Higher Education

Mount Saint Mary’s University is an independent, Catholic, liberal arts university with two historic campuses in Los Angeles, California.  The University’s 2015 Campus Plan is a strategy to develop its physical assets and resources to accommodate its established Undergraduate student body on the 56-acre Chalon campus in Brentwood, and its growing Graduate and accelerated Undergraduate programs, including its Weekend College and On-Line programs, on the 15-acre Doheny campus in downtown Los Angeles.  

The 2015 Campus Plan addresses each campus individually, identifying sites for new facilities and functions while taking into account the many functions, activities and needs that are shared between the two campuses.  Above all, the Plan is a coherent scheme that supports and promotes Mount Saint Mary’s “One University, Two Campuses” approach to higher education. 

A major new facility on each campus formed the structure of the Plan.  The Wellness Pavilion on the Chalon campus is conceived as a two-level facility built into the existing hillside.  It is designed to provide space for psychological and health services, fitness facilities and athletic facilities for both organized and informal recreational activities.  Also on the Chalon campus, a multi-purpose theater/performance space is planned adjacent to existing music and art facilities.  On the Doheny campus, a new building on a recently-acquired 1.7-acre parcel directly adjoining the existing campus, allowing space for academic, administrative and student-life uses, including a new dining facility and below-grade parking.

Located one block from the historic and iconic Capitol Records building, the Yucca Hollywood is a new 30-story mixed-used project that will bring 269 residential units and 7,760 SF of commercial/restaurant space to Hollywood. A five-story podium base, clad primarily in solid panels and glass, establishes the project’s clean contemporary design while containing retail space, resident lobby and parking structure. A series of landscaped outdoor amenity areas, including a spacious pool terrace, sits atop the podium at the fifth level where residents will overlook the surrounding city views. A multi-colored glass tower steps back from the podium on all four sides and features an array of varied balcony cutouts and projections to create patterns that ripple across the facades and provides a sense of vibrancy. 

Designed for Caruso Affiliated, Excelsior is the mixed-use condominium component of the Americana at Brand Shopping Center in Glendale. To create this six-story building with ground-floor retail, recreational amenities on the second level, and 100 luxury condominium units above, our design team worked with the City of Glendale on an alternative means and methods approach to the building code to enable the use of more cost-effective Type III construction. The result is a unique living situation within an exciting retail environment.

This 60 unit multi-family affordable rental housing project is a catalyst to the redevelopment of downtown Downey. AC Martin worked closely with the developer and city to establish parameters for higher density housing which will be applied throughout the downtown specific plan. This project draws upon numerous funding sources and is targeted for LEED Silver. The building’s design is inspired from examples of mid-century modern architecture found in Downey and within the downtown area. The step down of the building along the front facade provides a terrace offering residents views of the city as well as an arable garden.

This replacement building includes six libraries - Arts and Letters; Science and Technology; Business and Economics; Music; Education; Film and Television. Each library occupies a distinct location marked by a unique portal. Every portal is a symbolic representation of the disciplines. 

The library was planned to be readily understandable, with an inviting entry leading to circulation desk, reference desk, quick look-up stations and elevators and stairs to allow easy access to upper floors. 

The building was conceived as the intellectual heart of the campus—a place where knowledge is plentiful and easily accessible.

URBNMRKT, a grab ‘n’ go deli and future bar, occupies the former loading dock of a four-story building that now houses the University of Southern California's (USC) administrative offices. Fronting Grand Avenue in downtown Los Angeles and occupying three truck bays and 7,000 SF, this new urban-chic hangout has its roots deeply grounded in its industrial/operational history while its furnishings and interior design maintain a home-grown, modern vibe. Exposed stainless steel clad walls and fixtures, doors and the bar are juxtaposed by warm bamboo strand board wall panels. Custom-designed leather lounge chairs and ottomans are paired with off-the-shelf tables and bar stools with hand-painted legs. Simple glowing bulbs in custom steel armatures hang from the 18-foot ceiling, which was painted white to mask the old ducts, conduit and pipes.

