Conceptual Design for New 80,000 SqFt Multimodal Transit Station at Watsonville for Santa Cruz Metro.  Station Includes 17 Bus Parking, passenger drop off and pick up, along with 20 new bike lockers, new Transit Terminal with new 300 seat Multipurpose Community Room that is visible from the main street (Rodrigues Street). 

Client: Santa Cruz Metro

Program: Watsonville Transit Center

Size: 10,000 sq. ft. building, 80,000 sq. ft. tarmac

Completion Date: TBD

Material: Fiber Reinforced Composites, Concrete, Glass

Architect: Baumgartner + Uriu, llp

Consultant: Executive Architect: Adamson Associates - Transportation Planning: Arup - Structural Engineer: Thorton Thomasetti- MEP Engineer: WSP

950 SqFt Art Studio in Malibu Canyon are, with 2 large skylights that simultaneously bathe the studio in natural light, but also do not allow for direct sunlight in = it is all "bounced" light that is diffused into the studio.  The studio is a multiuse structure that is able to be opened up to the exterior for small concert events with seating up to 200.  The studio is in an area that is prone to fire and thus the building is clad in ceramic to give a higher than standard fire resistance = not only is ceramic able to resist heats up to 2,200 degrees, after a fire, ceramic does not retain the char smell of many other materials that are more traditional and porous. 

Client: Client not disclosed

Program: Art Studio

Size: 950 SF

Completion Date: TBD

Material: Ceramic Cladding, Steel, Concrete

Architect: Baumgartner + Uriu, llp

Team: Garrett Sutherlin Santo, Nourah AlBanaw, 

Consultants: LFA Structural

This 5,000 SqFt high-end residence on Mulholland drive (near the Skirball Cultural Center) in Los Angeles is located on a steep hillside with stunning views of Griffith Park, the Hollywood sign, and downtown Los Angeles. The design concept is a continuation of the prefab system developed for the ADU design ”E-pop”. This bigger brother version relies on the same principals which are large monocoque components that are both enclosure and structure. Manufactured and finished offsite they can be erected quickly and create an instant enclosure that is then infilled with glazing and openings. The design is inspired by a monolithic metal crystal that has been cracked open to reveal its interiority. It produces an architecture that is both open and mysterious and only slowly reveals itself as one moves around the building. From the street it appears private and opaque while when you are inside it opens up to the landmarks around it. Accessible only through the Batcave - a lobby and garage cut into the hill - its is connected to the street only by an elevator and an internal staircase.   

Client: Client not disclosed

Program: Single Family Residence

Size: 5,000 SF

Completion Date: 2022

Material: Aluminum, Steel, Concrete

Architect: Baumgartner + Uriu, llp

Team: Garrett Sutherlin Santo, Nourah AlBanaw, Vi Hieu Xuong, Kaitlyn Cartmell, Camille Thai, Charlie Allen

Located in the Ojai Valley on a property with clear views to mountains and a creek nearby, the Ojai Performance Space is designed to reflect the natural beauty surrounding the project. The performance space is designed in collaboration with artist Johannes Girardoni as an immersive light and sound experience to inspire expanded states of awareness and connection. The structural shell is a seamless double curved shell fabricated from aluminum, clad in multiple layers of mirrored material, currently being fabricated by a shipbuilder. The fractured exterior facades are being fabricated from a variety of finishes, each reflecting the surroundings.

The concept for the Ojai Performance Space is to create an immersive environment in which a symbiotic relationship between color, sound and space is created for a specific audience in a specific location. The ellipsoidal shaped volume designed by a collaboration with a visual artist, musicians, and the architect. While the exterior appears as a complex pixelated mirror it stands in stark contrast to the smooth ellipsoidal interior space that creates a sense of endlessness filled with sound and color projections. The rigorously curated program creates a transformative experience by linking live sound through a series of algorithms into imagery and patterns. Surround speakers in the walls and floor make for an all immersive sound environment while the images are projected from a center column onto walls and ceiling as a seamless animated set of images.

Client: Client not disclosed

Program: Performance Space

Size: 1,100 SQFT

Completion Date: 2022

Material: Aluminum Shell, Steel, Concrete

Architect: Baumgartner + Uriu, llp in collaboration with Johannes Girardoni Studio

Team: Garrett Sutherlin Santo, Ke Li, Nourah AlBanaw, Bashayer Bamohsen, Stella Buckmann, Aditya Jagdale, Di Liang, Zane Ellis-Rector, Christy Luong, Mitsuki Ikeda, Kathryn (Katie) Hayes, Aiden Ko, Erin Light

Consultant: NOUS Engineering (Structure), CIG (Aluminum Shell)

2,500 SqFt Ceramic Art Gallery for campus in Pacific Palisades.  Apertures organized not only to bounce sunlight into gallery while protecting art from direct UV rays, but to allow for easy natural ventilation taking advantage of the weather conditions in the Palisades.  Exterior clad with 3 dimensional ceramic tiles with many to be created by students themselves.

Client: Client not disclosed

Program: Ceramic Art Gallery

Size: 2,500 SF

Completion Date: TBD

Material: Ceramic Cladding, Steel, Concrete

Architect: Baumgartner + Uriu, llp

Team: Garrett Sutherlin Santo, Nourah AlBanaw, 

Consultants: LFA Structural

E-Pop - Small Dwelling Unit (ADU)

Concept:  Based on Nike’s concept of customizing sneakers by being able to choose and mix different colors patterns and styles we took a similar approach and applied this concept to the architectural scale of an Accessory Dwelling Unit or ADU.  The B+U’s ADU is designed by you!
It is a kit of parts that you can choose from and customize the SIZE, STYLE, MATERIAL and COLOR. You can mix and match them as you wish so each unit is unique and personalized to reflect your personal tastes.
STYLE: The three designs allude to musical genres – Jazz, Funk and e-POP that reflect the spirit of each design. All three designs share a simple concept of distinct parts that are joined together by large glass elements that allow light and air to wash into the spaces and offer unique views to the outside however they differ in their formal presence, verticality, and spatial experience.

THIS ADU STYLE: E-POP
Is our smallest unit with 400 sqft in size a one bedroom unit that’s ultra compact. The plan layout is kept simple and straight forward with an open floorplan that takes advantage of every square inch of space. The unit has tall ceilings and includes a loft space that expands the space vertical and gives you a bonus room.
MATERIALS and COLORS: We offer a range of material and color combinations for the exterior and interior that produce different levels of expression from a super minimal aluminum box with white walls to a custom glazed terracotta façades that are lively, colorful, and expressive.
FABRICATION: The ADU is completely prefabricated, flat packed and shipped on site to safe time. Each building component is steel framed and enclosed with insulated metal composite panels. The exterior façade attaches to pre-installed anchors which allows for great flexibility in terms of material and color choices.

Client: City of Los Angeles

Program: Accessory Dwelling Unit

Size: 400 SQFT

Completion Date: 2021

Material: Metal, Concrete, Wood

Architect: Baumgartner + Uriu, llp

Team: Garrett Sutherlin Santo, Nourah AlBanaw, Charles Allen, Stella Buckmann, Lilith Swan

Funk - Medium Dwelling Unit (ADU)

Concept: Based on Nike’s concept of customizing sneakers by being able to choose and mix different colors patterns and styles we took a similar approach and applied this concept to the architectural scale of an Accessory Dwelling Unit or ADU. The B+U’s ADU is designed by you!

It is a kit of parts that you can choose from and customize the SIZE, STYLE, MATERIAL and COLOR. You can mix and match them as you wish so each unit is unique and personalized to reflect your personal tastes.

STYLE: The three designs allude to musical genres – Jazz, Funk and e-POP that reflect the spirit of each design. All three designs share a simple concept of distinct parts that are joined together by large glass elements that allow light and air to wash into the spaces and offer unique views to the outside however they differ in their formal presence, verticality, and spatial experience.

THIS ADU STYLE: FUNK

Our mid-size unit is 800 sqft big and a one bed room/ one bathroom unit with a spacious layout. The unit has tall ceilings and includes a generous loft space that expands the space vertical and gives you a bonus room.

MATERIALS and COLORS: We offer a range of material and color combinations for the exterior and interior that produce different levels of expression from a super minimal aluminum box with white walls to a custom glazed terracotta façades that are lively, colorful, and expressive.

