Spectrum News 1 Socal interviewed our founder Karin Liljegren on Reimagining Spaces, our post pandemic urban design report.

“I just love the vitality here. You know, the people are just real,” Liljegren said. “We’ve got to bring downtown Los Angeles back, though, because it's in pretty sad shape right now.”

Spectrum News's Kristopher Gee talks to Karin about how design can change for the better post-COVID in the workplace, multifamily buildings, and reprogramming underutilized commercial buildings.

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Building Design + Construction Magazine's show The Weekly features our Reimagining Spaces design report. BD+C's John Caulfield interviews our very own Karin Liljegren, FAIA on our recently released reports on adaptive reuse for workplaces, multifamily, and urban reprogramming, Reimagining Spaces. Karin explains how empty or excess shopping malls, big boxes, ground-floor retail, and light industrial could be put to better use, and even makes the provocative claim that offices and restaurants have commonalities.

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Before the pandemic, incorporation of amenity spaces and providing a variety of unit types were common considerations in urban multi-family buildings. Among the many economic impacts of today's pandemic, the residential sector will experience long term shifts in how its spaces are used and examined.

Concept 1: Humanizing

As cities continue to densify, the future of multifamily housing depends even more on finding the right balance between indoor and outdoor spaces. This balance is critical to the health of urban residents and the success of the places they call home. Planning for density and open space must be considered to pave the way for a more porous city that includes spaces for increased access to natural light, landscape, and human-centered places.

Concept 3: Interconnectivity of Common Spaces

Building Diagram

Programming common areas serving multifamily projects must go beyond meeting traditional uses. They must set the bar higher by offering opportunities to create culture, spark new interactions, and facilitate a building-wide sense of community that extends into the surrounding neighborhood. The next concepts explore ways to strengthen a building’s community at different scales with the context of an existing 12-story building in downtown Los Angeles.

We're excited to formally announce that Karin Liljegren, our firm’s founder and principal, has been elevated to the AIA's prestigious College of Fellows. Each year since 1952, AIA leaders have recognized a tiny subset of members for their exceptional contributions to the field of architecture. Karin was commended for elevating the architect’s role in urban revitalization and for creating a nationally applicable model in the practice of adaptive reuse.

GoArchitect's DesignClass is a platform for interviews and real-world lessons on how today's artists, designers and creators can build a thriving practice. Next in the series: our own Karin Liljegren.

Introducing our latest project: Interstellar!

Opening a restaurant isn't easy, no matter the timing. Opening one right now takes serious courage—and support. Located in a prime site in Santa Monica, they've not only launched, they’re up and running for takeout and delivery!

We recommend the branzino ochazuke with a drink from their excellent beer selection.

Accessing amenities within a pool enclosure is once again possible! Omgivning’s successful collaboration with LA County officials allows developers and designers to improve how millions of people experience pools in LA, all while improving safety.

Rooftop and open-air pools in Los Angeles used to allow people to freely go from the pool to the bar. However in 2016, barriers around pools became required additions, impeding easy access to and from the pool amenity areas. These pool enclosures were due to an LA County-issued interpretation of the state code for pool enclosures.

It's exciting to imagine that the Green New Deal might turn more real if the 2020 election goes... in a certain direction. For this piece by The Architect's Newspaper, Karin Liljegren talked about her wish list for the legislation.