March Recap > Echo Park Home Tour

On March 24th, de LaB hosted its first-ever home tour, in the highly walkable, dense neighborhood of Echo Park. Dubbed S, M, L, XL (shout out to Rem Koolhaas - what up, dog?) we couldn't have asked for a more beautiful day to tour four incredible homes in the neighborhood, all within walking and biking distance of each other.

No shoes allowed. 

The homes were chosen not just for proximity, but also to highlight new design for urban infill, and each of the homes underscored four different models for sustainable yet stylish living.

Photo by Elizabeth Daniels/Curbed LA

The smallest of the homes was designed by John Oddo at Good Idea Studio, and clocked in at just 495 square feet. Despite its jewel-box size, the house manages to maximize space, sun and outdoor living. Our medium-sized home was designed by architect Simon Storey of Anonymous Architects. Simon managed to accomplish a pretty major feat - he packed a nearly 1,000 square foot home onto a 780 square foot lot, thanks to smart design and a vertical orientation. He even was able to include a roof garden and small patio in back.

Photos by Elizabeth Daniels/Curbed LA

Just on the other side of Sunset on Echo Park Blvd was our "large" home, a nearly 1,600 square foot townhouse duplex, known as Dick + Jane by brothers Kevin and Harde Wronske of Heyday Partnership. And last but not least was our "XL" home, the first Sunia Home by real estate developer and designer Jerome Pelayo. The 2,000 square foot home features a plethora of green amenities including solar panels, a greywater harvesting system, a wood pellet stove for heating and bamboo flooring.

Post-tour, we gathered for drinks at new neighborhood fave, Red Hill. Thanks to Jason Michaud and the crew there for their hospitality and generosity. We couldn't have had a more gracious host when the hungry hordes descended.

And thanks to all of our docents - we could not have done it without you! You're all awesome (and according to Curbed LA, the best-looking docents in town, to boot)!

For more great photos of the homes, check out Curbed LA's tour here, here and here.

August 28 > What's Fermenting at The Brewery? > Lincoln Heights

Sure, you've probably been to the Brewery Artwalk once or twice and roamed the massive complex's artist studios in what was originally the Edison Electric Steam Power Plant turned Pabst Brewery. But how well do you know any of the artists or designers?

(Photo by flickr user j.r.mchale)

Join us on Sunday, August 28th at 1pm for a tour of four diverse studios with the artists living and working in the art colony. We'll start at Carl Smith and Melynda Eccles' architecture firm, Telemachus Studio, for snacks and beverages and to hear about their latest projects. Then we'll head over to jewelry designer Claudia Endler's studio, visit the massive sculptures of artist James Hill, and gawk at the incredible wearable art of multimedia artist Kasey McMahon (one of LA Weekly's Best of LA People).


What: What's Fermenting At the Brewery?
When: Sunday, August 28 
1-3ish pm
Where: The Brewery Arts Complex: Meet at Telemachus Studio
672 South Avenue 21 | Unit 2
Los Angeles CA 90031
Cost: Free

RSVP here via Eventbrite.

March Recap > CaliFERnication

We had a (very) full house for our Inglewood visit with (fer) studio. Principals Doug Pierson and Christopher Mercier, both alums of Frank Gehry's practice, greeted 65 visitors to their studio tucked into a semi-hidden complex between La Brea and Crenshaw Blvds.

After drinks and refreshments, Doug and Chris presented their vision for a proposed masterplan for downtown Inglewood to a packed room. Centered on Market Street, and utilizing an empty 3-acre plot of land (that is currently in dispute between the city and a former owner who defaulted on a loan), (fer) devised a transit-oriented plan around a proposed Expo line stop. The plan aims to provide a cultural and commercial mix that draws on the existing infrastructure of the pedestrian-friendly street.

The masterplan also includes innovative eco-conscious elements, including solar wind systems, a self-contained water reservoir, planted towers, and vertical gardens. The architects are taking on an unusual role, as activist and advocate for the city. What began as an internal project bloomed into a larger plan, with the masterplan now submitted to Cascadia’s Living City Competition. Yet the firm has a long road ahead, as it pushes the vision to Inglewood's city council.

For more on the firm's vision for Inglewood, check out the Architect's Newspaper's excellent article here.

January 24 > Falls Fever > The Falls, Historic Core Downtown

Forget about post-holiday detox. This month, we're heading back downtown to relative newcomer The Falls. Joining us will be owner and designer Michelle Marini, who had previously made her mark on LA nightlife with the Lava Lounge and The Woods.

The Falls' design, shades of amber and orange, is meant to complement the 70s rock spun by DJs. Michelle commissioned Downtown artist MATTEO to design the bar's "waterfall" a video sculpture inside of hundreds of acrylic "ice cubes." Michelle will walk us through the space and explain the design concept, and has kindly offered to create a special cocktail for de LaBbers.