FABRICATION: The ADU is completely prefabricated, flat packed and shipped on site to safe time. Each building component is steel framed and enclosed with insulated metal composite panels. The exterior façade attaches to pre-installed anchors which allows for great flexibility in terms of material and color choices.

Funk - Medium Dwelling Unit (ADU)

Client: City of Los Angeles

Program: Accessory Dwelling Unit

Size: 800 SQFT

Completion Date: 2021

Material: Metal, Concrete, Wood

Architect: Baumgartner + Uriu, llp

Team: Garrett Sutherlin Santo, Nourah AlBanaw, Charles Allen, Stella Buckmann, Lilith Swan

Jazz - Large Dwelling Unit (ADU)

Concept: ADU by You dwellings
Based on Nike’s concept of customizing sneakers by being able to choose and mix different colors patterns and styles we took a similar approach and applied this concept to the architectural scale of an Accessory Dwelling Unit or ADU. The B+U’s ADU is designed by you!
It is a kit of parts that you can choose from and customize the SIZE, STYLE, MATERIAL and COLOR. You can mix and match them as you wish so each unit is unique and personalized to reflect your personal tastes.
STYLE: The three designs allude to musical genres – Jazz, Funk and e-POP that reflect the spirit of each design. All three designs share a simple concept of distinct parts that are joined together by large glass elements that allow light and air to wash into the spaces and offer unique views to the outside however they differ in their formal presence, verticality, and spatial experience.
ADU STYLE: JAZZ
Our largest unit is a 3bedroom/ 3 bath, 1200 sqft ADU with a spacious layout. The unit has tall ceilings and includes a generous loft space that expands the space vertical and gives you a bonus room.
MATERIALS and COLORS: We offer a range of material and color combinations for the exterior and interior that produce different levels of expression from a super minimal aluminum box with white walls to a custom glazed terracotta façades that are lively, colorful, and expressive.
PRE-APPROVED: We are excited to have all ADU models pre-approved by the Los Angeles department for building and safety.
FABRICATION: The ADU is completely prefabricated, flat packed and shipped on site to safe time. Each building component is steel framed and enclosed with insulated metal composite panels. The exterior façade attaches to pre-installed anchors which allows for great flexibility in terms of material and color choices.

Client: City of Los Angeles

Program: Accessory Dwelling Unit

Size: 1200 SQFT

Completion Date: 2021

Material: Metal, Concrete, Wood

Architect: Baumgartner + Uriu, llp

Team: Garrett Sutherlin Santo, Nourah AlBanaw, Charles Allen, Stella Buckmann, Lilith Swan

 Pillars in the landscape- design overview
The design is inspired by Bukhansan mountain where the soft landscape with its lush and colorful vegetation nestles between its rocky mountain tops. This dichotomy of the hard rocky peaks and the soft mountain terrain became the concept for the building design. We wanted the building to have a harmonious relationship with the surrounding landscape. The building massing consist of a large green roof that blends into the existing terrain and five pillar-like masses that are imbedded into the roof landscape. The pillars are spaced apart so you can always view the mountains between the building masses. The roof lifts up and opens towards the Art Village; Enclosed with a glass façade, the common space underneath is organized as an open plan that freely flows around the pillars connecting them and providing scenic views into the surrounding landscapes. The pillars are 3-4 stories tall and are sliced open at base level, allowing access to the different programmatic elements including exhibition spaces, library, education and research facilities, offices, and the collection storage spaces.
The walkable green roof creates abundant outdoor spaces around the pillars with direct access from some of the program inside including the multipurpose room that opens up into an outdoor amphitheater on the south end of the project. Glass skylights bridge the gap between the pillars and the green roof allowing for natural daylight to enter and brighten up the common areas below.
The Hub - Site connectivity
The Hub is at the center of the building and is not only the Main Entry point into the museum, it also connects the art village to the west with the neighborhood park of Gijachon district 1 to the east through a pedestrian walkway. Where it crosses the museum, the walkway turns into an outdoor amphitheater flanked by stairs and escalators on either site. One can move through this space without having to enter the museum but gets a glimpse of the activity inside. The outdoor seating area doubles as a shaded hang out space for the visitors and as an outdoor performance space for concerts and lectures. The exhibition space can be expanded to the outside with foldable glass doors. Directly adjacent to the main entry of the museum the Hub harmoniously connects indoor and outdoor spaces into a single environment and lets nature flow through the building.
The Ancient and the New- materiality
A wood façade inspired by ancient Korean print making. We wanted to connect the materiality, color and texture of the museum with its content and looked at the art of print making and its very beginnings. Print making was invented in Korea and not in Germany as many falsely believe. Jikji was the first printed book using movable metal type. It was published in Heungdeck temple in 1377 almost 80 years before the Gutenbergs Bible was printed.
Printing gives paper a new dimensionality, it gives it thickness, a texture that you can see, feel and touch. We wanted to transform this idea into a building envelope and chose wood, the base material for paper, to create textured CLT (cross laminated timber) panels to make the building envelope. The CLT panels are layered and three dimensional and are inspired by the metal type used to print the first book – the Jikji. Textured wood panels are also used selectively on the interior to highlight certain architectural elements and to bring warmth into the spaces they are set in contrast to the white museum walls.
The Meadow- landscape design
The concept for the landscape design is to create a seamless transition into the natural surroundings by designing a Meadow that connects Gijachon park with the art village. The green roof will be part of this meadow sprinkled with small groups of trees for shade and picknicks. We propose to pick exclusively native plants, flowers and trees that will complement the natural context. That foliage will be selected to create specific color pallets for the spring, summer and fall. The meadow will flow over the green roof and through the building creating a symbiotic relations ship between natural and built environment.

Client: City of Seoul

Program: Museum of Literature

Size: 111,000 SqFt

Completion Date: 2021

Material: Concrete, Glass, Steel, CLT

Architect: Baumgartner + Uriu, llp

Team: Garrett Sutherlin Santo, Charles Allen, Stella Buckmann, Kait Cartmell, Aiden Ko, Lilith Swan

A Library for the Future
The library as a type has evolved over time from a “temple of knowledge” into its modern form as a public institution where books are no longer chained, literally or metaphorically, to the space that houses them. Contemporary libraries, however, are complex structures that have defied cultural expectations and evolved to integrate an expanding array of media collections and spaces for civic and democratic exchange- the library became an “urban living room”.
Our design for the Songdo Library is imagining how the library of the future can transform yet again and is inspired by the idea of merging nature, technology and knowledge into a new experience for the Songdo library users. Our proposal pulls the wild into the library by transforming its spaces and reading rooms into artificial landscapes through materiality, color and spatial transitions that blur the edges between inside and outside.
The massing of our library design consists of three large free flowing volumes hovering above an open glass enclosed ground floor plan. These large masses remind of blocks of stone cut and cut again in a quarry, they are loosely fitted together like large puzzle pieces and are clad in a colorful terracotta envelope that performs as an external shading device and climate control for the glass curtainwall behind.
We worked with images of natural terrain and transformed them through an AI neuro network into new synthetic landscapes. These artificial landscapes create different environments, textures and spaces for reading, socializing, connecting and an array of digital medias that will become the future of the library including spaces for virtual and augmented realty and immersive digital environments.
The colors and tectonic design of the envelope and interiors have been derived from these AI generated landscapes. The cracks between the masses become informal outdoor reading spaces. At the center of the library massing is a vertical civic space, the bookstacks tower that visually connects to the park through a large window. Inspired by Indian water well’s the book stacks inside are stepped around this large void which is filled with wild artificial plants and flowers.

Nature & Knowledge

Client: Songdo City

Program: Library

Size: 86,000 SqFt

Completion Date: 2021

Material: Concrete, Glass, Steel, Ceramic

Architect: Baumgartner + Uriu, llp

Team: Garrett Sutherlin Santo, Nourah AlBanaw, Stella Buckmann, Aiden Ko, Gregory Kokkotis, Erin Light

'Residential Tower' is a dynamic addition to the new urban community developing along National Blvd.  The design focuses on providing new modern living in a Transit-Oriented-Community that enhances the pedestrian experience in the area. Space for retail and restaurants line the sidewalk at the base of the tower, encouraging residents to walk within the community and take advantage of its ¼ mile adjacency to the Expo Line transit stop.
 
