1738 BERKELEY STREET

Santa Monica, CA

Client:

VTBS Architects

Area:

0.54 Acres

Commercial Area:

27,974 sf

2009 PCBC Gold Nugget GRAND AWARD
Outstanding Adaptive Reuse Project

“New openings cut from the upper level to the ground level serve to bring much needed natural light to the core of the space. Glass railings maximize light penetration, while also giving an open expansive feel to both the upper and new mezzanine levels. In all, the building has been cleverly modified and organized to take maximum advantage of new natural light sources and natural ventilation, providing a sustainable, functional and exciting working environment.”
–Judge’s Statement

5600 Wilshire

Los Angeles, CA

Client:

BRE Properties

Area:

2.63 Acres – 310,796 sf

Units:

284 Apartments

Retail:

12,500 sf

LEED Certified Silver Rating; the first multi-family building in California to receive both LEED Silver certification and City of Los Angeles Green Building Program certification.

5600 Wilshire Apartments is located in the Miracle Mile area just east of L.A.C.M.A. This building is LEED certified and enjoys the benefits of many green features, e.g.: energy star appliances, low V.O.C. carpeting and paints, dual-flush toilets, low “E” dual glazed windows, designated recycle trash chutes, and preferential parking for low emitting vehicles.

Broadway Villas

Los Angeles, CA

Client:

AMCAL Multi-housing, Inc.

Site Area:

1.1 Acres

Residential Area:

42,093 sf

Commercial Area:

7,000 sf

Units:

49 Apartments

LEED Gold Certified

This infill development utilizes a vacant site in South Los Angeles by contributing a fresh affordable senior living complex into the context of the neighborhood with a Craftsman-inspired design that blends the project with residences to the east and offers accessibility to a MTA Rapid bus route on Broadway. The project achieved LEED Gold certification by implementing sustainable features including the installation of natural linoleum, natural rubber, or ceramic tile for all kitchens and bathrooms, where no VOC adhesives or backing was used, installing CRI Green Label Plus Carpet or no carpet in all bedrooms, use of no-VOC interior paint, use of bathroom fans that exhaust to the outdoors and are equipped with a humidistat sensor or timer, and exceeding Title 24 standards by at least 25%.

Cornerstone at St. Francis

Denver, CO

Clients:

St. Francis Center, Rocky Mountain Housing Dev. Corp, Key Bank Community Development Corp.

Area:

51,286 sf

Units:

50 Furnished Apartments

“What makes the Cornerstone Residences at St. Francis unique is its supportive service model in relationship to its design. It’s not just a building; it’s a model for designing affordable housing that serves the homeless while integrating green and sustainable construction solutions.”
-Joyce Alms-Ransford, Executive Director
Rocky Mountain Housing Development Corporation, Inc.

Conscious use of sustainable basics from finishes through systems was a priority which included low-emissivity glazing, increased insulation, sun shade devices, operable windows, dual-flush toilets, ENERGY STAR appliances, eco-green elevators, sustainable and recycled materials, composite decking, white roofing and motion sensors on the lighting.

Montecito Terraces

Panorama City, CA

Client:

AMCAL Multi-Housing, Inc.

Site Area:

1.9 Acres

Residential Area:

80,835 sf

Units:

98 Apartments

Replacing outdated apartments with a new senior development covering two non-contiguous sites, Montecito Terraces is the first project designed for AMCAL Multi-housing to receive LEED Gold certification utilizing sustainable methods including diverting waste from landfills and recycling building materials, low-water use systems (irrigation and personal use), low-VOC paints and high-rated HVAC filters.

Presidio Santa Clara

Santa Clara, CA

Client:

CORE Affordable Housing

Lot Size:

.82 Acres – 35,683 sf

Total Building Area:

32,734 sf

Units:

40 Apartments

“I’d like to acknowledge how happy The Core Companies is about working with VTBS on the Presidio project. The architecture has been very well received by the community and I am very proud to have it represent The Core Companies. It has been a pleasure for me and our construction team to work with your office on this affordable housing project as part of the El Camino Grand Boulevard vision in Santa Clara.”
-Paul Ring, Director of Development
The CORE Companies

Following the directive of the City of Santa Clara by using California and Spanish Mission architectural styles, this infill project was constructed as a three-story, Type V-A building with an attached one-story Community Room for residents communal activities. The project achieved its goal of LEED Gold certification and opened for residency in the Fall of 2012.

