UCLA Margo Leavin Graduate Art Studios: A Synthesis of Art, Architecture, and Sustainability
Introduction
The UCLA Margo Leavin Graduate Art Studios stands as a testament to innovative design, adaptive reuse, and sustainable practices in architectural development. Located in Culver City's industrial Hayden Tract, the 48,000 square-foot campus represents a significant upgrade and expansion of the existing facilities, which have been a part of the community since 1986. This project, funded in part by a generous USD 20 million donation from legendary art dealer Margo Leavin in 2016, revitalizes a historic structure while providing state-of-the-art resources for UCLA's Master of Fine Arts program. The studios exemplify the fine art of sustainably extending the lifecycle of an existing structure.
A Visionary Design Approach
The architectural firm Johnston Marklee spearheaded the design, focusing on integrating the old with the new to create a cohesive and inspiring environment. Their approach was guided by four key strategies:
- Purging Obsolete Structures: Removing outdated elements to streamline the campus layout.
- Creating a New Continuous Ground: Establishing a unified ground plane to enhance connectivity.
- Creating a New Expanded Roof as a Solar Umbrella: Constructing an expanded roof to serve as a solar umbrella.
- Defining a New Perimeter Block to Engage the City: Shaping a new perimeter that connects the campus with its urban surroundings.
Sharon Johnston and Mark Lee, founders and partners at Johnston Marklee, emphasized the importance of creating a space that caters to the diverse needs of artists, encompassing studios, laboratories, galleries, classrooms, and an artist-in-residence loft.
Adaptive Reuse and Expansion
At the heart of the project lies the adaptive reuse of a 21,200 square-foot historic wallpaper factory from the 1930s. The architects carefully restored and repurposed the existing structure, transforming it into a "neighborhood" of graduate art studios. To complement the original building, a new L-shaped addition of 26,800 square-feet was constructed, effectively wrapping around the factory and extending the campus to a total of 4,450 square meters.
UCLA wanted to retain the open, industrial spirit of the existing building. The design team restored the wood bowstring trusses in the original warehouse and then used pillowed concrete tilt-up walls and a curved wood vault roof for the new structure. Glulam was chosen to extend the character of the original wood trusses into the new addition; the unique vaulted configuration was adapted to reduce double curvature while maintaining large clear spans. The vaulted glulam roof structure is left exposed to space below; they even left the wood wall framing visible at the tops of the individual artist studio walls to provide visual tie-in. High ceilings, expansive spaces and natural light support the creative endeavors within.
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Spaces for Creative Exploration
The UCLA Margo Leavin Graduate Art Studios offers a wide array of specialized spaces to support various artistic disciplines. These include:
- Individual Studios: All M.F.A. students are offered the use of individual studios off-campus in the UCLA Margo Leavin Graduate Art Studios, located in Culver City.
- Laboratories: Photography, sculpture, ceramics, and computer labs are available for students to explore different mediums.
- Galleries: Open spaces are designated for exhibitions, lectures, and group critiques.
- Classrooms: Dedicated learning environments for instruction and discussion.
- Artist-in-Residence Loft: A residential space for visiting artists to engage with the UCLA community.
- Sculpture Yard: An outdoor space for creating and displaying large-scale sculptures.
- Digital Lab: A space equipped with technology for digital art practices.
The building encompasses an array of different spaces that responded to their specific needs of the artists occupying it. There are really no boundaries in the building, students can work anywhere. The students really have agency over the whole building, so if they need dark space or private space, they can be in their individual studio.
Sustainable Design Elements
Sustainability was a key consideration throughout the design and construction process. The project achieved LEED Gold certification, a testament to its environmentally responsible features. Notable sustainable elements include:
- Adaptive Reuse: Preserving and repurposing the existing wallpaper factory minimized waste and reduced the environmental impact of new construction. As much as possible of the old building was renewed or repurposed.
- Natural Lighting: The lightweight roof, featuring polycarbonate panels, allows ample natural sunlight to flood the building, reducing the need for artificial lighting. The structure was topped by a lightweight roof with polycarbonate panels allowing natural sunlight to flood the building and take full advantage of natural lighting.
- Passive Cooling: Windowless cut-outs on the exterior facilitate natural ventilation, passively cooling the addition with fresh air. We added several thousand square feet of covered outdoor area that wasn't conditioned.
- Concrete Tilt-Up Panels: The 10-inch thick tilt-up concrete panels eliminated the need for waterproofing membranes and insulation, providing an artistic and sustainable solution.
- Glulam Beams: The use of glulam beams in the roof structure not only extends the aesthetic of the original wood trusses but also provides a sustainable and structurally sound solution.
Construction Innovations
The construction of the UCLA Margo Leavin Graduate Art Studios involved several innovative techniques to overcome challenges and realize the design vision. Abbott Construction, under a CM-at-risk contract, collaborated closely with UCLA and Johnston Marklee throughout the project. Some key innovations include:
- Tilt-Up Panel Construction: The team devised a system to protect the delicate form liners from denting during the installation of rebar elements.
- Glulam Roof Detailing: Abbott's project planner calculated the full detailing of the domed roof system to ensure constructability and avoid delays.
Community Engagement
The UCLA Margo Leavin Graduate Art Studios fosters a vibrant community of students, faculty, and visiting artists. The campus hosts several public events, including:
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- Graduate Visiting Artist Lecture Series: A platform for renowned artists to share their insights and experiences.
- Open Studios: Public events that allow students to showcase their work to the Los Angeles community. The studios are generally closed to the public (including prospective students) except by appointment and during Open Studios which are held at the end of the fall and winter quarters.
Awards and Recognition
The UCLA Margo Leavin Graduate Art Studios has garnered significant recognition for its design, sustainability, and construction excellence. Awards include:
- Wood Design Award, Regional Excellence (WoodWorks, February 2021)
- Design Award - Honor Award (AIA Los Angeles, November 2020)
- Excellence in Achievement - Educational Buildings (Tilt-Up Concrete Association, October 2020)
- Finalist - Learning Category (Fast Company Innovation by Design Awards, October 2020)
- Design Award - Honor Award (AIA California, September 2020)
- Built by Women Los Angeles (Beverly Willis Architecture Foundation, February 2020)
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tags: #UCLA #Margo #Leavin #Graduate #Art #Studios
