Promotions 2024

We are excited to announce the promotions to the position of Principal of two key members of the Berliner Architects team. This promotion recognizes all that Rahel Zewdu and Lautaro Galvez bring to the success of our client's projects with their depth of experience, commitment, and knowledge. They are leaders in our firm, and we look forward to what comes next for them and Berliner Architects.

Lautaro Galvez, Principal

works with our key clients, building a deep understanding of their needs and processes over decades of collaboration. As an expert in the development of entertainment facilities and adaptive reuse projects, he leads project teams with persistence and attention to detail. Bringing over 20 years of experience, Lautaro is an integral part of successful project delivery.

Check out the gallery below to see some of the fantastic projects Lautaro has worked on.

Pierce College (LACCD) - Campus Wide Improvements

Valley College (LACCD) - Campus Wide Improvements

Sony - Various Projects

KIPP Academy of Innovation

Equitas Academy

Alliance Morgan McKinzie HS & MS

Glendale Screening Rooms

Live Audience Stages & Productions Offices

Rahel Zewdu, Principal

leads large and diverse teams on complex projects to realize our clients’ design, budget, and schedule goals. Her upbeat, positive, and loving attitude engages our client, BA, and consultant teams, as well as local jurisdictions, to deliver successful projects. Rahel brings over 20 years of experience guiding educational, spiritual, and master planning projects to completion.

Check out the gallery below to see some of the fantastic projects Rahel has worked on.

Bright Star Rise Kohyang High School

High Tech LA High School

Bright Star Stella Middle School Character Academy

Puente Learning Center

UCSB Multicultural Center

Bright Star Rise Kohyang Middle School

Bright Star Valor Elementary School

KIPP Ignite Concrete Pour

Videos courteously from EPI Construction

The two videos below are from our new construction KIPP ignite project, see more details on the KIPP Ignite Project Page

Video 1 - Pile Foundations

Video 2 - Concrete Pour

CCFC Award of Merit for IVC Outdoor Learning Classrooms

We're excited to announce that our work with South Orange Community College District on the Irvine Valley College Outdoor Classrooms has won a Merit Award from the Community College Foundation Coalition (CCFC).

Jurors said "This project celebrates an outdoor space with a unique approach that is very well designed."

San Manuel Band of Mission Indians East Reservation School Design Competition

Berliner Architects recently competed in a design-build competition for the San Manuel Band of Mission Indians East Reservation School. We developed a schematic design for a new school for the San Manuel Band of Mission Indians, a federally recognized tribe of Serrano people in San Bernardino County, with Oltmans Construction. The design was inspired by desert landscapes and features a central classroom “canyon”, playfield “meadow”, and a gathering space with an amphitheater.

Starting at the school entry, one would arrive at a welcoming plaza in front of the administration building, where students would be welcomed by their teachers and brought through the portal into the protected courtyards and classroom canyons that gently slope higher and higher up the hill.

The MPR is on the right, a large outdoor amphitheater straight ahead, and the view of the valley and mountains beyond are to the left. Surrounded by native landscape, seating, and spaces to hang out, play, and learn, the MPR faces the views to the west with a deep sheltering canopy and operable glass walls that join the inside and outside.

Moving past the outdoor amphitheater, you reach the kindergarten play yard that is outside the first of three classroom buildings. All the classrooms are built with colorful rammed earth walls with deep openings for doors and windows and a green roof that blends into the surrounding hillsides. Moving up through the classroom canyon, outdoor learning spaces lead into each classroom with an operable glass wall that can be used on nice days to optimize the connection to the natural environment.

At the top of the classroom canyon is the older kids’ playground with equipment integrated into the landscape such as the slide that parallels the hillside. As you rise out of the classroom canyon, you reach a verdant green field that overlooks the school and valley beyond. The experience of entering the secure courtyard and rising through the classroom canyons provides a safe and engaging learning environment that immerses students and teachers in the natural world - a proven way to better learning and retention.

LAUSD Outdoor Learning Environments

Berliner Architects is currently working on the Design Guidelines for Los Angeles Unified School District’s Outdoor Learning Environments.

LAUSD already has a number of Outdoor Learning Environments on their campuses, though not all have the right furniture, fixtures, equipment, or landscaping to function properly as classrooms.

At the start of the process, we reviewed documents provided by LAUSD that outlined Lessons Learned from the installation of previous Outdoor Learning Environments and the district’s best practices.

We then visited existing LAUSD Outdoor Learning Environments and were able to see first-hand what worked and did not work for the District. We visited Carthay Elementary School and Eagle Rock Elementary School in November 2022 and spoke with the staff and administrators at the schools about their OLE’s.

Eagle Rock Elementary

Carthay Elementary School

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From these site visits, we determined a number of Must Haves and Nice to Haves for the new design guidelines:

Must Haves:

• Critical to have information on underground utilities ahead of time

• Large high-value shade trees need substantial rootzone areas to provide substantial shade. Avoid utility conflicts which can limit available rootzones and potential locations for planting

• General Shade (Natural and/or Man-made)

• Storage

• Hand Watering

• Quick couplers are not used by staff. A hose bibb with removable handle or in locked box would be preferable

• Pavers are a good solution for permeable pavements

• Proximity to existing buildings

• Clear lines of sight into the OLE from other parts of the yard

• Durable irrigation systems and localized controls

• Low maintenance plantings for shade and curriculum resources

• Table and Seats with shade

• Less distraction / Noise

• Large introductory information panel

• Power and data, access to school wi-fi network

• Confirm ability to hear school PA, Fire Alarm, and School Bell and that minimum Db levels are met.

• ADA accessible Path of Travel and access to: washrooms, water fountains, and beyond to the main administration office, and parking areas.

Nice to Haves:

• Black Board and storage; storage is required to have resources readily available

• High Table for teachers to use as demonstration would be great

• Providing Steppingstones for kids would be nice for both areas of DG or planting while conforming to ADA access somehow.

• Provide elements for self-directed activities as opposed to instruction only activities, kids like to dig, build and play in outdoor classroom and gardens independently

• Lower stumps and logs placed closer together for kids to play on safely

• Work/ demonstration bench with sink, and connections to nearby water supply and drainage.