We'll start gathering at 7:30pm, and Michelle will give us the rundown promptly at 8pm. DJs begin spinning at 9pm so stick around and enjoy The Falls' vintage cocktail menu.

Monday, January 24
7:30pm Cocktails
8:00pm Tour with designer-owner Michelle Marini

The Falls
626 S. Spring St., Downtown LA
Between 6th and 7th Streets


View de LaB's Falls Fever in a larger map

Thanks For A Great Year!

Thanks to everyone who made it out to our very wet Go For The Gold event and especially to James Rojas for leading our transit and culinary explorations along the Gold Line Extension.

And a special thanks to everyone who has made it out this year to any of our events - we appreciate your support and encouragement as we plan more events for 2010. Have an idea for an event? Let us know.

And what else did we do this year?
In November we joined our friends at Ball-Nogues Studio in Downtown LA during Art Walk for a screening of the High-Energy Double Channel videos by Cal Artians.

In October, we were "on hiatus" but missed you too much!

In September teamed up with our friends at Curbed LA and Greenmeme for Park[ing] Day LA! de LaBbers and neighbors stopped by as we transformed a parking space located in front of LOCAL restaurant into a sustainably designed pocket-park.

In August, we braved the heat to tour Vista Hermosa Park with landscape architect Mia Lehrer and explored the park's walking trails, streams, meadows, oak savannahs, picnic grounds, and a nature-themed playground. Our friends from Coolhaus stopped by with specially-themed Mia-inspired ice cream sandwiches.

In July, we headed east - way east, to explore LA's thriving Tiki culture. Joining forces with Popsicles for Everyone, whose most recent project, Tikitown, USA looks at the rise and fall of Tiki culture in Los Angeles, we embarked on a three-stop Tiki Trek.

In June, we took to the streets for our first (but hopefully not last) annual Design-n-Dim Sum bike ride. Adam and Josef of Flying Pigeon guided a large group of cyclists through Lincoln Heights to Chinatown, stopping along the way to visit Fung and Blatt in their studio, and Fifth Floor Gallery and LOC, ending at Ocean Seafood for dim sum.

In May, we learned the ancient art of origami with Studio 1060, including our friends Bo and Hisako at Bunch Design, Catherine Garrison Architect, Debi Van Zyl and Design Garage Inc. Not only did they provide us with a great space in Boyle Heights, and a fantastic Butter Bar, but they also kindly taught everyone how to construct paper modules for our three-dimensional origami wall, now gracing Studio 1060.

In April we hosted a Garden Party. On top of the Flat Building rooftop, architect Alexis Rochas schooled us on the challenges of urban agriculture as we toured SYNTHe. Afterwards we filed downstairs into the swanktastic Blue Velvet and sipped Champagne and lemon-spiked Hefeweizens while a brunch with produce snipped from that very rooftop was brought out in three beautifully-plated courses.

In March we combined two of our favorite things - cocktails and preservation at Cole's. Restaurant group 213's designer Ricki Kline gave us a tour of the restored space, including their speakeasy The Varnish, in the back room.

In February we headed to Lincoln Heights for a tour of the Daly Lofts, architect and writer Joseph Giovannini’s first major LA project. Formerly a telephone trucking garage, this 23,000 square-foot structure now houses a series of trippy, sculptural modern live-work lofts.

Last Jan we took a break to recover from City Listening, a gathering of several local design and architecture writers to read stories about LA in the performance space at the former office of GOOD magazine.

What does 2010 have in store? Stay tuned here and on Facebook as we announce our next events.

Happy holidays to all!

December de LaB > Go For The Gold!

Join us December 12th for a food tour of the new Gold Line extension! The MTA's James Rojas will be leading us on a guided tour of the metro stops through the eastside LA, and we'll explore some of the food in these diverse neighborhoods.

Dec 12th is also the Feast of Guadalupe so we'll see some of the shrines, decorations and celebrations in honor of the holiday.

Our itinerary:
2pm: Meet at the Gold Line platform in Union Station
1st Stop: ELA Civic Center. Visit the newly renovated urban center with library, amphitheater and pond.
2nd Stop: Indiana: We'll stop at the Mercado for tacos or grab the original raspadas (ice cones)
3rd Stop: Mariachi Plaza: Tacos! Mariachis!
4th Stop: Little Tokyo: Our last stop will be for green tea ice cream, and depending on how we feel, drinks at Far Bar or another nearby watering hole.

Please bring CASH for the day, and rsvp to hello [at] designeastoflabrea [dot] org if you plan on attending.

[Photo by Alissa Walker]

October Hiatus

Yes, we know it's very Hollywood to say we're going on hiatus, and then never return, but in this case we mean it. Work, travel and other obligations mean October has gotten away from us, but we'll be back with another great event in November.