Standing at over 321 feet tall, and with 26 stories, the tower is designed as an iconic feature in the urban landscape. The project offers a mix of 124 residential units with 13,000 sf of commercial space with a full range of amenities, open green space, and community space, and is a singular entity rising at the edge between the City of Los Angeles, and Culver City.

The project offers amazing vistas to the Pacific in the west, the San Gabriel Mountains to the north, Downtown Los Angeles to the east, and unimpeded views of cityscape to the south.  'Residential Tower' is enclosed by a thick, occupiable envelope made from an aggregate of large metal apertures. Within these mega apertures, residential units are each provided a large, private outdoor living space that is built into the tower's double layer façade. Many of these these spaces are partially enclosed by glass printed with 'frit' patterning; a technique that allows clear views outward while producing the appearance of opaque surfaces when looking inward at the building.
 
The large apertures and visually opaque glass help erase the horizontal lines of the floor plates and the monotonous repetition of apartment units. This gives the tower a contemporary, monolithic presence while attempting to give way to a new reading of the Los Angeles facade as an occupiable extension of the interior.  

Residential Tower

Client: Withheld by Client

Size: 184,000 SqFt (11,000 SqFt / 124 Residential Units)

Budget: Withheld by Client

Completion Date: 2025

Architect: Baumgartner + Uriu, llp

Team: Garrett Sutherlin Santo, Ke Li, Swetha Arunkumar, Yiyang Sang, Jixing (Jessie) Pan, Abriannah Aiken, Caron-Ann Lucas, Logan Kozlik, Kanata Yamayoshi

Venice Triplex is a housing triplex developed in response to the accelerating threat climate change poses to California’s communities. Each year, the frequency and severity of wildfires increase, moving destruction further inward on our cities. Now, in the midst of a pandemic that keeps thousands of families locked-down in these vulnerable communities, it’s imperative that our homes be better designed to help protect us.

Made with a skin of sustainable fire-resilient ceramics, the triplex units function as protective cocoons built to survive the intense blaze of wildfire for days at a time.

Compact and spherical, the housing units are shaped to deflect heat upwards, away from their spacious interiors. Generous openings let in natural light and large landscaped balconies help families stay connected to the outdoors during normal use. In the event a fire, ceramic shutters seal off these openings, protecting the property and inhabitants from destruction. Inside, the design of this multigenerational four-story triplex provides plenty of spaces for living, working, and leisure; accounting for the new realities of remote working, distance learning, and limited travel.

Besides its fire resilient quality, we developed and prototyped 3d ceramic components that are robotically milled and glazed. Assembled they behave much like scales of an animal, similar yet unique in shape and able to adjust to any underlaying form. The tactile and color patterns are generated from synthetic landscape images produced by a neuro network. These images are transcribed into robotic tool paths and glaze colors both applied to the ceramic components. The result a vibrant, highly tactile out of this world envelope that reminds one of the surfaces of distant planets.

Venice Triplex represents a new generation of architecture built with respect for nature and the needs of families for a resilient future.

Venice Triplex

Client: Client not discolsed

Program: Triplex Housing

Size: 7,500 SqFt (2,500 SqFt Units)

Completion Date: 2020

Material: Ceramic, steel, glass

Architect: Baumgartner + Uriu, llp

Team: Garrett Sutherlin Santo, Nourah AlBanaw, Bashayer Bamohsen, Takin Daneshmir, Corina Dow, Katie Hayes, Mitsuki Ikeda, Aditya Jagdale, Erin Light, Di Liang

Super Natural Skypark is conceived as an iconic destination for San Jose; a civic monument to appreciate from both a distance and as a destination with interiority for people to experience individually or together as a group. It is a three-dimensional public space.
SkyPark is inspired by the majestic Redwood forests of Northern California.  Arranged like groves of trees, the project’s columns are designed to evoke the feeling of being under a forest canopy; as if you are both outside in the environment, yet, inside a cathedral of gigantic trees. SkyPark is a three-dimensional shaded public space for people to gather and to be able to travel up through the canopy to reach an exuberant park on top with bbq pits, picnic areas and a café to enjoy the vista over San Jose and beyond.  It is not only a new park in the sky, it’s a new Civic Perch.

Innovation: The Super Natural SkyPark is a symbol of the innovative and technological epicenter San Jose and Silicon Valley are known by the world as. It is a celebration of invention, discovery, and the potential technology offers our future. SkyPark is bold, designed with an iconic form and visually arresting LED clad skin. The park itself seems to be floating in the sky, held up by a cluster of thin columns that are bundled together at the top to form a new landscape. On the underside of this park, AI algorithms synchronize the LED arrays into high resolution video simulations of our environment’s most threatened forests. This ‘digital canopy’ displays the growth, change, and beauty of these endangered natural wonders.   

Super Natural:  The ‘digital canopy’ lighting concept gives this icon a strong visual presence day and night.  Since the top of SkyPark is 200’ up in the air and has many openings, there will be plenty of sunlight filtering through the slender columns to Arena Green below, simulating a real forest. The LED’s are fully adjustable, to be dimmed or turned off, and include sensors that respond to different seasons, lighting conditions, and environmental conditions without being detrimental to the wildlife and ecosystem of Los Gatos Creek/Guadalupe Rivers. 
 
Net Zero: The project will be designed as a net zero energy project which includes rain water collection system to irrigate the SkyPark landscape and PVC trees on top that will provide sufficient energy to power the LED screens. 

Super Natural Skypark

Client: San Jose Urban Confluence

Program: Public Park

Completion Date: 2020

Architect: Baumgartner + Uriu, llp

Team: Garrett Sutherlin Santo, Nourah AlBanaw, Bashayer Bamohsen, Aditya Jagdale, Di Liang

The installation of ‘parkets’ (small green spaces built on parking spots) has become a trend across cities in California that are working to reclaim the street for pedestrian use. Our design for the City of El Segundo originated with this goal in mind, however, the developed proposal takes the value of the ‘parklet’ an additional step further. This project re-imagines the identity of downtown Main Street as a place punctuated by public art and design that stimulates interaction and community.

El Segundo is a small city along the cost just North of Manhattan beach in Los Angeles. We have been working with this city on a range of schemes to explore different urban micro environments that create not only utilitarian urban furniture where people can sit to read, play, sip their coffee, check their email, etc, but create an art space that inspires through its visual richness and offers a place people can engage with. These new parklets are all very different in terms of their design but share a common goal; they each offer a different identity with a range of cultural flash points within the city. The result is a group of small, yet distinct, environments that appeal to different people within a single community.  Variations in their color, design, and character produce a diverse urban landscape of architectural objects that collectively form an artistic and vibrant identity for the city.

The scheme includes a seating configuration made from industrial aluminum bowls that are aggregated into clusters offering different seating arrangements and heights for people of all sizes and ages. The shading structure is constructed from hundreds of cone shaped aluminum elements that disperse sunlight into colorful shadows on the ground in the day and  becomes a large light fixture at night illuminated by LED’s embedded within the permeable structure.

El Segundo Parklet

Client: City of El Segundo

Program: Product Design

Size: 300 sq. fit.

Budget: Withheld by client

Completion Date: 2019

Material: Aluminum, Steel, Trex Decking

Architect: Baumgartner + Uriu

Team: Ke Li, Garrett Santo, Yi Ning Lui, Sarangan Sinnarajah, Yiting Hsieh

As of 2019, Los Angeles is in the midst of a housing crisis with a homeless population estimated over 50,000 people. In 2016, LA voters overwhelmingly approved measure HHH (permanent supportive housing loan program) committing 1.2 billion dollars to build housing for the homeless. Yet, 3 years later not much has happened and the homeless population continues to rise. While there are many approaches being taken to tackle the problem, their implementation has been slow and full of administrative hurdles. Most agree that the immediate problem is best solved by creating housing, but attempts to propose new units are often met with the response “not in my neighborhood”. As politicians work through political obstacles, we as architects have a social responsibility to contribute some of our time and expertise to the effort by developing innovative housing proposals that are affordable, quickly built, and architecturally well designed.

With this backdrop, we have been working with Mike Alvarez and the “Skid Row Housing Trust” on a few housing prototypes. These design proposals utilize stack-able pre-fabricated housing units enclosed with an exterior metal cladding. This system allows for great flexibility and can be built within a minimal budget. The units are stacked in a variety of ways, intentionally leaving open spaces between units. These ‘gaps’ serve as social and shared green spaces; designed to foster social interaction and a higher quality of living within the project. The units vary in size from a 300sqft studio to a 500sqft single bedroom unit and are simple steel framed boxes that are pre-finished and trucked and lifted on the site with a crane. The metal facade with its punched openings provides both a shading screen for the social and green spaces as well as a unifying envelope that ties the units together into a single mass.

