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The year was 2010, the economy was just starting to recover from the Great Recession, and Killefer Flammang Architects, better known as KFA, decided it was time for a corporate brand refresh. The chief question: Why was all of the firm’s work in Los Angeles?

The project – a joint venture with Sundance Bay and Geolo Capital – will rise from a .75-acre property at 3768 E. Colorado Boulevard.  Plans call for a five-story edifice containing 100 apartments – including five affordable units – above 4,500 square feet of ground-floor retail space and two levels of subterranean parking.

The project, called Vistas del Puerto, is being developed by Clifford Beers Housing.  The five-story structure at 1836-1852 Locust Avenue will feature 48 apartments and supportive services, catering to formerly homeless individuals and families earning between 30 and 50 percent of the area median income.

Those standard design requirements for public, commercial and government facilities were a critical step for the ADA, governing such elements as wheelchair lifts, curb ramps and handrails. But as designers have begun to understand the vast — and growing — demand for accessible living, the concept has evolved from a practical matter to a complex idea about beauty, equity and what it means to live well.

The project, located just north of Beverly Boulevard between Madison and Westmoreland Avenues, consists of three six-story buildings attached to an existing facility operated by PATH.  The current construction will yield 122 apartments for low-income and homeless persons, in addition to on-site supportive services and amenities.

As a founding partner of KFA, Barbara Flammang, FAIA, has overseen the design and construction of housing and community projects for nearly 40 years, from the adaptive reuse of historic buildings in downtown Los Angeles to the recently completed Los Angeles LGBT Center Anita May Rosenstein Campus in Hollywood.

For 81-year-old Jim Wasson, landing a spot in one of the 98 affordable units in the Ariadne Getty Foundation Senior Housing complex would be a dream come true. He currently lives in an apartment which he can barely afford ever since his partner of more than 50 years passed away.

But, Wasson faces stiff competition. He is among the more than 1,200 applicants.

Urbanize.LA By Steven Sharp February 11, 2020 A staff report to the Los Angeles City Planning Commission shows a new look for a proposed mixed-use development in San Pedro. The project, which is being developed by Galaxy Commercial Holdings, would replace a Grinder restaurant at 511 S. Harbor Boulevard.  Plans call for the construction of an eight-story building containing 137 […]

Urbanize.LA By Steven Sharp January 28, 2020 Non-profit developers LINC Housing Corp. and National CORE have broken ground on a mixed-use affordable housing complex near the Crenshaw/LAX Line inInglewood. The Fairview Heights Apartments, located at 923 E. Redondo Boulevard, will replace a property that has long housed operations for the Los Angeles County Department of Public […]

Urbanize.LA By Steven Sharp December 10, 2019 A presentation to the Santa Monica Architectural Review Board provides a look at updated plans for a mixed-use building at the corner of 6th Street and Wilshire Boulevard. KFA Architecture The project, which is being developed by WS Communities, would replace two small commercial buildings with a four-story edifice containing 40 one-, […]

Urbanize.LA By Stephen Sharp November 18, 2019 A staff report to the Santa Monica Architectural Review Board has unveiled a new look for WS Communities’ proposed mixed-use development at 1543 7th Street. The project, which would replace a three-unit apartment building and a light industrial building, calls for the construction of an eight-story edifice featuring 100 market-rate apartments and […]

Urbanize.LA By Steven Sharp October 31, 2019 With completion approaching at the Expo Line-adjacent Ivy Station complex, developers Lowe and AECOM-Canyon Partners have announced an operator for project’s boutique hotel. The 148-room hotel – known as “The Shay”  – will be operated by Hyatt under its premium Destination Hotel brand.  Other offerings will include a 5,000-square-foot outdoor courtyard and 8,000 […]