In the meantime, enjoy our pics from September's Park[ing] Day on Facebook (psst, have you joined our group yet?) and check out some of these other great events going on in the next few weeks:

• If you haven't got a ticket to this week's sold out Rock-n-Platinum Party at the Cherokee Lofts, perhaps you'd like a tour?
• See it before it closes Nov 1 - the Richard Neutra Sketches and Drawing exhibit at the LA Library downtown. It's free!
• Check out LACMA's cross section of twentieth-century design at "From the Spoon to the City: Design by Architects from LACMA's Collection."
• The MAK Center is mounting an exhibit on little-known Austrian sociologist, Otto Neurath (1888-1945). Opening Nov 3rd.
• The Sixties are hot again. As part of the LA Conservancy's "Sixties Turn Fifties" initiative, they're putting on a one-time only self-driving tour of some of the cities best architecture from the 1960's.
  
• The Great LA Walk is back! Join Franklin Ave and friends for their annual urban hike. This year, they're meeting at the Shrine for a walk down Washington and Adams - all the way to Venice.
  

And we're always looking for great ideas for future events. Got one? Hit us up at hello [at] designeastoflabrea [dot] org.

August de LaB > Picnic In the Park @ Vista Hermosa Aug 29

You asked for it and we answered. Many of you asked for a landscape architecture event, so we went to one of the best - Mia Lehrer.

Take a tour and bring a picnic! Landscape architect Mia Lehrer is giving us a tour of the Grand Prize-winning 9.5 acre park Vista Hermosa Park located near downtown.

The park features walking trails, streams, meadows, oak savannahs, picnic grounds, and a nature-themed playground amidst native Mediterranean vegetation. We're meeting at 4pm on August 29th by the grotto and waterfall for a walk through the park, followed by a picnic. Bring a sandwich, salads, and drinks. Our friends from Coolhaus will be on hand for ice cream sandwiches with a special Mia-themed flavor!

Address: 100 N. Toluca Street
The park is on First Street west of the 110 (Harbor Freeway) between Beaudry and Glendale Blvd.

Parking is available in the park. Enter the West Gate on Toluca, or the South Gate on 1st Street. From both, walk north across the Upper Field to reach the grotto.

Design-n-Dim Sum Ride> Links and Learn

There's been a few articles/posts recently about some of the sites we'll be visiting this Saturday on our Design-n-Dim Sum Ride:

• Check out Fung + Blatt's Mount Washington residence, now front page on Dwell.com.
• So timely...check out this little ditty by David Keeps on Fifth Floor's new "Looking for Work" exhibit, opening this Saturday night. Come on the design-n-dim-sum ride for a sneak peek and maybe stick around for the opening night party! (Note that Ali Jevanjee, whose Chung King Alley loft we'll also be seeing on Saturday, will be debuting his new line of laminated plywood furniture as part of the exhibit.)
• Yet another cool post about one of the design labs we'll be visiting this Saturday!

May de LaB > In The Fold

In the Fold

Origami Night at Studio 1060
Join us as we use the ancient art of Japanese paper folding to create a three-dimensional wall.

Our friends at Bunch Design, Catherine Garrison Architect, Debi Van Zyl, and Design Garage Inc. in Boyle Heights - all located at Studio 1060 - will teach us how to make a simple module and we'll assemble the wall as the night progresses over drinks, snacks and conversation.

About Bunch: Bunch Design was created in 2008 as a multi-disciplinary design office based in Los Angeles and New York City.

The firm's main objective is to bring together a universe of ideas, people, and objects and to organize them into something meaningful.

Bunch Design practices contemporary design, art and cultural analysis.

Got a question? Email us at hello [at] designeastoflabrea [dot] org.

Date: Thursday, May 7th, 2009
Time: 7:00-10:00pm
Location: 1060 E. Cesar Chavez Ave, LA CA 90033

View Larger Map

There is limited parking in the office lot and the surrounding area is somewhat industrial. Please carpool/bike/use public transit if you can!

April de LaB > Garden Party

UPDATE: We are now SOLD OUT, but add yourself to the wait list here. Who knows, you might get lucky.

Join us for our first ever daytime de LaB! On Saturday, April 4, we're throwing a Garden Party as part of the fabulous LA Art Weekend. We'll start with a tour of SYNTHe, a unique urban agriculture structure located on the roof of The Flat building, hosted by architect and SCI-Arc professor Alexis Rochas. Then we'll head back downstairs for a prix-fixe lunch at the ground-floor Blue Velvet, where we'll enjoy a three-course meal prepared with organic produce raised on the rooftop!