The kitchen features a custom light installation as its primary source of light, spelling out “URBNMRKT” with stick fluorescent fixtures on the ceiling. The graphics throughout the space are hand spray painted stencils, further authenticating the urban industrial look and feel. In the rear of the space a continuous angled mirror reflects the huge graphic along the storefront. Beneath the mirror, three dock levelers were maintained and repurposed as leather booths, featuring the original dock leveler number stenciled on the diamond plate hanging over each booth.

With the original roll-down doors in place acting as security shutters at night, the new storefront wall is recessed, forming alcoves into which German biergarten tables are nestled amidst potted plants along the street.

This establishment not only continues USC’s drive to provide excellent amenities and first-rate dining options for its student and faculty but showcases the possibility of bringing in patrons from surrounding neighborhoods. This new model of authentic, non-corporate, home-grown design along with first-rate food and beverage offerings is a success for the students, university and local community alike.

This 25-story, 950,000 SF office building occupies one full city block in downtown Sacramento and is located directly across the street from the City Hall and Cesar Chavez Plaza.  The building serves as headquarters for the California Environmental Protection Agency (Cal/EPA) and is a project that exemplifies AC Martin’s commitment to designing great public buildings. Aligning with Cal/EPA's mandate to conserve fiscal resources to protect the environment while meeting the needs of the city and community, a highly sustainable, design sensitive building was created. Since 2001 when the building was occuppied, it has received many awards. It is LEED®-EB Platinum certified and the most energy efficient high rise in the nation according to Energy Star (2003). Additionally, the owner saves as much as $1 million annually on operating expenses (compared to buildings of similar size and function). Goals that were achieved through the design of this building include transforming and revitalizing Sacramento’s downtown civic core, increasing employee efficiency through consolidation, and improving employee health and well-being by providing fresh air and natural light.

The tower’s 28,000 SF rectangular floors are aligned to take advantage of sunlight. South side windows have overhangs and north side windows are larger allowing extra light into the building. A 30 KW array of photo-voltaic (PV) panels on the roof of the eighth floor reduce the building’s demand for power. The HVAC system feeds 100% fresh air to each floor of the building, improving both indoor air quality and energy efficiency.  Super-high efficiency and low-polluting task lights are combined with overhead lighting and motion/light sensors ensure that lights and power are used only when needed. Amenities include a child care center, public access library, auditorium, multi-purpose board hearing rooms and administrative law judge hearing room. A public art component was included in the project: four major pieces were created by internationally known artists.

The Hall of Justice Repair and Reuse Project is a renovation and upgrade of an existing County of Los Angeles building located in downtown Los Angeles. The 335,000 SF project features 308,000 SF of office space equipped with entirely new mechanical, electrical and plumbing systems that tie back into the existing central plant.

The Hall of Justice was originally built in 1925, and closed because of seismic damage from the 1994 Northridge earthquake. Historical renovations include extensive cleaning of the exterior granite and restoration of the marble-clad grand lobby and loggia. The original elevator cabs were refurbished and installed into the new elevators. In addition, the historic staircases along with one of the courtrooms and law libraries were preserved and restored to their former condition. The jail cells, which used to reside on the upper floors, were removed in order to accommodate functioning office space. The project goal was to restore the Hall of Justice as a landmark for the downtown Los Angeles Civic Center.

The design for the Library and Learning Center on the campus of Rio Hondo College, is a response to the building program, the master plan for the college, the site topography and natural amenities of the area. The new structure was also designed to seamlessly blend with the context and character of the existing campus.

The campus master plan anticipated a significant entry for the building on axis with the existing lower quad. The building entry is on this axis and was developed as a visible beacon, both during daylight hours and at night. This main entry leads to a two-story, day lit, atrium space. Within the atrium is a resin “curtain,” rising two stories within the space. The curtain adds a tremendous amount of interest to the space, as well as aiding noise control from the atrium into the library. The curtain also helps to define the periodical reading space located directly behind it to the south. 

Both floors are organized by a main corridor, or boulevard. On the library floor the curving clerestory lit boulevard ends in a grand reading room with views to spectacular landscapes to the west and north. The south facing stacks and reading spaces respond to the organic nature of the topography with a gently curving glass wall that takes advantage of the views and daylight. This space has a sloped ceiling with exposed structure to create a dramatic sense of place.