Stoneridge Creek

Pleasanton, CA

Client:

Continuing Life Communities

Site:

50 Acres

Total Project:
1.2 Million sf

Unit mix:

515 Independent Living Apartments
86 Independent Living Villas
34 Garden Terrace Apartments

Health Center:

110,00 sf
48 Assisted Living Units
73-Bed Skilled Nursing Facility
18-Bed Dementia Facility

Stoneridge Creek has been awarded certification from the Green Building Council for instituting sustainable practices into the 50-acre project. The site has been carefully planned as it is located directly adjacent to a freeway and an auto mall. Large landscape buffers, a twenty-foot high berm and sound walls are located to appropriately integrate into the site and protect the community from the adverse context.

The community offers its residents multiple choices in living arrangements and the comfort associated with Continuing Care and more than 70,000 sf of recreational and common space including multiple dining facilities, card rooms, activity areas, exercise rooms, and spaces for gathering and socializing.

UCLA SOUTHWEST CAMPUS HOUSING

Westwood Village, Los Angeles, CA

Client:

UCLA Capital Programs

Lot Size:

11.4 Acres

Units:

840 Apartments

A 15-acre sloping site accommodates 1,380 graduate students at the dense urban campus of UCLA. Seven buildings are served by existing streets as well as a network of new streets connecting the surrounding neighborhood. Each building has its own courtyard providing distinctive outdoor space defined by the architectural elements that enclose it.

Notable sustainable features incorporated into the design were, among others, the use of water-efficient plumbing fixtures, optimized energy performance exceeding California Title 24 requirements, an improved building ventilation system via open air corridors and breezeways, underground parking to minimize heat-island effects and the use of passive solar design, daylighting and natural ventilation.

VILLAGE GREEN

Sylmar, CA

White House Sponsored Green Technology Prototype Program

Client:

The Lee Group & Braemar Urban Ventures

Area:

17.59 Acres

Average Lot Size:

3,000 sf

Units:

186 Single-Family Homes

2000 Gold Nugget Grand Award
Energy Efficient Homes

This project represents one of five national pilot communities announced by President Bill Clinton in May 1998 through the Building America program and the federal government’s Partnership in Advancing Technology in Housing (PATH). The goal of this ambitious project was to use advanced technologies to produce energy efficient, environmentally sensitive, affordable, and adaptable residences. Innovative building strategies included the use of photovoltaics, steel-framed components and upgraded insulation.

A cooperative effort between the Federal government and private industry, this 186-unit detached single-family home community consists of two-story, three and four-bedroom residences with attached two-car garages, priced from $160,000. A .06-acre public park is located near the entry of the community with a tot-lot and Child Care Center and is within walking distance to the Sylmar/San Fernando Metrolink Station.

Sustainable On-the-Boards Projects

The Plaza at Santa Monica / MPC & Clarett West
Pasadena 201 / Greystar
Pico Sepulveda / Casden Properties
The Weddington / Greystar
Sacramento Commons / Kennedy Wilson
Talaria @ Burbank / Cusumano
West LA 135 / Greystar
Picasso Pasadena /  MPC & JVT
Picasso Brentwood /  MPC & JVT

VTBS is proud to enthusiastically promote the design of healthy buildings that enhance the quality of life of its occupants. Currently, VTBS has numerous projects in various stages of design and development and is dedicated to the research, design and construction of sustainable buildings centering around these fundamental objectives:

-Holistic Design Solutions
-Preservation and Conservation of Natural Resources
-Promote Strategies for Reduced Dependency on Automobiles
-Material and Structure Re-use
-Increased Energy Efficiency
-Improved Indoor Air and Environmental Quality
-Innovation in Sustainable Cost Saving Strategies

Our holistic approach to Sustainable Design allows us to implement a process that minimizes costs and maximizes benefits. We investigate market-based solutions and carefully analyze the costs associated with each strategy against the benefits to justify its inclusion in the Lifecycle Cost analyses. We at VTBS have a commitment to the creation of sustainable buildings and communities. As individuals and as a firm, we are committed to the conservation of our environment and the intelligent utilization of our natural and cultural resources.