Client: Skid Row Housing Trust

Program: Multi-Unit Housing (112 Units)

Size: 88,800 SQ FT

Budget: Withheld by Client

Completion Date: Design Completed 2018

Material: Aluminum, Steel

Architect: Baumgartner + Uriu, llp

Team: Garrett Sutherlin Santo, Ke Li

Consultant: Facade: Ignition Arts , Modular Units: Silver Creek 

Supermassive Black Holes is an acoustic ceiling installation for the main lobby of the Los Angeles Chamber of Commerce. The design is part of a series of projects in which we work with small primitives that are aggregated into a larger whole. In this case, there are over 10,000 felt cones stitched together into three gigantic, 20’ tall, hanging felt vortexes that that absorb sound through its materiality and geometry. The thousands of cone shape parts trap and disperse sound waves while softening the overall acoustic quality of the space. The main lobby space is often used for announcements and press briefings, but has been acoustically problematic due to its vaulted ceiling and reflective surfaces (walls, ceilings, and floor). Beyond its acoustical problems, the space also lacks character and atmosphere. The final product not only solves the acoustic problems of the space but also creates a new contemporary identity for the lobby.

The making of Supermassive Black Holes relies on the combination of different manufacturing techniques from the local garment industry that specialize in mass manufacturing of self-similar parts. Through this combination of different manufacturing techniques, we were able to pre-fabricate the entire structure off-site and then hang it with steel cables from the exiting ceiling. This method allows for the entire project to be installed within a couple of days.

Client: LA Chamber of Commerce

Program: Interior

Size: Approx. 1,000 sq. ft.

Budget: Withheld by client

Completion Date: 2021

Material: Aluminum, Wool Felt

Architect: Baumgartner + Uriu, llp

Team: Garrett Sutherlin Santo, Ke Li, Yiting Hsieh

Consultant: Structural Engineer: NOUS Engineering: Matthew Melnyk

For over a century, the model for Los Angeles housing has been one based on the California lifestyle; individual single-family residences, indoor-outdoor living, material innovations and contemporary architecture. As the city densifies and its public transportation network expands, the way we live in Los Angeles has been changing. The demand for housing (especially affordable housing) has exploded as part of this densification. Architects, developers and city planners are now required to rethink the feasibility of the single-family house now that it has become significantly less affordable. How do we transform the Southern California indoor-outdoor living model from a horizontal into a vertical one and is that even feasible? While single-family homes have been a career starter for many LA Architects and a wellspring for architectural innovation and individuality, it seems that when it comes to multi-unit residences, the bottom line is the only thing that matters.

Beverlywood development is a 10-unit apartment complex that is trying to change that. Its ambition is to deliver a high-quality Architecture that has plenty of shared and individual outdoor spaces, a net zero footprint, and can be deployed rapidly as stackable prefabricated units. The project deploys modular manufacturing techniques that pre-fabricate and assemble parts more like a car in a factory than traditional wood/stick construction on-site. The units are completely assembled in the factory and trucked to the site where they are stacked and secured, ready to receive a permanent exterior enclosure. The exterior is fabricated (similarly to the units) in the factory as mega-components, transported to the site, and then attached to the stacked units. The separation of prefabricated unit and prefabricated skin allows for a range of possibilities in terms of complexity, depth of skin and cost.

We developed two multi-unit models based on this principal – the Beverlywood development (the “high end” model) and Skid Row Housing development (the affordable model). Both models deliver high-quality Architecture with sustainable design and a variety of indoor/outdoor living spaces. These models differ in feature and size but not spatial quality.

Beverlywood development is a visionary prototype of what multi-unit housing in Los Angeles could look and feel like. The open floor plan layout and its thick envelope suggest a different lifestyle; where the envelope of the building doesn’t just enclose the space but becomes a permeable expansion of the living areas into outdoor green spaces and an occupiable façade. A perspectival cube is the basic modular façade element that is aggregated across the elevation to enhance a perception of depth. Along the street facing elevations, they extrude out and form balconies and green spaces. On the sides, they become smaller personal spaces for reading, playing, and working while fragmenting the view to the outside like a pointillist painting.

Client: Withheld at the request of owner

Program: 10 units

Size: 12,700 sqft

Budget: Withheld at the request of owner

Architect: Baumgartner + Uriu, llp

Completion Date: 2020

The project is located on a steep hillside property overlooking downtown Los Angeles to the Santa Monica Bay with unobstructed views. The design engages this unique site with a large plinth, grounding the house as the sculptural object. The plinth and house were pushed up high on the site to maximize the views and create privacy for its owner. It is connected with a curvilinear driveway and walkway to the street.

The main house is a two level structure on a large deck with an endless pool along its edge. The upper level of the house is designed as an aggregation of 5 flute-like volumes that are grouped around an open courtyard and family room. Each flute presents a bedroom with large apertures that frame the views. This highly articulated upper floor, which is constructed entirely out of a composite enclosure (FRP), hovers over a totally open ground floor plan enclosed in glass. Large glass sliding doors allow the ground floor to open up on all sides onto the deck. This indoor/outdoor space is protected from the sun by the upper floor's large cantilevers; these overhangs produce shaded outdoor areas adjacent to the pool.

Upstairs, one enters a horse shoe shaped family room that wraps around an open courtyard landscaped with lush foliage. Both the family room and the master bathroom can expand into this courtyard through large glass sliding doors. The large courtyard openings allow in a lot of daylight while maintaining privacy and protection from outside views. Connected to the family room are the four bedrooms, each with signature apertures that open up to the surroundings and stunning views of the cityscape.

Sustainability: The house is designed as a net zero energy house, meaning all energy used by the house is produced through an integrated Photovoltaic envelope that stretches across the roof. The house is a smart home and controlled by a sophisticated building management system that controls lighting, heating and cooling, motorized shades that rise and lower as the sun passes, charges electric cars, manages the water consumption, and the landscape irrigation. Passive interior climate control is supported through gravity walls (low energy cooling devices) and radiant heating/cooling. The house has a rain water collection and grey water system that irrigates the landscape with recycled water.

Client: Withheld at the request of owner

Program: New Single Family Residence

Size: 9,800 sq. ft.

Budget: Withheld at the request of owner

Completion Date: TBD

Material: Composite Fiberglass Shell, Glass enclosed Ground floor, Concrete Plinth

Architect: Baumgartner + Uriu, llp

Team: Garrett Sutherlin Santo, Shahe Gregorian, HsengTai Lintner, Taylor Hopkins

Consultant: Nous Engineering (Structural Engineer), TK1SC (MEP Engineer), Kimley Horn (Civil Engineer), Transsolar Inc (Climate Engineer), Place (Landscape Designer)

The Fire Memorial was designed for Santa Clarita's Fire Department as a competition proposal BPLUSU was invited to submit for Fire Station 150's memorial. The proposal centralized on an installation memorializing the 343 fire fighters that lost their lives during the tragic events of 9/11.

The proposal includes a free standing object made out of 343 aluminum rods that are bundled into vertical and horizontal elements before they gradually deform and untangle into a dynamic array of lines that swirl into the sky, tangle into large knots and curvilinear strands before unifying again into an orderly system of columns and beams.

The names of the fire fighters are embedded with metal lettering into the concrete floor below the object and arranged into meandering paths memorializing their lives and sacrifice.

Client: Los Angeles County Arts Comission

Program: Memorial

Size: 1,800 sq ft

Budget: $100,000

Completion Date: August 2016

Built: Un-Built

Material: Stainless Steel Pipe

Architect: Baumgartner + Uriu, llp

Team: Garrett Sutherlin Santo, Shahe Gregorian

Consultant: Matthew Melnyk (structural engineer), Tomas Osinski (Fabrication Consultant) 

The project is a transit center for about 20 buses and essentially consists of a large roof and a terminal building. There is an existing bus station at this location which will be demolished. It's next to a residential neighborhood and in the center of downtown; located so that the transit terminal will become a major hub for the region and connect the city with Santa Cruz and Monterey.

