The Art Deco

Located in the heart of the historic Crenshaw district, this five-story, mixed-use concept proposes a 15-unit residential building over ground-floor retail. Situated along a major transit corridor near the metro line, the urban infill project leverages local Transit Oriented Communities (TOC) incentives to eliminate standard parking requirements, maximizing the tight site footprint for community-centric spaces.

Rejecting the generic, boxy modernism typical of recent area developments, our design prioritizes historic preservation by retaining the site’s original Art Deco retail facade. To celebrate the historic fabric while introducing density, the new residential levels are stepped back ten feet from the street frontage. This creates a clear visual boundary between the original architecture and the new contemporary Art Deco structure above.

The programmed spaces include a mix of multi-family housing, short-term rental workspaces, community meeting rooms, and a shared rooftop deck. The design also seamlessly incorporates a pre-existing billboard easement directly into the facade, repurposing it to promote internal community programming. Though owners halted the project before construction, the design stands as a model for sensitive, transit-oriented preservation along one of Los Angeles' most historic thoroughfares.