the surrounding area. From the street, full-height commissioned artwork acts like a beacon to be viewed to and from Downtown Los Angeles.

The project provides 475 live/work units with ground-floor retail. 20% of the -live/work units are made within Type I construction, allowing for light industrial uses, and all of the units include a minimum of 150 square feet of uninhibited working space. The residential spaces are designed to be minimalist in nature, creating an open live/work framework that features diverse views looking out onto the city. Throughout the building co-working and study areas cater to diverse needs, offering everything from communal meeting space to lounges and private phone booths. A deliberate use of lighting and color enhances the atmosphere, boosting both mood and productivity throughout the day and night.

AVA was designed with multiple courtyards and activities to promote pedestrian interaction with landscaping and retail experiences that are open to the outside. The landscape incorporates the "Los Angeles Rio Guidelines," selecting indigenous, waterwise plantings per the Los Angeles River Master Plan. The site features an ecological landscape corridor through the Spur Paseo, a public amenity with planted areas that create habitats and attract native pollinator species. Over 125 large trees were added to a previously unvegetated location, with a Heritage Tree at The Landing symbolizing a renewed connection with nature and serving as a focal point.

With its prominent north and south facades, the 700’ long building takes advantage of naturally ventilated residential corridors, over 500 operable windows, and rooftop solar panels. The building includes 819 parking stalls, with 128 commercial spots (11 FEV) and 703 residential spaces (prep for 22 FEV). It also provides 71 short-term and 498 long-term bike parking spaces, supporting sustainable transportation. The parking structure was designed with flat slabs to allow for future conversion to alternate uses, ensuring adaptability to evolving needs.

AVA Arts District is a vibrant testament to the district's history and unwavering creative spirit.

DESIGN TEAM:

OFFICEUNTITLED Design Team: Shawn Gehle, Lindsay Green, Christianne Jordan, David Burns, Dallas Calhoun, Mirko Wanders, Wilson Chang, Carlos Navarro, Brooks Atwood, Stephen Clipp, Richard Destin, Lauren Deshamp, Pearl Ho, Karen Ghaidar, Paola Gomez-Pineiro, Teresa Martin-Rico, Carlos Maya, Marcos Moll, Tam Tran, Pavlina Williams, Kaiyu

Xi, Tingting Xu, Tianlei Guo, Yifei Wuer

COLLABORATORS:

AOR: AC Martin

Landscape Architect: RIOS

Structural: VCA Structural

Civil Engineer: KPFF

Mechanical: Tad Consulting, Inc.

Electrical: Donald F. Dickerson Associates

Plumbing: AMPAM

Lighting: BOLD

Green: VCA Green

Waterproofing: Intertek Building Science Solutions

Trash: American Trash Management, Inc.

Signage: EGG Office

Design Architect: OFFICEUNTITLED

Interiors Design Architect: OFFICEUNTITLED

AOR: AC Martin

Landscape Architect: RIOS

Structural: VCA Structural

Civil Engineer: KPFF

Mechanical: Tad Consulting, Inc.

Electrical: Donald F. Dickerson Associates

Plumbing: AMPAM

Lighting: BOLD

Green: VCA Green

DESIGNER PROFILE:

In 2018, inspired by each other’s boundless curiosity, co-founders Christian Robert, Ben Anderson, and Shawn Gehle, alongside COO Lindsay Green set out to build the fearless, innovative, and future-focused practice they always wanted to be a part of.

OFFICEUNTITLED (OU) quickly evolved from a small team into a dynamic, diverse practice of architects, designers, and strategists, collaborating seamlessly across offices in Los Angeles and New York, with team members across the globe. Propelled by an uninhibited ethos that combines ambitious design with deep professional experience, the practice consistently delivers thoughtful yet unexpected design solutions. Guided by the collective expertise of its founders and talented senior design leadership, the practice boasts a diverse portfolio spanning architecture, interiors, master planning, and strategic consulting initiatives.

Our Approach: OU embodies the audacity and soul of a boutique design practice with the stability and depth of a more established firm. This rare fusion allows us to deliver fearless, expressive designs grounded in decades of expertise— offering clients a nuanced balance between bold creativity and reliable execution.

Our design ethos thrives on exploring uncharted territory. Inspired by the dynamic energy of Los Angeles, we look to the cultural vanguard of art, entertainment, fashion, and music, to realize work that resonates with the rhythm of culture. By weaving these influences together, we shape environments that breathe and inspire, sparking human creativity and true user connection.

We approach projects with a lo-fi/ hi-fi methodology, rapidly prototyping a diverse array of concepts through hands-on exploration and advanced digital technology. Leveraging our in-house model shop and state-of-the-art 3D printing capabilities, we delve into domains such as material innovation, prototyping, dynamic form, and construction technology.

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The 8th Annual GRAY Awards is sponsored by: