Architectural studio LOHA has reworked an agricultural constructing in California into the light-filled Sandi Simon Middle for Dance with polycarbonate partitions that evoke the “ephemeral nature of efficiency”.
Situated on the campus of Chapman College in Orange, the academic and performing arts venue is housed inside a former agricultural constructing listed on America’s Nationwide Register of Historic Locations.
Constructed in 1918, the constructing served as an orange-packing home and headquarters for the Santiago Orange Growers Affiliation, and later, the Villa Park Orchards Affiliation.
Previous to its latest revamp, the wood-framed constructing had one stage and a basement. Architectural options embody stucco facades, massive trusses and a sawtooth roof.
The studio was charged with making a dance faculty throughout the historic constructing whereas preserving its exterior shell.
“The post-and-beam, heavy timber-frame constructing is consultant of the commercial vernacular model of its time,” mentioned Los Angeles-based LOHA, additionally know as Lorcan O’Herlihy Architects.
“Our adaptive reuse technique required exact planning and revolutionary methods to rework the packing home from a one-storey warehouse area with an unused, uninhabitable basement right into a multi-level centre for dance,” the studio continued.
“This course of included celebrating distinctive components of the present constructing, utilising the unique wooden flooring as a cloth for the brand new design, and incorporating new structural components.”
The group opened up the inside by making a “calculated minimize” by way of the ground airplane, permitting for a reorganization of the area into three ranges.
The constructing now holds 5 studios for dance instruction, a efficiency studio that’s used for small live shows and grasp lessons, two lecture rooms, a coaching room and college workplaces.
There are also areas for college kids to socialize, together with atria between lecture rooms which can be fitted with seating.
The constructing’s massive roof trusses had been left seen and evoke totally different sensations, based mostly on one’s vantage level.
“Huge historic trusses had been left uncovered and rendered without delay lofty by the view from the bottom stage and tangible from the proximity to them on the mezzanine,” the agency mentioned.
Gentle flows in by way of the constructing’s authentic sawtooth roof, together with north-facing clerestory home windows. Actuators had been added to the home windows, enabling them to open up and expel warmth when triggered by a mechanical system.
The group inserted partitions product of polycarbonate, a cloth that was chosen for its translucency and reflectivity. The partitions “permit the structure to mirror the concepts of motion and the ephemeral nature of efficiency embodied in this system”, the group mentioned.
“Bringing daylight and a way of movement all through the constructing was immensely necessary,” addedarchitect Lorcan O’Herlihy.
Different tasks by LOHA embody a workspace for sportswear model Nike that embodies a pairing of “artwork and science” and a wedge-shaped scholar housing advanced that steps down a Los Angeles hillside.
The images is by Eric Staudenmaier.
Mission credit:
Architect: LOHA (Lorcan O’Herlihy Architects)
Mission group: Lorcan O’Herlihy (principal in cost), Ghazal Khezri (venture director), Ian Dickenson (principal), Joe Tarr, Abel Garcia (venture lead), Morgan Starkey, Kathryn Sonnabend, Kevin Murray, Wentao Guo
Shopper: Chapman College
