As Los Angeles continues to make strides to meet the area’s need for housing and bring new residences to market, underutilized commercial land and surface parking lots have steadily given way to more sustainable urban infill development. Just a few blocks South of Hollywood’s infamous Sunset Boulevard, Grubb Properties acquired a site that previously served the community as a Goodwill store for decades that is now abandoned and begging for revitalization. After years of disuse, the site became host to petty crimes. Bringing forward a metamorphic vision for a community focused on wellness, the new housing and ground floor commercial amenities help extend the existing residential character of Lexington Ave.

This mixed-use, mixed-income development will bring reactivation to the heart of Hollywood with nearly 4,000 square feet of ground floor commercial space, 17 very low income units, and 134 attainable units that target households earning 60 – 140 percent of the Area Median Income (AMI). Located along a bustling corridor and less than half-a-mile from the metro station, KTGY’s designers wanted to ensure that 1200 Vine not only integrated seamlessly into the neighborhood, but also offered residents an escape from the stress and grind of city life and a sanctuary for the spirit. By orienting the third level podium courtyard to face Lexington Street to the south, the western wing of the building acts as a protective element, sheltering the community’s gathering spaces within from the hurried vehicular and pedestrian activity along Vine. The upper-level building massing tapers out towards the street corner, simultaneously opening the view corridor towards downtown while helping to flood the courtyard and pool deck with southern light and visually connecting to the trapezoidal public plaza below.

Collaborating with Border Landscape, the team developed a restorative landscape concept that reinforces the design theme of an urban refuge. The concept is drawn from the entry courts and historical vernacular of traditional garden courtyard homes in the area. For 1200 Vine this meant creating moments of respite in multiple locations – the first is a pocket entry plaza tucked away from the busy street and surrounded by corner retail and a double height-lobby. A series of stepped terraces off the plaza include an outdoor co-working deck and a lushly landscaped pool courtyard. A skydeck located in the northwest corner of the top floor offers residents a panoramic view of the Hollywood Hills, establishing a moment of tranquility and visual connection to nature. The southeast deck speaks to the urban location and offers residents a moment to soak in the beauty of the downtown skyline.

In order to help transform the hard urban edges of this intersection into an internal garden oasis, 37 newly planted trees will be distributed from the street level and urban plaza to the third floor courtyard area. The addition of all of these new on-site trees will help to bring nature into the site and allow residents the opportunity to get outdoors and enjoy peaceful shaded spaces to work, relax and socialize.

Because the project sits in LA’s Transit Priority Area and a short walk to the Red Line Metro Station, the total parking provided was limited to just over a half space per unit, was kept all above grade, and is concealed by the street-lining program elements along Vine and Lexington. 1200 Vine will also open with 10 percent of all spaces having an electric vehicle charging station for residents with the ability to expand in the future. Through a truly collaborative visioning process with the owner and landscape architect, KTGY has created a transformative mixed-use community that will act as an urban refuge in the heart of the city for generations to come.

Team
Owner | Developer: Grubb Properties
Architect: KTGY
Interior Designer: 505Design
Landscape Architect: BORDER
Civil Engineers: DKE Design & Engineering
Structural: Englekirk
Mechanical | Plumbing | Electrical: Green MEP Engineering

Typology
Mixed-Use Podium
Retail

Facts
Density: 162.37 du/ac
Unit Plan Sizes: 412 – 1,145 sq. ft.
Number of Units: 151 du
Site Area: 0.93 ac
Number of Stories: 7
Parking: 94 spaces (87 residence spaces, 0.58 sp./unit)
Construction Type: Type III-A, over I-A