The concept for the project was to create a thick roof that is a volume rather than a surface. The roof is injected with program including a community center and conference room, and room sized apertures that bring lots of daylight to the tarmac down below. The terminal building itself merges into this roof and includes also a small restaurant, a coffee shop and convenience store. Adding this program, especially the community center, was an effort to redefine what a transit center of the future can be besides just being a transportation hub. The design emphasizes this idea of a civic plaza producing a new identity for the city and the roof becomes an iconic feature for the community.

Client: Metro Department and City

Program: Transit Center

Size: Approx 10,000 sq. ft. building, 80,000 sq. ft. tarmac

Budget: Withheld at the request of owner

Completion Date: As of 2016, Under EIR Review

Material: Fiber Reinforced Composites, Concrete, Glass

Architect: Baumgartner + Uriu, llp

Consultant: Executive Architect: Adamson Associates - Transportation Planning: Arup - Structural Engineer: Thorton Thomasetti- MEP Engineer: WSP

Baumgartner+Uriu's installation is a site-specific installation designed for the City of Los Angeles Municipal Art Gallery Installation.

Rooted in Baumgartner+Uriu's work and ongoing research, Apertures challenges the notion of an architectural opening as a static object. Moreover, it aims to redefine the DNA of a window both in terms of its appearance and materiality, as well as its nature as an object in continuous flux, responding to its environment through video projection. The pavilion and its apertures are designed to physically engage the visitor with the architectural work through sensors and video feedback loops creating an immersive spatial environment in which the visitor can experience their own biorhythms through color and patterns.

The 16‐foot‐tall, thin shell structure was designed to solely rely on its extremely thin surface(1/8”) as support, requiring no additional structural elements. Structure and surface are collapsed into a single component supported through its shape, creased surfaces and material strength only. Each one of the 233 panels is unique in terms of its shape. They are CNC milled from polyurethane foam, heat formed out of thermoplastic polymer resin, and then laminated together into a single object. Unique to this project is the proposal of building as organism, challenging how architecture can interface with its users and its environment in which the boundary between the human body and architectural object dissolves into an immersive, interactive environment. This entails both the use of technology to augment its performance and a design aesthetic that is incongruous and can incorporate analog features into a digital design process.

Client: Department of Cultural Affair, City of Los Angeles

Program: Installation

Size: 500 sq ft

Budget: $15,000

Completion Date: May 17th 2015

Built: Built

Material: Thermaformed plastic, Projection

Architect: Baumgartner + Uriu, llp

Involvement: Projection by Mary Franck

Team: Aaron Ryan, Nema Ashjaee, Viola Ago, Nick Taylor, Derek Ramsey, Andranik Ognayan

Consultant: Matthew Melnyk (structural engineer), Tomas Osinski (Fabrication Consultant)

Baumgartner+Uriu's APERTURES is a site-specific installation designed for the SCI-Arc Gallery.

Rooted in Baumgartner+Uriu's work and ongoing research, Apertures challenges the notion of an architectural opening as a static object. Moreover, it aims to redefine the DNA of a window both in terms of its appearance and materiality, as well as its nature as an object in continuous flux, responding to its environment through movement or sound. The pavilion and its apertures are designed to physically engage the visitor with the architectural work through sensors and sound feedback loops creating an immersive spatial environment in which the visitor can experience their own biorhythms.

The 16‐foot‐tall, thin shell structure was designed to solely rely on its extremely thin surface(1/8”) as support, requiring no additional structural elements. Structure and surface are collapsed into a single component supported through its shape, creased surfaces and material strength only. Each one of the 233 panels is unique in terms of its shape. They are CNC milled from polyurethane foam, heat formed out of thermoplastic polymer resin, and then laminated together into a single object. Unique to this project is the proposal of building as organism, challenging how architecture can interface with its users and its environment in which the boundary between the human body and architectural object dissolves into an immersive, interactive environment. This entails both the use of technology to augment its performance and a design aesthetic that is incongruous and can incorporate analog features into a digital design process.

Client: SCI-Arc Gallery

Program: Installation

Size: 500 sq ft

Budget: $20,000

Completion Date: December 8th 2014

Built: Built

Material: Thermaformed plastic

Architect: Baumgartner + Uriu, llp

Involvement: Sound by Hannes Koecher

Team: Aaron Ryan, Nema Ashjaee, Viola Ago, Nick Taylor, Derek Ramsey, Andranik Ognayan

Consultant: Matthew Melnyk (structural engineer)

OPENINGS AS A SYMBOL OF CONNECTION
The concept of Baukuenstlerische Gallery Lower Austria the matisier openings in the building as a symbol of the shortcut and connection between museum content and the city. The aperture's eyepieces are signposts that point to important locations inerhalb the Museum Mile and produces a metphorische and visual connection with the various Auställungstätten. The heterogeneous structure of the Museum Mile is a Wiedervereiningung in the Gallery Lower Austria give not so much by direct connection via bridges and walkways but through openings insights into the inner. The transformation from the inside out is done by spatial openings where the boundary between human body and the architectural object is terminated.

THE URBAN PLANNING
The aim was to create a gateway to the Museum Mile is a marker in the city and together human reads the heterogeneous Netzerk the various Ausstellunstaetten. On the one hand the Gallery Lower Austria is a central link direct connections and the Kunsthalle and Peichl's Cartoon Museum manufactures on the other hand indicate the tubular building masses of the gallery on important points of reference in the city through such as the World Heritage Centre wax and the shipping pier. The Gebaeudemassen are so designed that they create a metaphorical and visual connection with these objects. Lighthouse / Connector / Museumsbox
The Building mass of the gallery is lifted from the ground and floats above the open and transparent ground floor. The thus created horizontal transparency reinforces the urban connection between the public functions of the gallery on the ground floor and the newly designed space between art gallery, caricature museum and gallery, the connection to Steiner Donauländebahn and Steiner Street, as well as the connection and dasWelterbezentrum wax and the shipping pier by a Boardwalk and.
The floating Gebaudemasse itself consists of three components:
- lighthouse
- Connector
- Museum Box
The lighthouse is a 25m high marker serves as a visual reference Punk arrive for the city of Krems and for the visitor and the ship pier.
The Connetor creates one hand dirkte connection with the Kunsthalle and secondly a visuselle connection with the World Heritage Centre and wax the boat landing.
The Museum Box is a floating plate enthaellt the most of the exhibition space and creates a direct connection to the cartoon museum on the 1st floor.

The proposal for this soccer stadium (undisclosed location per client request) is intended to be both an important landmark building in the region that expresses the richness and diversity of its culture and a world-class sporting venue. For the stadium design we appropriated this effect to generate a double-layered roof structure. This structure operates as a concourse enclosure, encircling the stadium. The outer layer of the enclosure includes restaurants, bars and other family friendly entertainment and splits with openings in between broad bands of the lattice structure enable views from the outside in and from the inside out.

The stadium will accommodate approximately 65,000- 70,000 spectators in addition to providing areas for TV broadcasting, administration, VIP lounge and players’ facilities. A public concourse in a layered envelope extends on the ground level to provide outdoor public areas that rest above the parking facilities. The stadium will create a family orientated venue that will include a variety of different restaurants and bars and other entertainment. Besides providing venue for football events, the stadium was designed so it can be reconfigured for a variety of events including rock and pop concerts, as a final destination for parade’s, as well as for other sporting events including baseball and hockey.

Although the primary function of the sports complex is to meet the needs of the athletes, the design does not forget the needs of the spectators. The stadium enhances spectators’ experience by considering the essential structural, programmatic, contextual, infrastructural and stylistic elements and then ultimately culminating those into “a strong, integral architecture”.

A key feature of the Stadium is its retractable roof, which opens in a circular fashion wherein the aperture roof blades are disposed by sliding on top of each other and moving towards the perimeter of the circular opening.

Another important feature is the raised plaza surrounding the stadium, which provides cover for parking and connects the stadium with the rest of the development which includes two housing towers for a total of 600 residential units. Each tower is about 30 levels tall and will overlook the stadium. The development also includes a 30 level tall 300-500 room hotel as well as a 30 level tall office tower. This platform creates a large pedestrian plaza for the 70,000 visitors and can also be used for parades.

