Writing Samples - City Justifications
Assisted Living Memory Care - Temecula
The architectural styling of the proposed Temecula AL/MC building is Southwestern Contemporary with touches of Spanish infused into the overall aesthetic. The color palette & material selection, arches, columns, roofing, and overall feel and visual impact provide subtle nudges toward the small town, localization inspired design. These architectural choices play well into the climate of Temecula as a hidden gem of wine destinations and sunny getaways.
From a color standpoint, the base stucco utilized in the project is Dunn Edwards “Pigeon Gray”, with “Old Boot” as a trim/accent. These present very earthy, subdued tones which can be roughly plastered throughout the project to somewhat mimic an adobe aesthetic. We also have an accent stucco of “Linden Spear” to help add breakups and points of interest throughout the site. Foam window trims along with exposed rafter tails in “Old Boot” coloration are an homage to the exposed timber beams and details of the Southwestern style, along with the colonnades which provide more visual focal points.
Arched colonnades, along with large arched windows placed in key portions of the building tie in with the playful nature of Southwestern architecture, which is also linked to the Spanish roots of this style. These large arched windows are accented with brick arch, as a stylistic attribute of the original style. The colonnades help distinguish many of our outdoor resident spaces, as well as help break up the monotony of the building. This Spanish style accent also helps harmonize our look with the Spanish inspired Boral Barcelona roofing. Stone accents, especially on our main entrance, provide strong foundations, focal points, and breakups overall, and tie in well with typical materials for theses styles.
The floor plan design and feel of our building are very important to the style. Due to the length of our project, there is a strong sense of horizontality to mimic the typical low-slung design of the Southwestern style. This coupled with the 4:12 pitched roofs also contribute to this feel. We have also provided ample outdoor spaces in the form of resident balconies and patios, as well as dedicated courtyards for both the Memory Care residents and the Assisted Living residents. Trellis structures and landscaping additions will provide ample shade and covered rest areas for any and all who walk through the site. Residents will have easy access to both indoor amenities, and outdoor courtyards.
Kawana Springs Project -
Sonoma Valley
The Kawana Springs project aims to inspire comfort and elegance utilizing the Sonoma County vernacular. In this, we aspire to reference the organic architectural development which pulled interpretations of several different styles into clean and reduced arrangements. Though ambiguous, these simple unions reference the beauty and agricultural character of the city. The architecture is to act as a monument which links us to the past, while adding style in the present. Our project will represent an homage to the agricultural history of Sonoma, while adding dashes of different architectural styles for a project that is functional and interesting, while staying true to the architectural character of Sonoma.
Ranch style homes have their place in California, and this aesthetic must be referenced. Our use of vertical and horizontal wall siding present a strong base to carry our project around. This material siding tends to be fundamental of farm/ranch style architectures which accentuate woodwork for warmth and stability. To go with that, we have also utilized gabled roofs to provide focal points, especially at the front of our project which contains ornamentation to draw focus and visual interest. These gables and ornamentation counter balance the simple roofs throughout.
The general massing of our project lends itself to the feel of horizontality which is reminiscent of older bungalow & prairie styles in California. However, we did not want the horizontal runs to be overwhelming or boring. To address this issue, bay style windows and stone accents with selective trims break up the runs. Also, they provide a material break from the white siding base. This allows for new points of interest, as well as comfortable light spaces for residents within. The style base for this would be more gothic, but also Chicago style in the United States transition into modern. This style utilization is common in California and reminiscent of iconic architecture such as the Madrona Manor. The material and hardware selection tend toward more contemporary style, and push our bay window aesthetic more into the modern. Because of the diverse nature of Sonoma and our proposal, a sort of farm chic is achieved visually, while also retaining high functionality and purpose. Subtle design influences inform our decisions with historical backing.