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Site Evaluations

We developed a Site Planning Matrix to help schools determine the best sites for their new Outdoor Learning Environments. The Site Planning Matrix is to be used at the beginning of the site selection phase by the entire design team, including the LAUSD project manager, the architect of record, and the landscape architect. The process should be explained to the school’s stakeholder group and this group should be part of the discussion around the “initial site selection” process. It is advised that between 5-10 sites be initially selected per Greening Index to go through the evaluation process to weigh the pros and cons of each site and select the most appropriate site that will meet the goals of the program.

The design team shall go through each category and assign a weighted point value for each category per site, with 10 being the highest. The highest score a site can get is 90 points. In certain instances, a score of 0 can nullify a site, such as if the site contains a fire lane or is potentially impassible, hazardous, or cost prohibitive. The design team should use their judgment during the initial site selection to limit the possibilities to only viable sites.

The matrix table should be filled out and shared with the stakeholder group for discussion. Only the sites in the top three top point values should be considered for selection and nominated for final approval.

Site Planning Matrix Criteria

1. Fire Lanes/Circulation Disruption

2. Path Of Travel/Restroom Access

3. Adjacency To Buildings/Classrooms

4. Visibility To Ole

5. Existing Shade

6. Acoustics/Adjacency To Noise

7. Utilities Power/ Data/Water/Irrigation

8. Soils Analysis/Permeability

9. Removing Portables

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LAUSD Concept Classrooms

LAUSD had developed preliminary concept classroom designs exploring potential different uses and designed to fit within the footprint of a removed portable classroom. The concept classroom designs were created with the idea that the OLEs would replace existing portable classrooms on campus and be comprised of two or three distinct areas within the site. With this concept in mind, we developed six classroom types that could be chosen based on the individual school’s curriculum and needs, each with variations that could be combined with a service connector to create a variety of OLEs.

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Classroom Types

There are six classroom types and a service connector that can be combined into a multitude of outdoor learning environments:

• Service Connector

• Type “A” Outdoor Classroom - Group Learning Area

• Type “B” Outdoor Classroom - Performance Area

• Type “C” Learning Lab - Habitat Planting Area

• Type “D” Learning Lab - Raised Planter Area

• Type “E” Learning Lab - Micro Forest

• Type “F” Learning Lab - Active Play Area

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Service Connector

The Service Connector joins the different learning environments providing centralized utilities including power, data, and irrigation controls. Each connector also has a storage space and an island counter with two sinks where students can gather for demonstrations.

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Type “A” - Outdoor Classroom - Group Learning Area

The Group Learning Area is an outdoor learning environment where students can collectively gather and learn in a classroom or collaborate in smaller groups surrounded by a natural, planted backdrop. The Group Learning Area is set upon a durable and permeable surface and is shaded (via a shade canopy or natural trees), facilitating year-round use. The Outdoor Classroom is fully equipped with Wi-Fi, electrical outlets, a blackboard, and nearby storage.

The Group Learning Area accommodates seating for up to 32 students.

The learning environments can be configured in different ways depending on the specifics of the site and the landscape aesthetics. The square-shaped spaces are a diagrammatic model for how to layout the spaces but these examples demonstrate how the model can be manipulated but still provide the required program elements.

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Type “B” - Outdoor Classroom - Performance Area

The Performance Area offers an outdoor learning environment for student performances and presentations within a natural setting. This space also includes natural log seating and a chalkboard to facilitate its use as an outdoor classroom. The incorporation of Wi-Fi, electrical outlets, and nearby storage allows for further flexibility of use. The space is surrounded by plantings and trees, and an optional shade structure to maximize year-round use.

The Performance Area accommodates seating for up to 32 students.

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Type “C” - Learning Lab - Habitat Planting Area

The Habitat Planting Area offers a hands-on learning lab experience where students can explore and observe plants, animals, and insects within a representative habitat type. This green education space provides an environment that supports a variety of habitats, such as native or pollinator.

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Type “D” - Learning Lab - Raised Planted Area

The Raised Planter Area offers a hands-on learning lab experience where students can explore and tend to curriculum-selected plants within raised planted boxes. the raised planter area is surrounded by and in-ground habitat planting area that provides an additional learning environment.

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Type “E” - Learning Lab - Micro Forest

The Micro Forest is an outdoor learning environment that encourages habitat exploration within an area that is densely planted with a variety of trees and plants. carious seating is provided within the Micro Forest to support its use as a peaceful reading area or as a space for quiet reflection.

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Type “F” - Learning Lab - Active Play Area

The Active Play Area offers an outdoor learning environment where students can actively engage with the natural environment through physical play and exploration. This green space encourages student movement, as well as informal, small group gatherings within a natural setting.

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Combinations

The templates are designed so that they can all be combined with the Service Connector, which houses essentials like the sink and storage shed, to create multi-purpose Outdoor Learning Environments that fit the selected sites and school’s needs.

Studio and Support Space Design

Trends in Production Studios: Streaming Shows Scramble for Shooting Space

Historically, the entertainment industry has been recession-resistant. Particularly during economic down-cycles, people seek entertainment as a diversion: movies, TV shows, and live events such as sports and concerts.

With the pandemic curtailing live events and movie-theater attendance, TV shows and streaming internet entertainment have filled the void. As tech companies such as Amazon and Apple evolve into entertainment programmers and legacy broadcasters emulate the success of Netflix by launching streaming services such as NBC’s Peacock and ESPN with ESPN+, the market for on-demand, over-the-top (OTT) entertainment has never been stronger. 

In fact, the market for streamed entertainment currently exceeds the entertainment industry’s ability to produce new content. Real-estate investors such as Hackman Capital Partners [https://www.hackmancapital.com] and Hudson Pacific Properties [https://www.hudsonpacificproperties.com/] are aggressively funding new studios and looking for cost-effective ways to remodel existing buildings to accommodate production companies’ need for studio space. The best-case scenario for property owners and for CRE brokers is to create studio spaces that attract long-term leases from production companies. This involves evolving the traditional soundstage.