Client: Withheld upon owner's request

Program: 70,000 seat soccer stadium and mixed use towers

Size: Withheld upon owner's request

Budget: Withheld upon owner's request

Completion Date: October 10th 2013 (proposal)

Built: Unbuilt

Material: Multiples

Architect: Baumgartner + Uriu, llp

Consultant: Withheld 

The design for the Wipro Pedestrian Bridge aims to both provide a convenient and easy to use connection between the two parts of the campus and create a new iconic structure for the WIPRO campus that is inspired by Wipro’s current logo and storied heritage. Visitors and workers alike can experience the Wipro identity first-hand through this iconic pedestrian bridge structure.

The bridge is composed of a tubular steel structure with large circular openings that span the street and provide both protection from the elements and views out to the surroundings. The large apertures perforate the reflective metal shell and allow specifically framed views toward both ends of the campus. Break-out spaces at each aperture allow visitors to stop and enjoy the luscious views of the campus. These apertures also expose outside viewers to a brightly-colored interior inspired by Wipro’s rainbow color scheme. The Bridge will be built out of steel like a ship hull with steel ribs and plates that form the structural support and architectural enclosure. The stairs and walkable surfaces are made out of cast-in-place concrete.

Client: WIPRO

Program: Pedestrian bridge

Completion Date: July 11th 2013 (proposal)

Material: Steel

Architect: Baumgartner + Uriu, llp

VISION
The design for the Pedestrian Bridge, connecting the west bank of the Amstel canal with the Amsterdam Hermitage museum, aims to update and renew the idea of an iconic object, from something that is readily recognizable within its cultural context, to a contemporary design object. We included three small programmatic elements in the bridge design to emphasis social interaction within the local neighborhood and to create a visually and spatially stimulating environment that challenges its visitors perception, slows them down and creates a new gateway to the Amsterdam Hermitage museum.
The components of the design include- a bridge deck; 3 spherical volumes and strands of structural pipes. The Pipes are connected to the volumes and initially form a loose network of lines that by themselves are structurally weak. However, when connected together they become an extremely strong framework, which combined with the floating spherical volumes, form a pontoon bridge that can span across the 90m width of the canal.

PROGRAM DISTRIBUTION
Three (3) spherical volumes are spread along the length of a gently meandering pedestrian path with each volume holding a portion of the program. The spherical space located in the center of the bridge will house the café and a snack food concession and is laid out on two levels connected with a stair and with bathrooms and a storage space on the lower level. The other two volumes include a 50 sqm bike repair shop on the west end of the bridge and a space for administration offices located on the east side, close to the Hermitage museum. The administration space includes a 30 sqm office space a changing room, two bathrooms and a plant/ storage room. The 30 bicycle racks are distributed equally between the program components.

ADVANCED COMPOSITE CONSTRUCTION
In order to keep the bridge, light, durable and water tight, the shells of the bridge will be built with fiber-reinforced composite shell which is analogous to ship construction. The system will be a pre-fabricated composite system of metal framing and fiber-reinforced composite (FRP) skin. The construction of each beam segment will begin with a CNC milled foam core. The geometry is controlled in a digital 3-D model and can be precisely translated to CNC machining equipment. Once formed, the steel reinforcement will be attached to and/or embedded within the foam core after which point the assembly will be wrapped in FRP through a low-cost process known as Filament Winding which allows for significant weight reduction while maintaining strength and rigidity.

UNIVERSAL ACCESS AND NAVIGABLE WATERWAYS
All portions of the bridge are accessible per international disabled access standards including wheelchair accessibility and features for the blind and deaf. The main surface of the bridge is sloped less than 1:20 and the mezzanine portion of the facilities are accessible via an inclined platform lift.
There are two areas below the bridge and on either side of the center sphere that exceed the minimum requirements of navigable waterways as outlined in the competition requirements. The area kept clear for waterway passages is 6m wide and 2.8m tall.

STRUCTURAL COMPONENTS
Spherical Geodesic Modules
The main support for the bridge deck consists of three (3) spherical modules constructed of steel in a modified geodesic grid pattern. The geodesic “exoskeleton” allows for a minimum of structure to achieve the spherical geometry. The envelope or “skin” of the spheres is constructed of thin fiber-reinforced composite (FRP) shells. Analogous to ship construction, the FRP skin will attach to the interior steel framing and together the two forms an integral structural system where each reinforces the other.
Bundled Tentacles
Based on the principles of distributed structural systems - grid-shell, geodesic dome, and cable-net - the tentacle beams connect together in a highly irregular distributed structural network. As the tentacles weave together spatially, they connect to each other and bundle creating a rigid structure that is lightweight, stable and can span large distances. In this way, the tentacle structure supports the bridge deck, provides an overhead shade canopy, and provides connectivity between the three (3) support spheres, stabilizing them from rotation and differential movement. The tentacles will be pre-fabricated as a series of beams and joints and assembled on-site. Each component consists of an internal steel or aluminum frame wrapped in fiber-reinforced polymer (FRP) through a low-cost process known as Filament Winding.
Bridge Deck
The bridge deck is a lightweight steel frame supported at the shore and along its length by both tentacle beams and the spherical modules. With in-plane diagonal bracing, the bridge deck provides a semi-rigid diaphragm between the spherical modules and the shoreline.
Foundations
The spherical modules will be supported on pre-tensioned concrete driven piles, a common low-cost application in marine environments. A concrete platform will connect the piles above water to which the spherical modules will be attached.

Client: City of Amsterdam

Program: Pedestrian Bridge

Size: 200 sqm

Budget: Withheld upon owner's request

Completion Date: January 31st 2012 competition

Built: Unbuilt

Material: Advanced composite construction

Architect: Baumgartner + Uriu, llp

Team: Nema Ashjaee

Consultant: Matthew Melnyk (structural engineer)

The proposal for the OTT Winery called for the creation of a world-class winemaking facility and tasting room characterized by a state-of-the-art biodynamic winemaking production. This design, intended to become an important landmark building in the region, emphasizes the colorful, natural beauty of the landscape and defines a destination for wine lovers and wine retailers alike.

The site is located in Feuersbrunn, just outside of Vienna, in lower Austria, where Bernhard Ott has developed this family-owned vineyard into one with an internationally acclaimed trademark for the highest-quality wine. Ott prides himself on utilizing biodynamic agriculture in his winemaking process, so we designed a large outdoor roof garden—connected to the tasting room—that promotes the process of biodynamic winemaking.

Our proposal consists of three main components: the Production Hall, the Green Roof, and the Tasting Room.

The Production Hall is placed partially underground in order to provide a constant temperature for the wine and includes a pressing area, fermentation tanks, bottling facilities, storage space, and a loading dock for distribution. It is designed based on the precepts of gravity-flow winemaking; we located the main components of the process on different levels so that the wine can flow naturally from one processing area to the next without ever having to be pumped.

A thick layer of soil, forming a Green Roof, covers the hall and helps to maintain a constant and cool temperature for the wine below; the garden on top showcases different herbs and plants used for the biodynamic wine-production process. The garden includes an outdoor seating area connected to the tasting room.

Most expressive architecturally of the proposal is the Tasting Room and retail area. The space is enclosed with a highly articulated envelope that stretches out to become a trellis and sunshade for the roof garden. The colorful and ephemeral quality of the envelope is realized with layers of a high-tech fabric enclosure, with color patterns printed on each layer. On the exterior, the trellis creates a visual and acoustical barrier between the garden and Kamptalstrasse to the north, while opening up towards the south and framing views of the landscape. From the street side, the trellis functions as a large sign that lights up at night and can be used to display different promotional content. Inside the tasting room, the floor plan is divided into three different zones that vary in height, with different levels for retail, wine tasting, and storage, while allowing for a gradual transition from the street level to the roof garden above.

Client: Bernhard Ott

Program: Winery

Size: 3,500 sqm

Budget: Withheld upon owner's request 

Architect: Baumgartner + Uriu, llp

The Performing Arts Center Alexanderhoehe in Iserlohn, Germany was an invitation-only competition that challenged entrants to redesign Alexanderhoehe, a large inner-city park, and add a multifunctional performance hall to the existing Parktheater, which is a classic proscenium-type performance space located on the park’s north edge.

When situating the building on the site, it is important to redefine the urban relationship of Alexanderhoehe with the city center and to create a new gateway for the park. The proposal intends to position the structure as a landmark building for the city, particularly the region that is oriented towards its center, with the creation of a new pedestrian connection between the city center and the main train station. The design includes a large public space that forms the plinth for the new hall and not only serves as the main entrance plaza for the theaters, but also becomes a destination and main access point to the park beyond.

