Architectural studio LOHA has reworked an agricultural constructing in California into the light-filled Sandi Simon Heart for Dance with polycarbonate partitions that evoke the “ephemeral nature of efficiency”.
Positioned 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 current revamp, the wood-framed constructing had one degree 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 economic vernacular fashion 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 remodel the packing home from a one-storey warehouse house with an unused, uninhabitable basement right into a multi-level centre for dance,” the studio continued.
“This course of included celebrating distinctive parts of the prevailing constructing, utilising the unique wooden flooring as a fabric for the brand new design, and incorporating new structural parts.”
The crew opened up the inside by making a “calculated lower” by the ground aircraft, permitting for a reorganization of the house 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 students to socialize, together with atria between lecture rooms which are fitted with seating.
The constructing’s massive roof trusses have been left seen and evoke totally different sensations, primarily based on one’s vantage level.
“Huge historic trusses have been left uncovered and rendered without delay lofty by the view from the bottom degree and tangible from the proximity to them on the mezzanine,” the agency mentioned.
Mild flows in by the constructing’s unique sawtooth roof, together with north-facing clerestory home windows. Actuators have been added to the home windows, enabling them to open up and expel warmth when triggered by a mechanical system.
The crew inserted partitions fabricated from polycarbonate, a fabric that was chosen for its translucency and reflectivity. The partitions “enable the structure to mirror the concepts of motion and the ephemeral nature of efficiency embodied in this system”, the crew mentioned.
“Bringing daylight and a way of movement all through the constructing was immensely essential,” 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 pictures is by Eric Staudenmaier.
Challenge credit:
Architect:Â LOHA (Lorcan O’Herlihy Architects)
Challenge crew: 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
Consumer: Chapman College
