Construction is underway on the much-anticipated renovation of the Dunbar Hotel, originally known as the Hotel Somerville, it was the focal point of the Central Avenue African-American community in Los Angeles during the 1930s and 1940s.
Withee Malcolm Architects’ designs for the project include the complete renovation of the Dunbar Hotel and the Somerville Apartments I and II.
All three properties will be joined to create an 83-unit mixed-use project.
Preserving Dunbar Hotel’s historic brick facade, the new design provides 41 residential units of affordable senior housing with amenities that include a community room, communal kitchen, media lounge, billiard table, library and reading area and fitness room.
Plans for the residential floors convert the space from double loaded corridors into a single hallway lined with windows that look onto the atrium. All units now face out enjoying light from the exterior windows as well as extra light through the glass fronted hall doors. Apartments aredesigned to maximize efficiency with out sacrificing comfort and convenience.
The Somerville Apartments will be rehabilitated into 42 units of affordable housing--2,3,and 4 bedroom units--for families of all ages. The common areas will be reconfigured and upgraded to include a new tot lot, built-in barbecue area, basketball half-court and laundry room. 8,000 square feet of retail will be built on the ground floor of the village, along with a new public plaza and restaurant. Museum in Black, a computer center operated by Los Angeles Trade Technical College and a Head Start childcare facility will also be integrated into the project. BD+C
Related Stories
Architects | Aug 10, 2015
HDR expands its Canadian presence through merger with CEI Architecture
Public-private partnerships are expected to be one of the combined entity’s strengths.
Retail Centers | Aug 10, 2015
Walgreens’ flagship in Hawaii harkens back to the island’s fishing culture
A house where canoes were made served as the model for this drug superstore’s design.
Giants 400 | Aug 7, 2015
GOVERNMENT SECTOR GIANTS: Public sector spending even more cautiously on buildings
AEC firms that do government work say their public-sector clients have been going smaller to save money on construction projects, according to BD+C's 2015 Giants 300 report.
Giants 400 | Aug 7, 2015
K-12 SCHOOL SECTOR GIANTS: To succeed, school design must replicate real-world environments
Whether new or reconstructed, schools must meet new demands that emanate from the real world and rapidly adapt to different instructional and learning modes, according to BD+C's 2015 Giants 300 report.
Giants 400 | Aug 7, 2015
MULTIFAMILY AEC GIANTS: Slowdown prompts developers to ask: Will the luxury rentals boom hold?
For the last three years, rental apartments have occupied the hot corner in residential construction, as younger people gravitated toward renting to be closer to urban centers and jobs. But at around 360,000 annual starts, multifamily might be peaking, according to BD+C's 2015 Giants 300 report.
Giants 400 | Aug 7, 2015
UNIVERSITY SECTOR GIANTS: Collaboration, creativity, technology—hallmarks of today’s campus facilities
At a time when competition for the cream of the student/faculty crop is intensifying, colleges and universities must recognize that students and parents are coming to expect an education environment that foments collaboration, according to BD+C's 2015 Giants 300 report.
Giants 400 | Aug 7, 2015
RECONSTRUCTION AEC GIANTS: Restorations breathe new life into valuable older buildings
AEC Giants discuss opportunities and complications associated with renovation, restoration, and adaptive reuse construction work.
BIM and Information Technology | Aug 6, 2015
After refueling its capital tank, WeWork acquires BIM consultant Case
The merger is expected to help standardize how WeWork designs and builds out office space.
Giants 400 | Aug 6, 2015
BIM GIANTS: Robotic reality capture, gaming systems, virtual reality—AEC Giants continue tech frenzy
Given their size, AEC Giants possess the resources and scale to research and test the bevy of software and hardware solutions on the market. Some have created internal innovation labs and fabrication shops to tinker with emerging technologies and create custom software tools. Others have formed R&D teams to test tech tools on the job site.
Giants 400 | Aug 6, 2015
GIANTS 300 REPORT: Top 115 Healthcare Architecture Firms
HDR, Stantec, and Perkins+Will top Building Design+Construction's 2015 ranking of the largest healthcare architecture and architecture/engineering firms in the U.S.