The Performing Arts Center itself consists of three different types of venues: a large hall, adaptable to a wide variety of performances, for about 1,400 people; a small auditorium; and a multifunctional hall that can be rented out for balls, banquets, and other functions. The new Performing Arts Center forms a synergy between the existing Parktheater and the new multifunctional hall by virtue of a single, efficient, shared access point for visitors to both. In order to achieve this aim without blocking the existing views from the theater to the city center, we designed the large hall to lift off of the ground, thereby creating a generous multilevel foyer space that connects all theaters with the entrance lobby.

This linkage space continues underneath the new large hall onto the plaza level and encompasses both the lobby and main entrances of both the old and new theaters. A central circulation element (a grand staircase) connects and provides access to the existing large hall on level five; to the existing Parktheater on level four; to the existing small theater and the small auditorium on level 2; and to the new multifunctional hall on the ground level, adjacent to the entrance lobby. The lobby space expands outside into a large plaza that is covered by the enclosure, floating above, of the large hall.

Client: City of Iserlohn

Program: Multifunctional hall

Size: 85,000 sq ft

Budget: 57 million Euro

Completion Date: September 8th 2011 competition

Built: Unbuilt

Material: Stainless steel panels, glass, wood

Architect: Baumgartner + Uriu, llp

Team: Nema Ashjaee, Perla Aguayo, Steven Sun, Rebecca Gilbert

Consultant: Architektur Maurer (executive architect), Schlaich, Bergermann and Partner (structural engineers), Transsolar (energy consultant)

Sunset Junction—one of Silver Lake’s major gateways—is a place that is widely known for its long history of civil and political courage, for its flourishing art and music scenes, as a neighborhood full of architectural icons, and as an eclectic community. In short, it is a place renowned for its otherness and for cultivating the “different.”

With this in mind, we designed this permanent installation and plaza as a place of confluence for the diverse, multifaceted, and creative community of Silver Lake. We believe that the design can come to symbolize the city’s strong sense of community and neighborhood. Our design is composed of a colorful ambient figure—rising from a grass and wild flower-lined meadow—that redefines the entrance to Silver Lake at Sunset Junction. The design is composed of two elements, a Parasol and a California Meadow.

The Parasol is a sculptural object that performs as both a sign for Silver Lake itself and as a canopy that provides sun protection for the community space below. The California Meadow, a natural landscape and gathering place for the Silver Lake community, can also be used as a performance area during the yearly Sunset Junction festival.

The Parasol is composed of recycled acrylic panels that attach to a steel frame. The acrylic panels themselves are semitransparent with a gradient, color silkscreen print. Energy-efficient LED lighting, powered by solar panels at the very top that create sufficient energy while establishing a zero-energy footprint, illuminates the sculpture at night.

The landscape concept for the California Meadow features a field of grasses and wild flowers that bring a natural and peaceful feeling to this urban junction. The Meadow, raised above the street level and therefore removed from traffic areas, provides people with a nice refuge. Tall grasses swaying in the wind; the smell of jasmine and wild flowers; and wooden benches protected from the sun by the colorful Parasol that creates playful shadows on the ground all contribute to an idyllic, peaceful environment. The paved surfaces of the Meadow are designed to collect rainwater that is recycled and used for the irrigation of the garden. The plants selected for the Meadow are each native to California and require little water.

Client: City of Los Angeles

Program: Urban Event Space

Size: 2000 sq ft

Budget: Withheld upon owner's request

Completion Date: June 1st 2011 competition

Built: Unbuilt

Material: Steel, fiberglass

Architect: Baumgartner + Uriu, llp

Team: Kainoa Westermark, Alice Leung

“City Futura” is a visionary urban design proposal for an expansion of the City of Milan set in the year 2210. The project is part of a development plan for fifteen different sites located on the outer ring connected by the Milan Metro line. An eclectic international group of architects including Mad Office from Beijing, R&sie(n) from Paris, Rojkind Arquitectos from Ciudad de México and B+U from Los Angeles among others were invited to each choose one of the available sites and envision an “arch-urban object”.

Our site is located in the North-West part of the city close to Piazzale Giovanni dalle Bande Nere adjacent to the Bande Nere metro train station. City Futura is superimposed over the existing city leaving most of its buildings untouched and tapping into existing infrastructure and expand it.

URBAN DESIGN CONCEPT- TISSUE AND VOID

The 600m tall structure hovers over the city covering about a million square meter area and is divided into nine districts that are organized around three programmatic topics including: A- Civic; B- Entertainment and Recreation; and C-Art, Fashion and Manufacturing. Initially the nine districts were represented as spherical void spaces and randomly placed across the site, floating above the ground and varying in size and height they became placeholders for enormous civic arenas which expand up to 250 meters in diameter.

These public super centers act as a scaffold for developing a new kind of urban tissue that is not defined by conventional massing and zoning rules within a two dimensional city grid but are based on emergent growth models and developed by linking together families of massing elements that form larger subsystems in-between and around these public hubs, which then in turn are linked again to give rise to a grander systems vastly expanding across the city. Elevating this system off the ground exposes the underside of the city, a quasi sixth façade. It allowed us to rethink the city quite literally from the ground up envisioning how one might move through it and how infrastructure might develop, how our spatial perception and experience might change, how our organizational models can be expanded and new interrelations can be made. City Futura touches ground and connects with the “old” city at several strategically important locations, which are related to existing or newly proposed infrastructure, including train stations, metro lines and sky trains that connect the 70,000 plus inhabitants of this new part of town with the rest of Milan and the world. The Districts that can be best described as enormous public outdoor spaces, which expand vertically and horizontally approximating the spherical void, which based on its geometry is mostly covered, but has large openings bringing in daylight and expanding views to the city all around. Driving underneath one of these vibrant hubs will be an impressive experience and visually draw you up into these hyper-dense urban centers that appear to be floating hundreds of meters above you. One of the largest hubs is the Entertainment and Recreation district (represented on the close up rendering), that includes for example a 5,000 seat outdoor amphitheater for film, opera, dance and music; a playhouses, clubs, restaurants, movie theaters mixed in several vertical green spaces that in total exceed the size of Central Park in New York City. The building volumes connecting the districts with each other consist of an exuberant and highly differentiated massing morphology that provides around 6.5 million square meters of housing, offices and commercial spaces and is the core structure for this urban vision of Milan’s future.

Client: City of Milan

Program: Masterplan for 70,000 inhabitants

Size: 65 million sq ft

Budget: NA

Completion Date: 1st May 2010 (competition)

Built: Unbuilt

Architect: Baumgartner + Uriu, llp

Team: Dan Hutchins, Stephan Sobl

The proposal for this mixed use office building in Los Angeles, California creates a world-class landmark building aiming to enhance the cities vision as the premier quality city in the southeast area of Los Angeles County and to revitalize the industrial landscape of the site into a vital urban environment.

The project is characterized by its response to the urban setting, its vision for a unique office work environment within a highly sustainable building design, and by its formal and structural elegance. The three level mixed use building includes a café and retail space at the ground floor and two levels of open office spaces above. The office spaces are configured around a center atrium space that opens up to the street creating the main entrance for the building. The ephemeral quality of the building envelope is realized through a high tech fabric enclosure system that utilizes multiple layers of fabrics with different degrees of transparencies/ opacities. This envelope is able to adjust to the different exterior light conditions and provide consistent natural daylight levels throughout the office spaces. While the more delicate fabric encloses for the upper two office levels, the restaurant and retail spaces on the ground floor open up to the street with a glass envelope. Landscape elements create a green barrier between the outdoor seating area of the café and the street.

Client: Withheld upon owner's request

Program: Offices, retail, restaurant

Size: 33,000 sq ft

Budget: Withheld upon owner's request

Completion Date: December 12th 2008 (proposal)

Built: Unbuilt

Material: Fabric, Steel, Glass, Concrete

Architect: Baumgartner + Uriu, llp

Team: Paul Macherey, Phillip Ramirez, Justin Oh

Consultant: Buro Happold (Structural engineer)

The Proposal for the Tall Emblem Structure is intended to become a world class landmark for the city of Dubai creating an iconic destination point for Za’abeel Park in the spirit of other world-renowned structures like the Eiffel Tower, the Statue of Liberty, and the St. Louis Arch among others. This unique structure made of fabric and steel is characterized by both its response to its urban and cultural environment, as well as by its formal and structural elegance, that expresses the visionary ambition of its city and Dubai’s leading role in the region.

