PACIFIC URBANISM
PACIFIC URBANISM

CASE STUDY

M&M Beach shack

Venice beach | LOS ANGELES, CA

M&M is the renovation of a family home located in the heart of Los Angeles’ famous Venice Beach neighborhood. The idea behind the project is rooted in the popular culture of Venice Beach, whether through its family life, its creative richness, or its close relationship with the outside world. The concept wraps this local effervescence within the protective archetypal architecture of the beach hut which can be glimpsed under the Californian sun.

This sun, so dear to the locals, has made it possible to formalize an architecture respectful of its surroundings. The sculpted longitudinal volume of the interior revolves around sharp morphological regulations, ensuring access to natural light from neighboring residences.

The interior spaces are distinguished by complementary spatialities which accentuate the uniqueness of each room while being united by visual openings ensuring the conviviality of the residence.

The interior spaces bathed in natural light are presented as an extension of the exterior spaces which are an integral part of the project. - Cargo Architecture

ARCHITECTS Cargo Architects

CONTRACTOR ABConcept

STRUCTURAL ENGINEER Paniagua Inc.

PERMIT PROCESSING Dario Rodman-Alvarez

 
Circa 1920s aerial view of the city of Venice and the original canals.jpg
 

 The Silver Triangle: The Jewel of Venice Beach

Most of the original Silver Triangle homes were built in the late 1940s and early 1950s as 2–3-bedroom bungalows with an average of 1200 square feet after the war. There are many new contemporary and architectural homes as well as some old California bungalows. Silver Triangle offers predominantly homeowner homes with many small income properties along Abbott Kinney and Ocean Avenue. There are 70 condominium projects. Built in the early '80s, the Del Rey Colony, a self-sufficient townhouse complex surrounding an artificial lake, offers a modern and safe lifestyle. The average plot is 40'x100', mostly zoned R1, single-family homes.

This project looked at its historical presence and its community to understand what would be the best approach to its design, yet the pre-process of acquiring permits and preliminary construction phases allowed for smooth construction of this beach shack which looks at how the design can call back to its roots of what Venice Beach is. -Venice Beach Living

Mule teams began excavation work on the canals in 1904.

Map of Venice of America

Source: Map Collection & Los Angeles Public Library

Source: Security Pacific National Bank Collection & Los Angeles Public Library

Postcards of Venice Canal: Vision of Abbot Kinney

Source: Werner Von Boltenstern Postcard Collection, Loyola Marymount University Library

Venice Canals over The Silver Triangle Construction

Land Subdivision of Ocean Park: Venice Canal

Canals encircled tiny, triangular United States Island

The canals that survive today were part of a rival real estate development, pictured here in a 1910 advertisement.

Source: Library of Congress

Source: USC Libraries & California Historical Society Collection

Automobile Age

Built at the dawn of the automobile age, Venice of America was eventually overwhelmed by motor vehicles — a fact that ultimately led to the demise of the development’s canals.

The rise and overpopulation of cars slowed down the expansion of Venice canals, not just but as well the oil fields that used to be the face of Venice Beach in the early 1920s. - Nathan Masters, 2014.

Source: Herald-Examiner Collection & Los Angeles Public Library

Parcel Map & Land Subdivision

The permit process was a task of understanding these maps and their relationship to the site, how the adjacent lots work and their use and how to appropriate what was there to the site’s permits

Index Map - Los Angeles Assessor Office

Parcel Map - Los Angeles Assessor Office

 

Splash Image Source: Security Pacific National Bank Collection & Los Angeles Public Library

Hero Image (Bot.) Source: USC Libraries – California Historical Society Collection