CASE STUDY

COFFEE CO.

WESTCHESTER | LOS ANGELES, CA

The project considers the history and understanding of a tight-knit community to develop a space worthy of Westchester. Not just the history of the city but the owners themselves have a history within this city. The owner's first business in this town has been open and run by the family for over 30 years; now, this establishment is part of the heart and identity of Westchester. The approach was to bridge the location's rich history while also incorporating the innovation of what it is becoming with tech companies rushing to be in the hub of Southern California. The coffee shop is an icon of Westchester, 30 years of its establishment have allowed a deep connection with the community and accommodated the many changes throughout the years. Now, this local coffee shop is looking to revamp its image by taking on a modern approach to Italian cafes. A space for the users to drink and talk to strangers is taking on Italian cafes’ intimacy while separating the coffee shop so that people can come in and out of the cafe.

What Abbot Kinney is to Venice Beach, Fritz Burns is to Westchester - Playa del Rey

1. Westchester tracts, Los Angeles. 1942

2. Westchester tracts, Los Angeles. 1942

3. The Fritz Burns “Post-War House” and traffic, Wilshire and Highland, Los Angeles. 1945

4. Los Angeles Municipal Airport, Los Angeles. 1930

Source: 164955, Dick Whittington Studios, The Huntington Library, San Marino, California.
Source: 15307, Dick Whittington Studios, The Huntington Library, San Marino, California.
Source: 15306, Dick Whittington Studios, The Huntington Library, San Marino, California.
Source: 173544, Dick Whittington Studios, The Huntington Library, San Marino, California.

History of Westchester

Westchester is a neighborhood that has slowly become an innovative tech hub in Southern California. This neighborhood, rich in history, has seen the rise of an urban sprawl since its inception in the early 1900s by home developer Fritz Burns. By the late 1940s and early 1950s, what was back then a factory for the war machine turned around to be a factory and town for aviation and exploration of aerospace. Yet still, most jobs were being offered in the large shopping mall of Milliron, which employed many of the residents of Westchester. This mall was the most innovative design of its time as it integrated parking space onto its roof to incorporate what LA was becoming a car-topia. The town on itself was a predominantly white residential neighborhood for workers across Los Angeles and primarily for those who worked in and around the community.

Furthermore, with the civil rights and many supreme court cases of the 60, the demographics of Westchester started to change. The town grew to over 30k residents before LAX establish as the leading creator of jobs, which created a workforce boom and saw Westchester grow tremendously as a town and become the primary residential place for middle-class America that worked in and around LAX. This town became a place for those with decent jobs to afford a home. Westchester became an area where neighbors and those that work in it got to know each other (Garner, 2017 & Gnerre, 2019)

Aerial view of LA International Airport shortly after its postwar renovations

Source: Los Angeles Area Chamber of Commerce Collection, USC Libraries

Westchester Original Subdivision Lots

Source: University of Southern California Libraries & California Historical Society

Ramo-Wooldridge Corporation Building under construction, Westchester, November 10, 1954

Innovation booms as Laboratories for Military and Electronics Systems take off

Source: Source: University of Southern California Libraries & California Historical Society

1950 Westchester - Playa Del Rey Community Historical Maps

Source: 1950-52 USGS Topographic Map of the Venice Quadrangle

1950 - LAX Site

1972 - LAX Site

Source: 1972 USGS Topographic Map of the Venice Quadrangle

1964 - LAX Site

Source: 1964 USGS Topographic Map of the Venice Quadrangle

1981 - LAX Site

Source: 1981 USGS Topographic Map of the Venice Quadrangle

La Tijera, Westchester - Parcel Map & Land Subdivision

Parcel Map - Los Angeles Assessor Office

Project Proposal

Inspired by the intimate spaces which Italian cafes are known for, this project looks at how to incorporate this design choice through a modern approach. Creating a space for users to interact with strangers while generating a grandeur space of interaction between baristas and users.

Inspiration