Program:
Interior design for 2500 square foot not-for-profit professional organization., to be headquartered on the eighth floor of the historic Wiltern Building on Wilshire Boulevard. Board meeting space, gallery space for exhibitions, reception and waiting areas, lunchroom, document/workroom, and semiprivate office spaces.
Schedule challenge:
Programmed, designed, drawn, bid, permitted and constructed in 4 months
Budget challenge:
Tenant improvement allowance of $20/square foot
Attention was focused upon a small kit of parts, serving to divide and define the program and give spatial definition while serving to deliver a green mandate that even a tiny project like this one could (should) become a showcase for testing sustainability concepts.
Sustainable Strategies Menu
A primary goal was set to explore the integration of sustainable design principles on such a small and challenged project, and for this client to take a leadership role in setting a environmental responsibility.. A full day workshop was organized by the architects involving HVAC consultants, representatives from Southern California Edison, sustainability LEEDS advisors, and an interior specialist in sustainable building products. The workshop established goals for the project based on LEEDS, and led to the following measures, which were then implemented:
- Lighting Systems: new walls, partitions and openings are carefully positioned so ambient natural daylight permeates every single workspace, greatly diminishing the need for electric consumption.
- Mechanical Systems: natural ventilation was achieved throughout the entire space by restoring operable windows on all sides of the building, and organizing demising walls to allow flow through air distribution. A low ceiling was removed, exposing the concrete floor slab above, which was painted white to reflect daylight to the interior. The concrete also acts as a natural heat sink during the day, collecting heat from people and lighting up above the comfort zone of the staff, and then radiating it back outdoors in the evening through the natural ventilation.
- "Green" material specifications were integrated as renewable showcase materials, including low VOC paint, cork, linoleum, integral cushion recycled content carpet, and lightweight concrete with recycled bottle glass.
- Recycling: during demolition and construction processes the contractor utilized two dumpsters separating salvageable material from demo waste. Carpet and Ceiling Tiles were picked up separately to be recycled.
- Reuse: during demolition selected doors and light fixtures were set aside and reused in the new space. Selected furniture and light fixtures from clients’ previous space were also reused.
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