The architecture firm continues its role in the revitalization of Downtown Los Angeles through its work on Santee Village, a 500,000-square-foot, seven-building courtyard and streetscape in the burgeoning Fashion District. Already a vibrant retail community, the Fashion District does more than $1-billion in business every year. The architect of the historic exteriors, retail component, and urban connections for this mixed-use live/work community used its ability to find hidden beauty and transform this rundown alley. Powerful color and placemaking strategies restored urban grandeur to this important streetscape and courtyard. The scope of the architect`s work was to restore the historic storefront façades to their original generous scale, re-establishing an appropriate pedestrian proportional relationship to the street as “outdoor room.” Where the existing condition was not characterized as “historic,” the storefronts were relocated in order to create a pedestrian loggia filled with outdoor vending stalls.
