Valerie Schweitzer Architects

Hide and Seek Apartments

Hide and Seek Apartments
© Yoshihiro Makino

HIDE AND SEEK APARTMENTS

Valerie Schweitzer Architects

LEAD ARCHITECT
Valerie Schweitzer

MANUFACTURERS
Kohler, AVM Industries, Bosch, Caeser Stone, Egger, Milgard, Solarban

CONTRACTORS
James Kennedy Construction

STRUCTURAL TEAM
Masoud Dejban Inc.

CONSTRUCTION DETAILS
Charles Georgie

PRESENTATION DRAWINGS
Wei Wang

MECHANICAL AND PLUMBING
Air Plus Inc.

ARCHITECT OF RECORD
Andrew Ratzsch

PHOTOGRAPHS
Yoshihiro Makino

AREA
23800 ft²

YEAR
2022

LOCATION
Los Angeles, United States

CATEGORY
Apartments

Text description provided by architect.

Inspired by the palm tree, the nature-centric apartment building in west LA provides a sense of nurture to the entire street in a post-pandemic age.

Hide and Seek Apartments
© Yoshihiro Makino
Hide and Seek Apartments
© Yoshihiro Makino

It incorporates the local flora in unique ways including the site’s roughly 90-year-old sycamore, with a playful treehouse effect.

The 15-unit structure, LEED Gold, heightens our awareness of nature’s interplay with the man-made that marks Los Angeles.

It does so with a mix of natural and industrial materials: Corten steel, insulated glazing, board form concrete, salvaged wood, and palm trees on all floors.

Hide and Seek Apartments
© Yoshihiro Makino
Hide and Seek Apartments
© Yoshihiro Makino
Hide and Seek Apartments
© Yoshihiro Makino

Four stories high, 1946 Overland is submerged over three feet below grade to optimize the height for each unit. This also keeps the public lobbies cooler in the summer months.

Additionally, passively cooled garden halls at the Southwest-facing front facade reduce the HVAC load. A primary challenge was to meet the speculative goal of the development team to maximize square footage on a budget, while still elevating the pedestrian experience.

Hide and Seek Apartments
© Yoshihiro Makino
Hide and Seek Apartments
© Yoshihiro Makino
Hide and Seek Apartments
© Yoshihiro Makino

Much of Overland Avenue has a beat-up, even depressive quality and we sought to defy that with an aspect of theater and an economy of means that still deepens a sense of place.

The budding utilizes a concrete podium with a wood superstructure, and steel framing at the front facade to accomplish the wide expanses of Low e glass.

Three large bays are open at the upper floors to create plant-filled loggias that take advantage of the idyllic climate, improve air circulation and lower the carbon footprint.

Hide and Seek Apartments
© Yoshihiro Makino
Hide and Seek Apartments
© Yoshihiro Makino
Hide and Seek Apartments
© Yoshihiro Makino

The sheltered loggias encourage community and allow one to work down the hall from one’s apartment. Natural light is furthered with the inclusion of seven skylights on the top floor.

The ‘pocket gardens’ forge greater connections with the street that includes a charter school catty-corner to the site, and bikers on their way to Century City.

(Children may be seen scootering by and taking photos in front of the playful facade).

Hide and Seek Apartments
© Yoshihiro Makino
Hide and Seek Apartments
© Yoshihiro Makino

The architecture elevates the industrial steel through refined forms–that echo those of palm tree trunks– to draw out its specific beauty. And this element changes over time, becoming a deep orange, much like ripening fruit.

Board form surfaces are pulled into the interiors at the lower lobby to further blur the distinctions between indoors and outdoors. Placed in vertical and horizontal orientation the board form also echoes the lines seen on palm tree bark. Landscape design by the lead architect.

Hide and Seek Apartments
© Yoshihiro Makino


Hide and Seek Apartments
Site Plan
Hide and Seek Apartments
Plan - Second Floor
Hide and Seek Apartments
Plan - Third Floor
Hide and Seek Apartments
Plan - Fourth Floor


Hide and Seek Apartments
West Elevation
Hide and Seek Apartments
North Elevation
Hide and Seek Apartments
West Elevation Details
Hide and Seek Apartments
Section

Valerie Schweitzer Architects
T +1 917 6798177
Valerie Schweitzer Architects
173 Riverside Dr, New York, NY 10024, United States