12 noon: Meet at Blue Velvet
12:15pm: Head upstairs to tour SYNTHe rooftop garden with Alexis Rochas (ladies, heels are not recommended)
1pm: Back at Blue Velvet, menu below ($20 per person, drinks additional)

Blue Velvet/The Flat
750 Garland Ave
Los Angeles, CA 90017

Space is limited!
RSVP required, first come, first served: email us at
hello@designeastoflabrea.org

Menu:
First Course (choice of)
Scottish Salmon
White bean ragout, kale, smoked tomato, grapefruit

Fresh Pistachio Falafel
Eggplant, figs, tomato, black olive oil

Second Course (choice of)
Braised Beef Short Ribs
Brown butter beet béarnaise, pickled root vegetables, fondant potatoes, lavender beef jus

House Made Tagliatelle
Market fresh vegetables

Third Course
Vanilla Crème Fraiche Panna Cotta
blackberry espuma and confit, passionfruit sorbet,thyme scented wafer

Save The Date - April De LaB

Save the Date! Our next de LaB will be on Saturday April 4th
Blue Velvet brunch/ tour of roof garden with Alexis Rochas in association with LA Art Weekend

We're working out the details now for our first daylight de LaB event and will post those as soon as we confirm the time. In the meantime, here is some info on the project we'll be touring:

In a city covered by over 4,000 square miles of asphalt and cinder block, the green roof movement may have just won a serious coup with SYNTHe, an urban rooftop garden prototype designed by SCI-arc professor and architect Alexis Rochas. Located atop the Flat, a downtown Los Angeles residential mid-rise building, SYNTHe is a fertile oasis in the sky that will ultimately grow a variety of edible plants. Through an active collaboration between students, faculty, and city officials, SYNTHe proves that green roofs could indeed have a fruitful future in LA.

SYNTHe is a self-sufficient ecosystem that could offer a myriad of environmental benefits. Besides helping to filter pollutants, increasing thermal insulation of the roof, and reducing storm water runoff, the roof top garden sets forth a complete productive cycle. Food will be grown, consumed, and ultimately returned to the cycle in the form of compost on the premises.

The design features an alternating landscape of hard and soft surfaces that knit together to form a series of platforms. A prefabricated, suspended metal blanket and specialized recycled plywood frame outline a series of grow channels which are filled with an engineered growth medium (which is much lighter than natural soil). The undulating surface negotiates the space around existing HVAC and mechanical rooftop equipment, offering a 100% usable surface that is tiered for maximum solar exposure.

The prototype garden, part of the Los Angeles Community Garden Council program, is planted with fruit trees and vines, and herbs and vegetables that will be tended and used by residents and the chefs of the well-known ground floor restaurant, Blue Velvet.

SYNTHe: An Urban Rooftop Garden Prototype in Los Angeles
by Haily Zaki

March de LaB> Viewing The Varnish Reminder

March is almost upon us, which means we're ready for our next de LaB event!

Los Angeles' history echoes at Cole's, Originator of the French Dip, housed since 1908 in the hollow of the Pacific Electric building, once the nucleus of the Pacific Electric railway network. After a yearlong renovation, Cole's recently reopened, keeping many of the original details, including glass lighting, penny tile floors, historic photos, and the 40-foot mahogany bar.

Restaurant group 213's designer Ricki Kline will be giving us a tour of the restored space, which will include the soon-to-open now open speakeasy The Varnish, in the back room.

Cocktails around 7, tour and presentation will begin around 8:30.
118 E 6th St.
Los Angeles, CA

Get Directions on Google Maps

There should be plenty of street parking available.

Cole's has kindly offered to extend their happy hour specials to de LaB attendees throughout the night. Enjoy "Swell Well" $2 off, $1 off all Drinks/Beer/Wine and $4 Half Dips. Thanks to our friends at 213!

Please drop us a line, leave a comment, or RSVP on our facebook page so we can get a rough estimate of how many people are attending. Looking forward to seeing everyone there.

[Image of vintage cash register at The Varnish via Mattatouille]

March de LaB> Viewing The Varnish

Save the Date! Monday, March 9th.

Los Angeles' history echoes at Cole's, Originator of the French Dip, housed since 1908 in the hollow of the Pacific Electric building, once the nucleus of the Pacific Electric railway network. After a yearlong renovation, Cole's recently reopened, keeping many of the original details, including glass lighting, penny tile floors, historic photos, and the 40-foot mahogany bar.

Restaurant group 213's designer Ricki Kline will be giving us a tour of the restored space, which will include the soon-to-open speakeasy The Varnish, in the back room.

More details to follow, including drink specials for de LaB.

Cocktails around 7, tour and presentation will begin around 8:30.

UPDATE: Cole's has kindly offered to extend their happy hour specials to de LaB attendees throughout the night. Enjoy "Swell Well" $2 off, $1 off all Drinks/Beer/Wine and $4 Half Dips. Thanks to our friends at 213!