Architecture | Inhabitat Local - Los Angeles

RAFAA Designs Beaming Modular Towers for the BrightSource Solar Plant in the Mojave

Construction is underway for one of the world's largest solar plants in the Mojave Desert, and from the renderings we've seen, it's going to be pretty visually enticing in addition to being a renewable source of energy. Three separate plants, operated by BrightSource Energy, will be built by 2013 and one of them is already under construction. RAFAA Architecture & Design was kind enough to share with us their proposal for the spiraling Solar Plant Towers, which include modular design and construction as well as a lifecycle assessment, efficient use of materials and end of life recycling.

Chinatown-Cornfields Development is an Incredible Recreational Area for the LA River Master Plan

An ambitious riverfront recreation space, the Chinatown-Cornfields is just one of twenty major opportunity areas identified by the Los Angeles River Master Plan. The proposal for this particular stretch of the 32 mile LA River corridor includes a habitat

Architect Patrick Tighe’s Nodul(ar) House Uses Plug In “Apps”

The pursuit of modular building has produced many unique ideas, but perhaps one of the most intriguing is the Nodul(ar) House by Architect Patrick Tighe. A form follows function design approach the house is based on a simple panelized core with plug-in nodes for services. Think of it like buying apps for your house, you have the basic cube where you can plug in the type of kitchen you want or add another bath. The core living unit is composed of prefabricated aluminum panels making for a unapologetically contemporary look.

Bidding War over the Crystal Cathedral Campus

The “Hour of Power” for Crystal Cathedral draws to a close, but the bids to buy the campus of this Southern California Icon keep rolling in. Earlier this month, the local congregation was doing their best to raise the $50 million estimated to save their

Local Library is a LEED Platinum Diamond in the Rough

Channel glass illuminates the interior of the Silver Lake Library with day light, helping the local library earn its LEED Platinum certification. The library, designed by M2A Architects, features a 45 foot high channel glass spine that serves a dual purpose, creating a public plaza that embraces the larger community while creating a welcome backdrop for the library’s primary public spaces including the reading room. In addition, the split-level design allows for plenty of subterranean parking while the plaza provides for a clean connection to the pedestrian street traffic, encouraging participation of the community in library activities such as book fairs.

Bel Air Presbyterian PreSchool is an Eco Village For Learning

Some lucky children in Bel Air may soon get to attend a brand new school through the Presbyterian Church. Envisioned as a tiny village composed of classroom buildings and surrounded by courtyards and play yards, the Bel Air Presbyterian PreSchool is expected to be an ambitious center for early learners. Beverly Hills-based Poon Design has created the vision for the new preschool, which is still campaigning for money to build the project. The project is aiming for LEED certification and includes plenty of safe, natural and environmentally friendly materials along with energy efficient design.

Green-Roofed Los Angeles Holocaust Museum by Hagy Belzberg is Buried Underground

The horrors of the holocaust should never be hidden, but burying the Los Angeles museum in Pan Pacific Park insuch a way that it chronicles the history of historic event while helping to prevent any further environmental or social damage is somewhat ingenious. Designed by Hagy Belzberg, the 32,000 square foot museum museum manages to humanize the events that took place (considering the cold nature of its contents) from the subterranean depths. MOreover the thermal inertia combined with the insulating effects of the green roof makes the sprawling concrete structure as energy efficient as possible.

HW8 Prefab Homes Have the Open-Air Feeling of a Loft

Work Plays’ HW8 homes deliver the notion of loft like design in a prefabulous package. We admit that typical architecture in the Los Angeles area has trended toward open, loft like spaces. However, Prefab homes are generally unable to meet the same airy

Belzberg Archiect’s Award Winning Concept Eco Hotel Ray

When building on the original site of the studio occupied by the legendary Eames design company, one may feel pressure to pay proper tribute to the design gods. The firm Belzberg Architects rose to the challenge, and designed the aerodynamic Hotel Ray. Although never constructed, the eco-hotel earned the firm critical acclaim and a Green Concept Design Award.

Stunning Off-Grid iT House Sits Peacefully Within the Tranquil Desert Landscape

Californians often take their gorgeous landscape for granted, but leave it to an architect to remind us of all the glory that stretches out before our very eyes. Located in Pioneertown, the itHouse is a stunning off-grid construction that pulls the outdoor elements in for both aesthetic and energy. Designed by Taalman Koch, the home utilizes a modular, prefabricated system to cut down on waste and labor, as well as a number of passive heating and cooling measures. Conceived as a small house with glass walls and open floor plan, the itHouse beautifully melds the indoors with the surrounding landscape all while maintaining a light footprint on the delicate site.