Berliner Architects’ Entertainment DNA
As a designer of commercial office buildings at other firms, Richard Berliner, AIA, sought a greater diversity of projects—whether large or small—and launched Berliner Architects in 1996. “I had project-managed and designed studio re-designs at other firms,” says Richard Berliner. “Relationships and experience from  those projects led to entertainment-industry jobs being some of our firm’s first design commissions.”

During the past 25 years, Berliner Architects has done several studio projects. “We’re fortunate to have Sony Studios as neighbors and long-term clients,” says Berliner Architects Project Manager and entertainment typology lead Lautaro Galvez. “Our firm has been part of the digitization of studios from almost the onset of internet integration. This keeps us current on studio practices and gives us a historical perspective that helps Berliner Architects envision future productions and content-creation needs.”

Power Up

A common thread in Berliner Architects’ nearly three decades of studio designs is that power demands tend to increase with every project. Infrastructure is the least glamorous aspect of studio design–but one that Berliner Architects often uses as a starting point. Power is particularly important for studio remodels and adaptive-reuse projects such as warehouse conversions. The existing utility service might not meet the current demand for filming and content creation. The proliferation of ongoing advancements in computer capabilities data-storage requirements, plus the increased air-conditioning required to prevent electronics from overheating, has increased power consumption exponentially this millennium.  

This is even after you factor in the use of LED lighting with reduced power requirements and heat loads. Depending on location, upgrading electrical service to the building can be cost-prohibitive. 

A first step for any adaptive-reuse or studio remodel project is to audit the building’s existing utilities and compare with the higher demands required to modernize the building. Because green buildings tend to have higher occupancy rates, the design conversations often lead to solar-system feasibility.

VR Verses Live Action

Presently, a prominent studio trend is toward virtual reality (VR) facilities. As one project example, Berliner Architects recently updated a studio for a Los Angeles animation company. The client wanted to reconfigure existing film vault space into a state-of-the-art VR studio to explore all possible current and emerging technological tools for the company’s existing and future animated shows. This includes the possibility of integrating artificial intelligence (AI), mixed/extended reality (XR), and the Metaverse into programming. 

Berliner Architects modernized 3,500 square feet of studio space for the animation company. The project centered on a 360 LED experience, covering all walls, the floor, and the ceiling. These displays and the power required to run them as well as the computers and related technology exceed the studio’s previous electrical needs exponentially. Fortunately, the building’s existing electrical service accommodated the additional energy requirements.

A related concern for existing studios is modernizing screening rooms and post-production facilities. The pandemic has inspired a (possibly temporary) shift toward screening on individual monitors or on larger LED panels for small groups instead of in theater-style screening rooms. In addition to ergonomically integrating monitors and workstations into production rooms, Berliner Architects adds comforts and conveniences that exceed previous-generation studio norms. Acoustics are a higher priority than ever. Ceiling designs and sound-absorptive materials control noise, minimizing stress and fatigue in studio workplaces, which often have aggressive deadlines and long workdays. Flexible workspace lighting that reduces eye fatigue is another high-priority design consideration for today’s post-production bays and screening rooms. Recent projects for Sony demonstrate current trends in both editing and screening rooms, including updating a 102-seat theater with 3D technology and ADA access.

Security
Campus security on a studio lot has always been a high priority for studios, Berliner Architect’s first studio project was the renovation of a security booth to the Sony Pictures Entertainment Lot, a reference made based on our previous work on secure campuses. Movie studio’s are working harder then ever to avoid leaks and piracy ensuring nothing comes out before its ready. On the lot this includes things like access control systems, gated entries, and secure perimeters, all while allowing the easy entry and exit to the studio amenities for seamless productions. Berliner takes the security of a campus very seriously and has worked with Sony pictures on multiple lot wide security projects.

Live Audiences
Although the current production trend favors tightly controlled access, many live-actions shows thrive on the energy generated by a studio audience. Enhanced health and safety protocols will likely become part of all California live tapings, notably a proliferation of hand-sanitizing stations.

For new or adapted studios which host live audiences, zoning requirements are the first consideration. The building must comply with parking-space and fire-access mandates in order to host audiences. Further, ADA compliance can be expensive to retrofit pending the building’s age and existing configuration. Inside, soundstage space must have adequate ceiling heights and column-free expanses for staging scenes with several characters or other complex set-ups. Berliner Architects is currently renovating an 83,000 square-foot building with two large soundstages to host live studio audiences.

Amenities

To attract ongoing productions, studios need to offer amenities with 16-hour workdays in mind. Commercial kitchens and catering/eating accommodations for cast and crew are a priority. Costume/changing areas and restroom requirements must be considered; restroom needs increase if audiences are included. Soundproof recording/voice-over studios can consume additional square footage. Also, gaming/relaxation areas vastly improve morale in a studio work environment.

The upshot is that some existing warehouses can be profitably reconfigured as high-demand production space. Zoning and utilities limitations, plus the building’s existing layout and structural configuration, can make adaptive reuse for studio space cost-prohibitive for others.

Further, Berliner Architects applies design lessons from entertainment-industry designs to its school projects. Vocational learning environments for media production crossover nearly verbatim from entertainment workspaces in some cases. Philosophically, creative office environments and collaborative workplaces transfer to education. Today’s students learn more effectively through collaboration and engagement, two foundations of many successful workplace designs.

The Classroom of the Future: Creating Safe Spaces for Learning in the Aftermath of COVID 19

The Berliner Team and its “Learning Everywhere” concept was selected as the award-winning entry in the Professional Category of AIA San Francisco’s Classroom of the Future Competition!! Organized by AIA’s Committee on Architecture for Education, the competition was envisioned as an opportunity to broaden the conversation around how we teach and learn, and the environments that support the same. As we work to move beyond the current pandemic, this moment can serve as a springboard to re-envision our spaces for education. Participants were encouraged to think big-picture about the long-term implications of creating safe learning environments in terms of space, technology, materials, and more.

