home office

working smarter

How productive are you at your home office desk? Is your space isolated from all the other activities in your home? Do you have access to natural light? Is your chair comfy? All these little details play an important role in the way you work from home… In this home office we used system furniture to streamline the desk surfaces and minimize distractions. Diffused natural light coming from the glass block wall feature floods and energizes the space. An elevated loft serves as a cozy escape for reading and inspiration… OK great, now let’s get back to work!!!

---

let’s go

Some tunes to help with the flow!

---

pluralists. problem solvers. people people.

Plāna is a Los Angeles based architecture studio rooted in design, ecological and social sustainability and effective project management. We want our end product to be a catalyst for positive personal, social and environmental change and be a source of inspiration and joy. Our aesthetic is timeless and streamlined. We develop solutions come from a deep understanding of our clients needs. And we stay around until they are implemented. We enjoy and celebrate the diversity of our clients that include schools, landowners and developers, private individuals and public institutions.

material girl

a poised palette

When selecting materials for a project we often start with the mood we would like to evoke. In this case we wanted this office building lobby to feel modern, light and warm. Whenever possible we used natural materials and synthetic materials when not. When using the latter we always convey the true nature of the material - for instance, vinyl will never be wood so why does it have to pretend (like in many LVT products)? The materials always need to work with each other and end up forming a family. Paint colors respond to the warmth, saturation and contrast of the other materials in a room for example. Echoes of one material find their way from one area to the next. Scale and light are also important…

---

let’s get physical

When we work with materials, we often not only work with samples and textures but often request mockups of major building elements and custom features. Architecture occupies physical space, as do we in spite of technology, and it is important to test certain features ahead of time for their overall appearance, relationship with other building elements, longevity, etc. When was the last time you were impressed by a stone when you touched the counter at a bank, the particular way the sun hit a building facade making it sparkle or the tactile nature of draperies in a theater? Let this be an invitation to experience and lean into our environments, their materiality and enjoy…

---

pluralists. problem solvers. people people.

Plāna is a Los Angeles based architecture studio rooted in design, ecological and social sustainability and effective project management. We want our end product to be a catalyst for positive personal, social and environmental change and be a source of inspiration and joy. Our aesthetic is timeless and streamlined. We develop solutions come from a deep understanding of our clients needs. And we stay around until they are implemented. We enjoy and celebrate the diversity of our clients that include schools, landowners and developers, private individuals and public institutions.

minimalist homes

the concept

What happens when a client asks for a minimalist design and has a specific vision about the space being predominantly bare? Most people cringe at the thought of cold and empty spaces and are familiar with minimalism yet are somehow not at ease with it. When we think of places where we live we want them to be warm and inviting and we want to surround ourselves with things, objects and memories that remind us of our experiences or represent something about us. But what if this absence of content is an invitation to open up to new possibilities, to breathe and to think without distractions, to relax and recharge in a space as light and luminous as possible.

---

the project

This Great Lake retreat was conceived for a young entrepreneur that values moments of stillness amidst a very dynamic career life. The original residence was updated with strategic strokes to open up spaces, update finishes and simplify and streamline spatial and functional aspects of the home. Minimal furnishings support the idea of ‘less is more’ and ample built in storage allows for books and other objects to be at hand while out of sight.

Now some Chicago jazz to set the mood…

---

pluralists. problem solvers. people people.

Plāna is a Los Angeles based architecture studio rooted in design, ecological and social sustainability and effective project management. We want our end product to be a catalyst for positive personal, social and environmental change and be a source of inspiration and joy. Our aesthetic is timeless and streamlined. We develop solutions come from a deep understanding of our clients needs. And we stay around until they are implemented. We enjoy and celebrate the diversity of our clients that include schools, landowners and developers, private individuals and public institutions.

sweet dreams

… are made of this

When designing a perfect master bedroom retreat, there are a few key aspects for this room to remain a personal getaway and safe-haven. This special place is an expression of ones personality, hopes and dreams and is an intimate oasis. Simple yet sophisticated and furnished with only what’s most needed. No clutter! With plenty of storage, the right elegant furniture and a cozy reading or lounge area such as a modern fireplace with a comfortable chair to unwind from a busy day… What more could one ask for? Well, maybe a soundtrack…

---

bodies of water

In the hot days of summer what can be better than making a splash! Water cools, cleanses and provides instant relaxation and stress relief. It perhaps reminds us of our primordial home, the ocean. It is life giving, transformative. We are mostly water. It erodes rock gently over millennia and cuts it forcefully in a laser beam at the stoneyard. It is nourishing and healing and can destroy entire cities instantly in a tsunami or by sinking it over centuries like Venice. It is elusive and will run through your fingers. It will wipe you out is you are a surfer. You can float on it endlessly.

Water has many effects - it flows, glistens, murmurs and glows when illuminated from within and is one of the most abundant resources in nature. Many cultures give it special meaning and use it as a symbol. In dreams water can stand for emotion itself. We’re getting metaphysical here…

---

When used as a design element water has a tremendous impact on our wellbeing. In our Encino Hills project we used water to separate an art pavilion from the rest of an internal private court. In doing so we used water as a special boundary to another realm of creativity, play and contemplation. Water features integrated into the pool and spa provide pleasant white noise suitable for relaxation. LEDs illuminate the pool from within added color therapy and party effects. Simple materials such as smooth plaster, concrete pavers, stone and white gravel and native plants integrated into the surrounding hillside create an oasis and retreat from the Los Angeles bustle.

all about ADU’s

indoors or outdoors or both

What is the best and most optimal way to use your backyard’s potential and transform existing traditional spaces into inspired and luxurious indoor-outdoor living spaces? There are countless options in migrating indoor activities to the fresh breeze, and make them a focal point for your family activities, working from home, etc. With the right space, the possibilities are endless…

---

the compound

Our Escalon Residence project consists of an addition to an existing modernist house and a twofold backyard renovation. First we are doing a major site rehab including an outdoor kitchen with bbq & pizza oven and swimming pool; and secondly we are adding an ADU or an Accessory Dwelling Unit built into the side of the hill. Both are integrated into the overall aesthetic of the existing mid century residence, so it seems like the entire compound was always there. The site is also working intensely with the existing hillside topography in a way that offers a sustainable and least intrusive impact on the surrounding natural habitat of the Santa Monica mountains.