My aim with these writings is to visit, photograph, and provide insight into some of my favorite architecture in Southern California with notes of their distinctive styles, construction, and conception,
The Ziggurat
Although most architects choose to provide a design that blends in with the style and motif of the community or area surrounding it, some choose to do the opposite. One example of this is the Chet Holifield Federal Building in Laguna Niguel California. Commonly dubbed the Ziggurat, this federal building features seven graduating stories and a displacement of over one million square feet. Built from 1968-1971, the Ziggurat displays what most would consider a brutalist design with its thick concrete posts and even more massive concrete and stucco facades. The pyramid design and colossal base of the building give it a strong and compounding sentiment.
The architect behind all of this is William L. Pereira. Pereira is responsible for the composition of notable structures such as the Transamerican Pyramid in San Fransisco, the Geisel library in San Diego, and the Los Angeles Zoo just to name a few. Most of Pereira’s buildings were constructed in the late thirties to the early seventies with the aim of providing an unmistakable “futuristic” look. Even though futuristic might be a broad term to use for architecture, it really was the term he was aiming for. Pereira had an affinity for science fiction and chose to utilize long, even lines as well as corrugated segments most often incorporated into a tiered level design with a uniform paint or stucco. The Chet Holifield Federal Building greatly exemplifies Pereira’s architectural style and form.
Langson Library
UCI California’s Langson library is a five-story building constructed as a recreational and educational center for the public and students of UC Irvine. The library's design began in 1965 and it is one of eight original campus buildings. Despite its timeline, the library could still be considered a piece of contemporary architecture. It represents the brutalist style of architecture synonymous with the architect behind it. The building itself is almost entirely made from concrete and boasts tall lined columns with thin windows falling in between. A floating appearance is presented by the cantilever shadowing the still-visible basement level. The repetition of the corrugated facades in conjunction with the uniformity in color of the building gives it a citadel-like appearance bunkered with the thin windows offering little natural light.
The architect and designer behind Langson library is William Pereira. Pereira was responsible for the design of the building and much of the architecture at UCI and his twist on brutalism is evident in many buildings around the area. Pereira had an affinity for science fiction and his buildings are a clear representation of that genre. What makes Langson library even more unique is the incorporation of arches and curves at the bottom of the columns that lend the building some organic shaping whilst also providing depth with the protrusions. Pereira has produced a plethora of celebrated buildings such as the Transamerica Pyramid in San Fransisco, the Theme building in the heart of Los Angeles Airport, and the Los Angeles County Museum of Art with associates in 1965.
Geoff Sumich
In the world of architectural design, Geoff Sumich is a true visionary. The more time I spend interning for him, the more I see how he incorporates the warmth and character of traditional elements with the boldness and simplicity of minimalist design.
“I create spaces that tell stories,” Mr. Sumich explains to me as he walks me through every meticulous detail of the balsa wood and foam core models he makes for his clients. Most architects go straight to designing digitally on CAD, but he still insists on creating multiple, if not dozens of physical models for every home, so he can experience the way the space will articulate, the way it will speak to him.
He relays those messages to me through his sketches and models. There is a dynamic interplay of stone and wood, a negative space that might play off the steel beams or a sparkling reflection of water in glass walls that stretch from floor to ceiling. Every house, every design, is a unique one of a kind that he tailors to his client. Whatever space he focuses on draws you in and then unveils itself, becoming more interesting with every step further inside.
And yet, of all Mr. Sumich’s projects—his mega-mansions and architectural digest feature- there’s no doubt that this world-class architect is more passionate about building the “Miro House”. This is not a single home but rather his concept to bring a customizable design to prefabricated sustainable housing, making better quality living spaces available in masses, at more affordable prices.
There have been dozens of people who have tried solving the inefficient, pricey, and confusing dilemma of traditional housing, but as an architect and more importantly a designer, Geoff brings a unique approach. Geoff focuses on the degree of personalization of his modular homes to provide real individuality instead of creating “modern” black-and-white boxes that not many people would enjoy calling home.
Miro house offers a degree of architectural customization that is typically only available at much higher price points. He envisions modules that would give buyers the option to differentiate their homes from other houses, unlike typical tract home projects. For example, Geoff plans to use a water skin barrier on the facade of the home that can be modified with almost any material, therefore matching countless architectural and more importantly cultural styles. Like blocks that can be assembled in limitless ways, his Miro House is a structure of different geometric components that can be assembled to create limitless possibilities of aesthetics. Best of all, these homes would be affordable solutions for sustainable housing that would emulate the look and feel of something completely custom.
Whether Geoff is creating a beachfront dream house or innovating the future of scalable affordable housing, he always remains true to his design philosophy that physical forms should be manifestations of the spirit of the people who inhabit them. He is most inspired by the stories and experiences of the people who will live in the space, turning a house into a home.