What do spaces look like that support the needs of students, teachers, and communities during this time and into the future? How has our response to COVID-19 changed our thinking about what it means to create a resilient, flexible classroom and school environment? What activities require physical space, and how do the virtual and physical classrooms function together?

Our Team’s Concept

To create a new COVID-influenced paradigm where learning happens safely in diverse places, we propose a flexible, resilient system of dispersed learning sites: at home, in transit, at resource sites around the city, and at a Central School Park. This educational park features ample outdoor learning environments paired with essential indoor facilities, all shared with the surrounding community. Learning locations vary depending on needs, such as health and safety, curricula, and pedagogy.  

Our team included Berliner Architects staff members Richard Berliner, AIA, Eric Rutgers, AIA, Tannaz Mohtasebi, Ian Fitzpatrick, Miguel Lamas, and Kai Telless. The success of this proposal was based on a collaborative team effort, using many resources and techniques to understand the future of pedagogy.

Learning Everywhere is the natural progression of the shift from lecture-based classroom instruction to an individualized, project-based pedagogy, taking advantage of new technologies that enable remote and individualized learning wherever students are during the day. Our design concept envisions what learning will look like at home, in transit from and to home, at resource sites such as museums and natural wonders, and at the Central School Park. These key learning environments are integrated together during the school day, for both the individual student and the Classroom Pod of 24 students. Each Pod stays together throughout the day and is led by its teacher, traveling from home and to learning locations via The Magic Classroom Bus. This approach minimizes exposure to germs and facilitates tracking should students or teachers contract viruses.

Learning Everywhere happens when students and Pods are centrally scheduled to optimize individual and group learning at a variety of learning places:

• At home, where focused individual learning is remotely supported with one-on-one teacher interaction.

• On The Magic Classroom Bus in 24-student Pods led by the teacher, both in motion and when the bus is parked and expanded.

• Around the city at learning places of special interest and subject support.

• Together at the Central School Park in a variety of outdoor learning environments with essential facilities.

Learning at Home

Learning from home is and always will be a key place of study and growth. With the evolution and growth of conferencing technology, learning from home is focused on watching lecture content and working independently where continuous interaction is not necessary. The use of remote communication technologies is limited to one-on-one interactions between students and teachers and scheduling communications.

Learning on the Magic Classroom Bus

The electric vehicle (EV) bus has solar panels on top, providing additional power for classroom flexibility when away from power sources. The bus opens to expand classroom space and maximize circulation and access to fresh air. Each bus seats 24 students, a Pod classroom size, and allows for better contact tracing of any germ exposure. One of the greatest advantages of The Magic Classroom Bus is its flexibility to travel to different locations, expanding students’ learning both geographically and physically via a slide-out classroom space.

Learning Around the City

The school day varies between the Central School Park and a variety of area sites, including museums, libraries, concert halls, beaches, parks, and other locations that enrich the school curriculum. Many of these sites are currently closed to the public during the pandemic but could safely be used by schools in small groups. The attached sample bus schedule would be in place during a rise in virus cases. For low density, each classroom of 24 kids would visit a different location to avoid overlap, allowing for the larger system of Pods to keep students, families, and the greater community safe while still allowing education in group settings to continue. 

Learning at Central School Park

Central School Park is the home base for the buses and school community. The site and building are optimized for learning and double as recreational/gathering spaces for the whole school as well as the surrounding community. At the ground level, the Central School Park incorporates a variety of organic green spaces that function as outdoor classrooms. The goal is to have The Magic Classroom Buses congregate around these green spaces to create smaller communities of students, creating a more interactive learning environment. At the second level of the central campus, teaching walls, outdoor amphitheaters, and seating allow the school community to utilize the space freely, meeting multiple needs with the flexibility to adapt the space depending on program. The top level of the campus opens to the sky and its surroundings to allow for natural ventilation and light throughout the building. A variety of landscape and seating areas is placed strategically throughout this level to provide the user with a unique experience of a park floating in the air. The design intention was to provide a safer, biophilic space in the aftermath of COVID. It provides well-ventilated, flexible spaces, an indoor-outdoor connection, the ability to adapt to different scenarios, and the importance to be environmentally friendly by incorporating different sustainability elements into both the bus and the building. 

Learning Everywhere is a system of spaces, movement, and scheduling that provides a flexible, dynamic, 21st-century learning environment that is safe and supports wellness—regardless of the ever-changing environmental and social challenges we are now encountering as a society.

IVC Outdoor Learning Classrooms

Berliner is working with South Orange County Community College District to design two new outdoor learning classrooms at Irvine Valley College. These spaces will serve as a template for future outdoor learning spaces on the campus. After narrowing in on the site, the team studied the regional context, historical imagery, adjacencies, circulation, outdoor spaces, and natural lighting of both the site and the greater Irvine Valley College Campus.

Once the site was selected, the team, led by Principal Architect Richard Berliner, Project Architect Eric Rutgers, and Project Manager Rahel Zewdu, worked with university staff to develop project goals and opportunities to address pressing needs, such as lighting, acoustics, security, and student capacity. Based on their research and meetings with university staff, the team developed multiple schemes for two classrooms.

The site is split into two classrooms on either side of a central walkway that supports different styles of learning. The east classroom will support larger lecture-style classes while the west classroom will support smaller groups with a large table for demonstrations.

Having received necessary district approvals, the team will now be proceeding with construction documents and submitting to DSA for permitting this Fall.

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Back to the Office

At Berliner Architects we love the flexibility of working at home, but we all agree: nothing beats in-person collaboration and teamwork. With that being said, we are taking every step and every precaution to get our team back in the office safely.

Berliner Architects has made it a goal to get the whole team working on laptops. The ability for employees to easily transition between working remotely and in the office is a huge benefit. Based on their comfort level, many of our team members cycle in and out of the office on a daily basis for meetings, utilization of office resources or for a simple change of scenery.

Let’s head to the Berliner Architects’ office, don’t forget your mask (although, if you do, we have extras)!

Office security has always been a priority. We’ve modified our keypad door lock to be touchless. Now each employee will have a key fob that will unlock the door without utilizing the numbered key pad.

