Judges' Comments

• One of the Jury’s favorites, this project was unanimously praised as a restrained and elegant renovation of what had been an unremarkable commercial building. The refined façade design is well tuned for solar orientation and the thoughtful use of cedar siding as a unifying material was applauded. The jury expects that the building will age well and hopes this project would encourage more of this kind of renovation and re-use.

Project Data:

Completion Date:     11/1/2016

Square Footage:      35000

Building Use:           Medical Office and Restaurant Space

Location:                 Newport Beach, CA

Project Description:

Design Intent:
The design approach for this adaptive reuse project was informed by our client’s desire to update exterior façade and building systems of a 32,860 SF two-story existing medical office building in Newport Beach; offering tenants and patrons a revitalized street presence along with state of the art interiors, retail, restaurant and office spaces. The original storefronts and curtain wall had dark, tinted single-pane glazing. This adaptive re-use project in Newport Beach was originally designed in 1964 by Orange County Architect Richard H Dodd.
Program:
• Tenants include medical offices, a surgery center, a new vegan restaurant, a yoga studio and a beauty salon.
• Updating of entire exterior façade, sun shading, and building systems.
• Drought-resistant landscape and exterior hardscape
• ADA accessibility upgrade
Project Description:
Castaway Commons offers tenants and patrons a revitalized street presence along with state of the art interiors, and retail, restaurant and office spaces. A complete facade renovation was undertaken through a “reskin” of the existing 2-story medical office shell.
The main interior lobby renovation features a custom-designed circular staircase with a glass guardrail, stainless-steel handrails and terrazzo treads. Ceiling heights were redesigned to give the space an open feel. Throughout the lobby stacked, large format, terrazzo tile flows from the elevated exterior plaza to the south entrance of the building, creating a cohesive exterior and interior design. We replaced the original façade with 3 different types of storefront and curtain wall glazing systems, which were thermally broken to reduce heat gain. On the south side, solar shade louvers and awnings were designed and installed to significantly reduce solar gain. We removed an existing mezzanine to improve heights for some of the tenant spaces on the south side.
Public access and visibility were enhanced to provide frontage on the South East side of the building and additional storefront area for tenants. Curtain walls were replaced with insulated glazing systems of varying colors and a variety of sun shading elements; the horizontal louvers of a brise-soleil wraps the second floor on the South side of the building. A fritted glass panel facing Westcliff Drive signifies the building’s main entrance and address. A cedar storefront with large display windows was selected to add warmth and richness to the design.
Landscape and hardscape areas on the perimeter of building were redesigned to include elevated planters made out of board-formed concrete. Plantings include mature olive trees and drought resistant succulents. The restaurant on the ground floor was re-imagined to include a steel structure and retractable canvas awning which provides shade for the restaurant patio. Custom signage was designed for the restaurant and retail spaces. Pedestrian entry barriers were removed, and the exterior walls of its volume were clad with irregular cedar siding. New openings were added, and existing interior walls removed to open up the interior space of the restaurant. The remainder of wall areas received new steel troweled plaster.

C.O.T.E. | Committee on the Environment

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