57 Market Remodel

57 Market St served as the office space for the Studio of Environmental Architecture in Venice Beach until 2020. Although originally built in the early 1920s and updated periodically, the space still required extensive renovations when SEA moved in. The renovation included adding new shear walls alongside existing brick for seismic safety. Modern, graffiti-proof, high-performance, operable glazing windows replaced the building's front facade. The front of the building's floor plan was adjusted to include a new conference room, a computer server room, and a storage area with rooftop access. A new atrium was created underneath the existing large central skylight. That area houses a second storage area and materials library. Bathrooms were updated with modern low-flow sinks and toilets to conserve water.

The existing rear fence on the building was easily breachable from the alley, so it was replaced by a secure double-door steel fence with a grated roof. This space is used for the staff's bike and surfboard storage. The roof was reinsulated with sealing foam and covered with TreX recycled decking, and a solar PV array was installed, allowing the office to be 100% solar-powered.

Below: 57 Market Street photographed in 2015 and captured in a nighttime scene on Orson Welles' 1958 film noir classic Touch of Evil.