A new path of travel within the office has been established to ensure distance between employees while up-and-about. Additionally, team members are required to wear a mask any time they step away from their desk.

In the restrooms, new touchless soap dispensers have been installed to replace the former manually-operated ones.

To reduce recycled air, HVAC upgrades have been preformed. Now, much of the air cycling through the office is fresh from the outdoors. In addition, new Merv-13 filters are being utilized to ensure the cleanliness of the air being circulated.

We’ve moved some of the conference room furniture to the open office to allow people to have small collaboration meetings at a reasonable distance. This includes our conference room computer and screen to allow for drawing coordination.

A new seating arrangement is being utilized to maximize distance between workstations. Where possible, the desks have been left empty in an attempt to mitigate side-by-side seating.

However, there are a few locations where neighboring workstations are both in use. In these instances, plexiglass dividers have been installed between desks.

Quick Implementation Outdoor Learning Spaces

Over the last 2 weeks, our team brainstormed ways that Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District’s John Adams Middle School (JAMS) could modify their existing outdoor spaces into outdoor learning environments. Taking into consideration DSA approval, timeline, and budget, we came up with multiple ways the school could realistically create outdoor learning areas. Many of these ideas are applicable to any school campus with outdoor spaces. DSA recently published BU 20-01, a bulletin that provides so flex in permitting in response to the COVID-19 Pandemic - BU 20-01 can be found here!

JAMS is fortunate to have many outdoor areas that are suitable for classrooms. These spaces range from Courtyards, Fields, Parking Lots, Front Lawns, and Tennis Courts. We previously looked at many of these spaces during our campus assessment and had already proposed upgrading these areas into more usable space. However we needed to come up with different strategies to make them suitable for all-day instruction, ensuring they were shaded and individual seating/desk areas could be incorporated that allowed for adequate distance between students.

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Structures

Different types of structures can be used to define classroom areas within larger outdoor spaces like fields or courtyards. Fencing and tents can be used temporarily while portable or prefabricated structures can be installed for a more permanent solution. These types of structures can provide shade and relief from wind while also creating a more focused classroom area. These structures would be easy to remove and return outdoor areas to their original purpose once students can safety return to the classroom. While flexible and customizable, these types of structures may not be approved by DSA for use on certain public school campuses.

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DSA Approved Structures

If DSA or other agency approval is required, there are many options available that can still be customized with colors or added features such as writable walls. These structures, while less whimsical, provide the same benefits of sun protection with the added bonus of being easy to install as they’re already permitted. These structures are typically more permanent but could be thoughtfully placed for long term use.

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Awnings and Shades

Awnings and shades can be added to buildings and existing structures to create more comfortable spaces. They can provide additional coverage to areas that are already sheltered from wind and partially shaded by trees and buildings. These shades could help extend the classroom with the added benefit of being close to building amenities. There are some pre approved DSA shades.

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Furniture

Portable and configurable furniture is an easy way to make outdoor learning areas comfortable and safe. Portable desks could be used on the ground or with existing benches or seating to minimize shared surfaces while providing a writing surface for students. Lightweight stools and seat pads could be moved into different configurations for a variety of class needs. Curved benches could be placed around trees to take advantage of natural shade.

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Class Arrangement & Seating Configurations

There are infinite ways to define classrooms with seating alone. Tables and chairs can be moved around to accommodate different class types. Markers can be applied to the ground to define personal space and ensure students are far enough from each other. Platforms can be added for teachers and hills can be used to create amphitheater style classes. Concrete sports courts or parking lots can be revitalized with sod patches to be more functional.

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Hygiene & Personal Protection

When creating outdoor learning environments, we also need to think of the students personal hygiene, safety, and comfort. Handwashing stations should be included so that students do not need to enter the school to wash their hands frequently. If outside the entire school day, students will need to reapply sunscreen every few hours and there should be touchless sunscreen stations provided. Clothing can also be a powerful defense against the sun and help keep students from overheating. UV protective clothing or long sleeved, loose-fitting clothing can help keep students cool. Hats can provide coverage to faces and necks, and looser fitted masks could be more comfortable for long term wear.

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Collectively these ideas created a “tool kit” of quick implementation strategies that are achievable on the JAMS campus before the anticipated 2021 return to school. These strategies could be applied at almost any school that has outdoor spaces, particularly in Southern California where the weather during the school year is mostly comfortable. See our full package here. And please reach out to us if you have any questions regarding using the outdoor spaces on your campus for learning.

Changes You Can Make Now

As schools and workplaces prepare to reopen in the coming weeks, there are some immediate measures that can be taken to make the facilities safer and help implement social distancing guidelines. We have identified four major categories of upgrades that can significantly enhance the safety of the environments: HVAC, Restroom Upgrades, Door Hardware, and Signage. These measures can each contribute to the limiting of airborne and surface transmission of viruses. Signage plays a key role in communicating safe practices and new behaviors to limit transmission while communicating the commitment to creating a safe environment for working and learning.  

HVAC

Specific to HVAC systems in general, MEP engineers have been recommending a ‘practical approach’ looking into implementing proven technologies that can be integrated into the new/existing equipment. Implementing some or all of them will be effective in increasing the indoor air quality.

1. Filter the air with increased Filtration which might include replacing MERV 8 with MERV 13 after filters integral to the air handling equipment. Please consult an engineer to determine if existing systems can handle increase pressure drop.

2. Dilute contaminants with operational changes such as running the HVAC system on economizer-mode before and after normal business hours to bring in more outside air and flush the system.

3. Sanitize the air with UV-C lights within the air handling equipment at cooling coils and possibly also in the air-stream.

4. Clear the air with Bipolar Ionization in the supply air main ducts to control odors within the system.

Here is a link to ASHRAE (American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers) guidelines on COVID-19 readiness and reopening guidance.

ASHRAE COVID-19 Guidance

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Plumbing Fixtures

Typical restrooms are extremely habitable space for virus and germs. The risk can be minimized by utilizing touchless technology to avoid cross contamination.