The morphology and shape of this iconic structure was designed by materializing an ephemeral mirage of color and light that appears to emerge out of the dessert and becomes the new symbol and visual memory of Dubai’s past and a vision of its future. The dynamic steel frame structure gently emerges out of the landscape of Za’abeel Park creating a soft transition between the verticality of the tower and the surrounding landscape. The structure is enclosed with two types of translucent white fabric that provide the visitor with protection from the intense sunlight and the gusty winds whilst enjoying the spectacular views of the city. Besides that the two high tech fabrics go way beyond the function of a protective skin. During the daytime the “solar fabric” creates electricity, utilizing a 3rd generation solar technology that is woven into the fabric. Its flexible nature is able to adhere to the free-form geometry of the project. This system produces sufficient energy for all electricity needs of the building. At night an interactive “LED fabric” will display a choreographed show of colors and light as well as projections of large scale images. The Photonic Fabric integrates flexible arrays of multicolored LED’s into the weave, allowing the fabric to give off light and display programmable patterns and images without compromising the integrity and strength of the fabric.

This provides a unique opportunity for commissioning of local and international media artists, especially whose work comments on the visual memory and future scenarios of the city of Dubai.

Client: City of Dubai

Program: Tall Emblem Structure for Dubai

Size: 2,000 sqm

Budget: Withheld upon owner's request

Completion Date: January 30th 2009 competition

Built: Unbuilt

Material: LED fabric, SOLAR fabric, concrete, glass

Architect: Baumgartner + Uriu, llp

Team: Paul Macherey, Phillip Ramirez,Fernando Olvera, Berenika Boberska, Hyon Woo Scott

Consultant: Buro Happold (structural engineer)

The proposal for the Performing Arts Center in Taipei creates a world-class institution which is characterized by both its response to its urban and cultural environment, and by its formal and structural elegance. The project embraces the concept of a Grand Plaza as being a center hub between the Shilin night market and the TRTS Jiantan station. This is achieved by lifting the multiform theater off the ground and creating a covered outdoor linkage space between Cheng De Road and Wen Lin Road. This linkage space is the center access to the grand foyer and all three theaters. On the south side the Grand Plaza transitions into a garden that gently slopes up towards Jiantan road to allow for shops and restaurants to be placed underneath and accessible from street level. Both the garden and the Grand Plaza provide a large outdoor space for the thousands of pedestrians that visit this area. It is lined with shops and restaurants at the ground level and covered by a large roof of the theater above. The shops and restaurants are located along Wen Lin Road and Jian Tan Road and together with the Grand plaza and the garden space embrace Taipei’s lively streetscape by creating a continuous experience from the busy streets of the Shilin night market to the Performing Arts Center and the train station. Design Concept - The proposal for the Taipei Performing Arts Center is intended to become an important landmark building in the region that expresses the richness and diversity of performing arts and creates a destination point for the area. For the development of the design we used a unique process using actual sounds as a basis. The morphology and shape of the building was designed using sound-waves that were analyzed and transformed into three dimensional vectors. These vectors became the formal and structural framework for the design of the exterior envelope. The building materializes with a metal and glass enclosure that reveals its activities in a variety of scales and angles to the city.

Client: New Taipei City Government, Department of Cultural Affairs

Program: Performing arts center - Opera house, Playhouse, Multiform Theater

Size: 400,000 sq ft

Budget: 130 million

Completion Date: December 8th 2008 competition

Built: Unbuilt

Material: Steel, metal, glass, wood, concrete

Architect: Baumgartner + Uriu, llp

Team: Paul Macherey, Justin Oh, Phillip Ramirez, Art Zargaryan, Daniel Saltee, Yaohua Wang

Consultant: S.C.S. & Associates (executive architect), ARUP (structure and MEP), Theatre Projects Consultants, Inc (theater consultant), Nagata Acoustics (acoustician)

Our proposal for the large Golf Villa of the Development is to create a distinct identity for this villa that sets itself apart from its neighboring buildings. The design maximizes the stunning views towards the surrounding golf course, and the near by mountain summit from all rooms in the house. At the same time it carefully addresses the issue of privacy in its layout by creating a clear separation between the formal and informal parts of the house, a separate staff entrance and carefully located design elements that provide visual protection from the neighboring buildings and outside spectators.

The building assembly consists of four main elements: The concrete superstructure, a bent steel frame that supports the highly insulated, translucent ceramic panels as well as the glass curtain wall.

A sustainability concept will be developed that includes the utilization of transparent photovoltaic cells integrated in the roof glazing, a radiant cooling and heating system, the use of solar thermal collectors for domestic water heating as well as an elaborate building management system that optimizes the energy consumption for the villa.

Client: Withheld upon owner's request

Program: 6 bedroom villa

Size: 480 sqm

Budget: Withheld upon owner's request

Completion Date: June 1st 2008 (proposal)

Built: Unbuilt

Material: Concrete, bent Steel, insulated translucent ceramic panels, photovoltaic, triple insulated glass

Architect: Baumgartner + Uriu, llp

Team: Anthony Ip, Justin Oh, Daniel Saltee, Yahua Wang

The design concept for the mountain villa is to create a villa type that maintains the upmost transparency at the street level to maximize the views towards the mountain landscape and create an atmosphere of openness along the private roads and between the neighboring villas. Issues of privacy and protecting views between the individual villas as well as among the formal, informal, and staff quarters of the villa are achieved through the shape and form of the building itself.

The design unfolds into three cascading floor levels that follow the slope of the mountain terrain and offer remarkable views from every room on each level. All formal areas including the guest room are located on the ground floor while the 5 bedrooms, the master bedroom and family living room are distributed over two floors to the lower level. Great care was giving to the issue of privacy between the different floor levels. The geometry of the villa was designed in a way that from no point in the formal quarters of the villa there is a direct view to the family and informal quarters below.

The building assembly consists of four main elements: The concrete superstructure, a bent steel frame that supports the stone facade, the glass curtain wall and the trellis.

A sustainability concept will be developed that includes the utilization of photovoltaic cells, a radiant cooling and heating system, the use of solar thermal collectors for domestic water heating as well as an elaborate building management system that optimizes the energy consumption for the villa.

Client: Withheld upon owner's request

Program: 7 bedroom villa

Size: 580 sqm

Budget: Withheld upon owner's request

Completion Date: June 1st 2008 (proposal)

Built: Unbuilt

Material: Concrete, bent Steel, insulated translucent ceramic panels, photovoltaic, triple insulated glass

Architect: Baumgartner + Uriu, llp

Team: Anthony Ip, Justin Oh, Daniel Saltee, Yahua Wang

The art studio for the Cohen residence is located a few miles north of downtown Los Angeles on a hillside property. The existing single story house is built on the flat portion of the property next to a lush hillside which makes up for almost half of the site. From the house and garden you are offered a stunning view of the adjacent neighborhood. The program requirement was to add on a separate structure on the edge of the hillside and adjacent to the pool, that takes advantage of these amazing views and will function as an art studio. However the proposed design needed to be flexible enough to easily convert into a pool/ guesthouse. It also includes a wine cellar, a Jacuzzi and a variety of deck areas.

The initial idea for the design was to create a tree house for adults and was inspired by Italo Calvinos Novel “The Baron in the trees”. The main design emphasis was a variety of trajectories that explored different movements and paths through the trees and the landscape, preserving the existing oak trees and minimizing modifications to the ground. The trajectories became the circulation path that in the areas of the studio and the cellar formed spatial enclosures, but mostly articulated as a trail through the thriving landscape.

The wood deck areas are supported by a curved steel structure which lifts up and cantilevers over the art studio. The Studio is enclosed with translucent fabric and foldable glass doors. The glass doors can be entirely opened up on three sides blurring the boundaries between inside and outside. Deck areas adjacent to the wine cellar, between the pool and the art studio and on the roof allow experiencing the site from different levels.

Client: CKC

Program: Art studio

Size: 1,000 sq ft

Budget: Withheld upon owner's request

Completion Date: TBD

Built: Unbuilt

Material: Steel, fabric, wood, glass

Architect: Baumgartner + Uriu, llp

Team: Justin Oh, Anthony Ip