Pen to Paper Before Click of Mouse

We all love (and sometimes hate, right?) the digital world, especially this past year. There are incredible software programs for design and architecture that can render 3-D images to perfection and others that can create drawings down to the tiniest of details from every angle possible. But there is something to be said for the tactile quality and visual artistry of putting pen to paper, which is why many from our design + construct team sketch out on paper before turning to the computer.

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One Long and Impressive Filmography Belongs to…a Mansion?

Dead Ringer (the Bette Davis version). The Fabulous Baker Boys. There Will Be Blood. The Social Network. What do these films have in common? Architecture. Specifically, Greystone Mansion. Celebrity sightings are kind of a given in LA, but one notable Hollywood star should be Greystone Mansion, which has served as the cinematic backdrop and setting for a countless list of films, tv shows, commercials and photoshoots.

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Santa Monica, an Abundance of Historic Preservation

There are a ton of places to admire in Southern California. We have the coast, the mountains, the best weather, not to mention an amazing amount of historic architecture and landmarks. Without question, a favorite city to visit, live, and work is Santa Monica, which is why Abeer chose it as the location for the SweisKloss office—we’ve been in the Central Tower building in DTSM for 20+ years. Many of our staff live here, and if given the chance, they will tell you how much they love it.

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Spotlight on Ernie, SweisKloss Foreman + Electrician

When it comes to hiring, we are always on the lookout for good people. We welcome someone who is not only creative, talented, skilled, etc. but those who have a sense of humor and a positive outlook, both of which go a long way in work and life. So, when Ernie Samudio came along, we couldn’t have been more thrilled to bring him on board as our foreman and in-house electrician. His infectious laughter and energetic spirit are appreciated by all.

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Santa Barbara Architecture, a City on a Mission

June 29, 1925 was a defining moment in the history of Santa Barbara. A major earthquake leveled the majority of the downtown corridor. Although disastrous, this event was the impetus for furthering a community movement to have a uniform architectural style.

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Questions to Ask Yourself Before Doing a Full Kitchen Renovation

The kitchen. AKA the heart of the home…the space, no matter how big or small, where family and friends gather together the most. A highly utilized area, the kitchen has to work from a design perspective with the right aesthetics and functionality, but it also has to be a thoughtful reflection of you. Does it fit your lifestyle? Does it feel special?

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Manuela…the Art of Food and Design

Would you all agree that we have some of the best restaurants in Los Angeles? Successful restaurants have to check many boxes, but the clear-cut ones are as follows: the menu/food has to be incredible, especially with such discerning foodies in LA; service has to be on point; and the design of the space has to be memorable…a place one would want to go back to time and again. Manuela in DTLA’s Arts District would certainly meet these criteria.

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5 Photo Boards of Sustainable Lights That Caught Our Eye

Have you ever thought about how much lighting can either enhance or detract from the design of a space? This is an essential element to be considered, which is why we devote time to a lighting plan when designing a project. The perfect illumination creates highlights and depth to everything it touches, and successful architecture captures the interplay between light and shadow.

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Getting to the Getty

Who would ever think that “seeing red” would be a good thing? Moving from the Covid-19 purple tier to the red tier for Los Angeles is, in fact, a very good thing for many reasons. Most important, cases are going down. We will have some sense of normalcy once more places open including our amazing museums. Announcements are coming out that a few museums are opening, with limited capacity, as early as April 1. One of our favorite museums is the Getty Center, which is slated to open in phases starting mid- April.

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Head for the Hills and Tour Stahl House

Stahl House (Case Study House #22) is synonymous with iconic Los Angeles homes. The Stahl House photograph taken by legendary Julius Shulman is one of the most published and recognizable architectural photos. The mid-century modern home, beautifully built into and around the topography of the Hollywood Hills, was designed by prestigious California architect Pierre Koenig. But who were Buck and Carlotta Stahl? According to them, nobody famous.

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A SweisKloss Photo Essay: Outdoor Space Inspirations

It goes without saying, we are very visual people. A key part of what we do is being able to visualize, conceptualize, and create a presentation of images to effectively show that intention. We love inspiring our clients, but what inspires us?

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What to Consider Before Building an ADU

California is a popular place to build ADUs (accessory dwelling unit). Perhaps the state legislative changes that occurred in 2020 incentivized homeowners to take the ADU plunge, or maybe the pandemic prompted people to create a separated work-at-home space.

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Market Research…History, Architecture, and Foodies

Adaptive reuse. We all know the term. We all appreciate the concept. As designers, we see the significance of adaptive reuse, and when done well, the results can be the perfect blend of historic preservation, art, design and sustainability.

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Only 502 are Black Women

Out of 116,000 architects in the United States, only 502 are Black women. What a staggering statistic. That is only 0.4%. And this number is up ten times from where it was 30 years ago, which one could say is certainly progress. But is slow progress enough progress?

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Our First Eugene Kinn Choy Project

Signing on to a new design + construct project is always exciting. Signing on to a Eugene Kinn Choy designed home, and we have to admit, we took an extra minute to let it fully sink in that such an opportunity was ours. Architects and designers revere history-rich homes and buildings.

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State of the Arts District in Los Angeles

From an architectural standpoint, urban development and revitalization in the Los Angeles area is of great interest to us. We also see the importance in staying informed on the current direction of design and construction around the city. To be completely biased, LA has some of the best creative thinkers when it comes to innovation, and the architectural design community is no exception.

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“The View From Here” is Quite Impressive

Last summer we heard that the A+D (Architecture + Design) Museum was closing their physical location in downtown LA and moving to a hybrid model of virtual programming and pop-up exhibits in different cities. A museum that “explores the definitions of architecture and design, from the conceptual to professional practice,” A+D has become well known, especially to those of us in Los Angeles.

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Top 5 SweisKloss Blogs of 2020

As we embark upon a fourth year of writing the SweisKloss blogs, we reflect back on past blogs and how much we’ve enjoyed writing them. We were curious to know what our readers gravitated toward the most in 2020 and thought we’d share them with you. Here are the top five blogs to revisit or see for the first time if you are new to our newsletters.

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Children’s Hospital Los Angeles Heart and Goal

Holidays from the Heart is a program near and dear to my, well, heart. This charitable initiative supports the most vulnerable and financially challenged patients at the Children’s Hospital Los Angeles (CHLA). I have been involved with this cause for the last seven years when my brother first introduced it to me.

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SweisKloss Certified by the Women’s Business Enterprise National Council

To say that women have come a long way when it comes to owning a business would be a vast understatement. The road to being on equal footing in an ever-challenging business world has been paved by successful, strong women, for which I am grateful.

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