Faucets: While there are several universal touchless sensor adapters for existing faucets, these have not been widely tested in the commercial market. Replacing the existing faucets with battery operated touchless faucets would be much better in the long term. Sloan and Zurn have sensor operated faucets on battery power that eliminates the need for additional electrical work during installation.

Zurn Aquasense | Sloan

Flush Valves: Retrofit sensor operated flush valves is an easy way to make water closets safer. This one from Global Industries is compatible with Royal and Regal Sloan manual flush valves. Sloan and Zurn also have retrofit flush valves that are proprietary to their brand of products. As tempting as it may be to go for solar powered units that charge from artificial lights, the occupancy sensor requirement of California Title 24 may make them ineffective. Better to go with battery operated kits.

Global Industrial Flush Valve

Soap dispensers: If the facility is equipped with deck mounted manual soap dispensers, this fixture from Bobrick can easily provide touch-free dispenser without leaving a hole on the countertop.

Bobrick Deck Mounted Dispenser | Bobrick Wall Mounted Dispenser

Paper Towel Dispensers: Facilities are also advised against using electric hand dryers since they tend to disperse the virus and bacteria into the air. For the immediate use, it might be advisable to disable the existing hand dryers and provide wall mounted automatic towel dispensers such as this Bobrick model.

Bobrick

For facilities that already have paper towel dispensers, the increased towel use can be accommodated by providing roll towel in lieu of individual folded towels. This kit here can replace existing folded paper dispensers for field conversion.

Bobrick paper towel dispenser retrofit

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Hardware

Door handles are another big concern since it is something everyone has to touch coming in and out of the restrooms. One easy implementation is adding this pull to operate door with arm or wrist.

Arm Handle Door Opener

But it wouldn’t prevent people from actually touching this arm pull and thus contaminating it. So what if you use your foot to open the door? There couple different options for that.

Footpull | StepNPull

There is another option as well. This one provides an anti-microbial sleeve over the push-pull handle which advances after each use, similar to the automatic toilet seat cover in some airports. It is battery operated and each refill cartridge holds enough material for 2600 uses. The refills are also recyclable.

Purleve

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Signage

Many reprographics companies and signage companies are producing Social Distancing Signage package, from window graphics and floor decals, to outdoor banners. It’s an easy and affordable way to visually promote social distancing.

ARC Signage (left)

40Visuals Social Distancing Signage | Vistaprint COVID-19 Products

Here are some fun ways to integrate these signs more permanently into facilities with carpet tiles and LVT’s. Fun shapes and contrasting colors give a clear sense of directionality and zoning.

Interface A (new) Way Forward

Interface Zoning and Wayfinding

Circulation on a school campus

In our previous blog posts we discussed generally how students and staff might circulate through the campus when they reopen. We wanted to look at this in more detail this week and see, with the latest guidelines from CDC and the LACOA, how this will effect the way people move through a newly opened school. How people arrive on campus, know where to go, and move through their environment in a pleasing way are primary issues that are ever present.

When student arrive at school best practices include:

• Provide multiple points of entry to provide enough space for temperature checks & symptom screening.

• Staggering Start Times to allow for social distancing at entry to the campus and buildings.

• Use all ground floor entries to maximize entry points into the building.

• Prop open entry doors at arrival and departure times  so handles do not need to be touched.

• Group students into cohorts to facilitate scheduling for remote and on campus study.

Outside of arrival times, these main doors can be retrofitted with new hardware that opens the door automatically when the motion sensor is activated through a door actuator at the head of the door, or entirely replaced with an automatic sliding door. For common use doors, such as those in classrooms or restrooms, these can be outfitted with toe pulls on the bottom of the door so that the door can be opened by pulling the foot back. These doors will need their closing latch disabled so that the door can be opened. If this is unfeasible then perhaps all the doors are propped open during classroom sessions, and noise tolerance will have to be discussed by the teachers.

Second Floor

Third Floor

We have also learned that LAUSD has started to release recommendations for classroom furniture layouts. Desks should be pointed in the same direction at the teaching wall and a space around the perimeter of the classroom should allow for students to find their seat without passing an entire row of students.

Another area of study will be the circulation areas outside the classroom, such as corridors or stairs. It will be important to see how the intersection of curriculum, teaching model, and building layout will inform the decisions in creating this new circulation pattern. In general, corridors should be one way to limit contact between individuals. Usually narrower than corridors, stairs should also be identified if they are for going up or down. Signage will be instrumental in clear communication of each school’s new strategy. This should be simple and clear but we began to think that it can also be an opportunity to introduce color and natural patterns to the interior design of a school.

Beyond introducing pleasing colors to a school, these signs can be an opportunity to bring biophilic elements to a school. Biophilia is best described as an innate pleasure we take from observing nature and its ability to create complex patterns that our brains “enjoy”. It can be as simple as seeing the wood grain in a cabinet, natural stone textures in a play yard, or seeing the sunlight filtered through a canopy of leaves. Taking inspiration from natural patterns, we created a toolkit of simple graphics that our schools could use in preparing for reopening. We would love to hear your thoughts on these.

Research on Biophilia improving student performance

Outdoor Learning Opportunities

As we began looking for additional learning spaces on campus we studied the idea of outdoor classrooms. Outdoor learning spaces are increasingly recognized as an important opportunity for students to thrive and retain more of what they are taught.  And at this moment there is the added benefit  that fresh air and daylight help slow the transmission of Covid-19 . How can schools re-imagine their outdoor spaces (sports fields, playgrounds, basketball courts) to increase their classroom count? Can overlooked minor spaces (such as alleys between buildings, decorative lawns) be re-purposed for learning spaces? And if schools have fewer visitors to campus at any one time and not having performances or large events, are there extra parking spots that can be converted to additional learning spaces? What do these spaces look like?

We wondered, are parking lots now oversized based on current social distancing and maximum gathering guidelines?  Can the parking provided be lowered to what is  needed and extra stalls be converted to shaded collaboration-style classrooms? Can Wi-Fi service be beefed up and serve these new outdoor learning spaces? What are some low cost, fast to implement ideas to create a variety of outdoor learning environments from these spaces? We would love to hear your thoughts!

We’ve designed many outdoor learning spaces, that have specific aspects that can help with this style of learning, below are some of our projects where we created outdoor classrooms.

High Tech - Los Angeles HS

Outdoor Learning Patio

High Tech - Los Angeles HS

Outdoor Learning Courtyard

LACCD Valley College

Arts Courtyard

LACCD Valley College

Arts Courtyard

LACCD Valley College

Campus Wide Improvements

LACCD Valley College

Arts Courtyard

LACCD Pierce College

Shade Structure - Flexible Learning Space

LACCD Pierce College

Shade Structure - Flexible Learning Space

Designed for younger kids, Growing Place Ocean Park, below, is a recently completed project that our office helped design that supports outdoor learning in a variety of ways, including sitting stones, a covered work area, foliage, rocks and dirt for digging and mud play, and log stools created from an old tree on the property that had to be removed for safety concerns. The entire play area is woven together with a variety of ground textures that allows for different kinds of play, defines the various spaces, and encourages curiosity.

Growing Place Ocean Park

Outdoor Learning Zone

Often we design schools that are in under-served neighborhoods with tight, irregular sites that don’t permit a lot of flexibility of usage. Could groups of students be coordinated to plan visits to local parks and community gardens reducing the number of students on campus? Can parent volunteers help facilitate these visits?

Some further Links

Community Gardens around LA

Unlocking possibilities for more community space

Outdoor Classroom Project

Looking Beyond the Walls - Classroom Count

In our first blog post we studied how classroom furniture layouts might be arranged to achieve 6’ distancing between student desks. But how do you teach the same number of students using existing classrooms and a reduced student count per classroom? We wanted to investigate how assembly and outdoor spaces could serve as temporary classrooms to increase capacity. Studying Bright Star Schools new Stella Middle School, we evaluated opportunities to create additional learning spaces both inside and outside.

The school has 21 classrooms distributed on three floors. Reducing the occupancy of each classroom for social distancing from 24 to 12 students reduces the overall student capacity from 504 to 252 seats. As areas like the multi-purpose room and outdoor areas will be less used to limit large gatherings, we began to study what it could mean if these spaces could become temporary classrooms, how many can fit and how could we make this work?

Campus & First Floor

Second Floor

Third Floor

With this new scheme that utilizes the biggest common areas throughout the campus, Bright Star would be able to accommodate 408 students. Because collaborating or project-based learning is most effective when you are within 6’ and able to work on the same project, outdoor classrooms with their abundance of fresh air could be dedicated to this style of learning, while discussion and lecture style classes can utilize indoor classrooms. This new scheme brings new concerns that schools may need to have more teachers as there are more classrooms. Let us know if you have any idea how schools might be able to support these additional spaces.

We also wanted to look into the circulation of the school. With additional classrooms and social distancing, we wanted to study paths of travel and how one way direction and associated wayfinding could play a role in helping to coordinate large school movements like the beginning and end to the school day. Could circulation be directional in order to minimize social contact? Could one stair be up only and one down only? Could large arrows on the floor help coordinate the flow of students and staff?

As we talk to many of you, it’s interesting to see how scheduling could play a role as an alternative to how many students could be taught at the same time without fully occupying the building. It’s fascinating to hear how well online learning is going and how classes might flex by utilizing a blended learning model. Every school is different, but perhaps connections can be made with neighboring owners to allow for temporary use of empty parking lots, or even taking students out on field trips to parks, community gardens, or neighborhood walks. Please let us know how you plan to go back to school!

Stay At Home - the Now, Near Future, and Moving Forward

The realities of the Coronavirus threat has impacted everyone’s lives. With schools across the city closed to protect the health of our communities, learning has transitioned from the classroom and into the home. The importance of providing access to laptops and internet has never been clearer. Teachers and staff have had to be be innovative with e-learning and e-teachers, adjusting expectations, and nimbly shifting schedules. Parents have never before so strongly appreciated the daily stellar work teachers do with teaching our children a love of learning. We believe in the power of easily accessible education and the ability of design thinking to solve problems.

Berliner Architects has been contemplating how schools will change to protect the health of it’s students, teachers, and staff. This will most likely be a combination of evaluating hours of operation, curriculum, programs, class sizes, enrollment, indoor spaces, outdoor spaces, and nearby community resources. We will be posting our thoughts in the coming days on different spaces within a school that might change to make our schools safer and healthier.

Our first stop is the pervasive classroom and the 6’ rule. We test fit two standard sized classrooms, a K-8 750 square feet classroom and a 9-12 960 square feet classroom, to see how many students could be in the room in different furniture configurations for different learning environments. We found that the classrooms were able to accommodate half the number of students for the 6’ lecture and 6’ collaboration arrangements, but only around a third of students could be fit in a 6’ discussion layout.

As we are looking at different configurations we start to think about which classroom formats have the most priority for in-person learning. Perhaps lecture style classes can more easily remain online, while collaboration and discussion style classes should be in-person. Can keeping some classes online be an alternative to fit all the kids into current school’s schedules?

There are other qualities of the classroom beyond the 6’ rule spacing that affect health. Can windows be modified to allow for more light and fresh air into the classroom? Can furniture or upholstery be replaced with anti-microbial and easy-to-wipe materials? Should plexiglass partitions be positioned to provide better protection? We will explore these and other ideas in a future post.

We wanted to reach out to you, our partners, about what these new schedules and classroom sizes are looking like to you?

Our Partners Community Efforts & How to Help

Now that we’ve all been safe-at-home for over a month, we’ve seen many of our partners come up with creative and amazing strategies and initiatives to support their communities. Our local partners like Bright Star Schools, KIPP SoCal, Equitas, HOLA, and Green Dot Public Schools have equipped many of their underserved students with internet and laptops through generous donations and served to-go meals to students who normally rely on school, with HOLA extending this offer to parents in need.

Other partners of ours have taken to the street to help out those who might not be able to stay home, like LACAN’s installation of handwashing stations throughout skid row. It’s been amazing to see just how innovative everyone has been at this.

While our partners have been making strides to help their students and the community, they can use your help too!

Build a handwashing station for LACAN.

Donate to Green Dot Public Schools to help them get laptops and internet for all their students.

Donate to HOLA.

Donate to Bright Star Schools, who have provided 1,150 laptops to their students.

Donate to KIPP SoCal.

Donate to Equitas.

Donate to Alliance College-Ready Public Schools.

Donate to Puente Learning Center.

Donate to HTLA.

Other local support efforts:

Help feed LA Students.

Donate to the Los Angeles Regional Food Bank.

Donate to the Mayor’s Fund for Los Angeles.

Volunteer for the American Red Cross.

Buy and donate cloth face masks made in LA by Reformation.

Donate 1 mask per 3-pack purchased through LA-based New Republic.

Buy masks from Rails, who will donate a pack for every sold to essential workers in LA.

KIPP Compton Elementary School is Under Construction

Construction has started on KIPP Compton Elementary School. The 34,000 SF, two story, K-4 elementary school will have an MPR and play yard.

Our contractors, Oltmans Construction, are taking every precaution to help stop the spread of COVID-19. They’ve installed handwashing and sanitation stations at all job sites and require face coverings at all times. Additionally, they’ve implemented creative solutions such as virtual inspections and using QR codes for daily sign-ins.

Berliner studied the neighborhood and schools around the site to inform the design scheme. The site is adjacent to residential and commercial areas. Berliner was sensitive to sight lines and visibility when designing the school scheme, making sure that the street facing facades incorporated different materials, colors, and massing to give relief to the facades. The school was designed at a smaller scale to be comfortable for the elementary school students and incorporates warm, inviting color palettes.

During construction the Berliner team is studying some design elements that could make the building more resistant to transmission of viruses and germs including automatic entry doors, touch-less faucets, toilets, soap dispensers and hand driers, as well as trough sinks outside the restroom for easy hand washing. Berliner believes that design elements like these can help contribute to the safety and health of the school and its community.

2019 Promotions

Teamwork is at the heart of how Berliner Architects finds unique solutions, shares ideas, and creates spaces for our clients that are both functional and inspiring. Our new appointments recognize the valuable work that our team members have done with and for our clients.

We are pleased to announce that Tony Armer and Rahel Zewdu have been appointed Senior Associates. Appointed to Associate are Eric Rutgers and Gilmar Campos. Together, our team looks forward to working with clients and partners to improve project outcomes, adapt to new technologies, and design nurturing environments where every space counts.

Eric Rutgers, AIA, NCARB, LEED AP BD + C | Associate

What’s your current position at Berliner, and can you tell us about your background and the kind of work you do?

I’m a Project Architect, and I've been licensed since 2016. I have a background working on commercial projects while living in San Francisco, like the GoPro headquarters, and then I moved to Boston. There I focused on a lot of university and institutional work, and a project that sticks out to me was a hybrid high school library we worked on. It integrated offices and maker space classrooms in this really great forest setting. Eventually I moved to Los Angeles and tried high-end residential design.

I found that I couldn't really connect with that type of work, and I wanted something that was more mission driven. As I looked back, I realized that my most rewarding experience and I was with the high school and with the universities. So I sought out a company that had those shared values. I found Berliner and the work they do with community colleges and charter schools. It's now been over a year since I've been working, and I have quite a few projects going on. It's been really rewarding because I grew up in Los Angeles and I’m able to make an impact here.

Why were you interested in studying architecture?

I really like solving problems and puzzles, but also I enjoyed painting and sculpture. Growing up, I was also very strong in math and science, specifically geometry and abstract thinking, topics like calculus and trigonometry. I had some mentors who recommended architecture, and I found that I liked the combination of design and science, and that it was a field that requires that you keep learning. There’s always something new to learn and find out, and I enjoy that. Recently, I’ve been very interested in sustainable thinking and becoming involved with groups looking at water quality and energy. I think there’s definitely a growing community for these issues in Los Angeles.

What project have you really enjoyed working on in the office?

I’ve enjoyed working on the Mayfield master plan, which is a 10 year master plan where we identified four projects on campus when they hired us. They really just wanted one new building, but the city needed them to do master plan, and it was good for them. I think it was a good learning process and they really thought to upgrade their existing facilities and elevate the entire campus, which is a really refreshing way to look at it.

What challenges have you faced in the last year that you had to overcome?

I’ve been learning a lot about LAUSD requirements. Working with past ways of construction that are not as efficient or sustainable has been challenging, and we’re learning on the go. But I wouldn't want to be in a spot where everything was just very easy and I know exactly what to do. I kind of like just having enough knowledge to know what I don't know, and being comfortable with that.

What advice would you give to others who want to advance in their career and learn?

Really try to use every opportunity, every task that you might be assigned to. Look deeper and try to understand and not just follow directions, but to really take it one step further and try to predict what the next steps would be. Think about ways you could potentially add to a conversation and try to absorb as much as you can.

Are there other designers or people that inspire you?

Recently I started looking into more work by Enric Miralles. It’s interesting because he was practicing in a time when a lot of the software was very basic, but craft was still accessible. He would design these very complicated buildings and you would have no idea how he put the drawing set together yet. I think that made me realize, what is the purpose of a drawing? What are you really trying to communicate? I'm curious what will happen in the future how that's going to evolve, how we document construction. I think it's very useful to keep looking back at history and previous projects to learn from them.

What do you enjoy most about working at Berliner?

I appreciate Richard’s willingness to give everyone agency and trust to prove themselves. If someone wants to take on an idea, they can run with it. For example, net zero energy and zero carbon, it's something I've been given the chance to network with people in LA about, going to conferences and meetings and just trying to talk to people who know a lot more than I do. We have the chance to pursue our interests and grow. I’m glad there’s a culture that supports individual learning.

What is your favorite part about Los Angeles?

This might be a bit unique, but I would say all the strip malls in Los Angeles. The small businesses, like print shops and restaurants. It feels like there’s so much to explore, and I really like learning about all the different neighborhoods and the history of the city. Los Angeles is a place of energy and optimism and art. It’s a very exciting place to be, and I think new ideas are welcomed here.

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Gilmar Campos, LEED AP BD + C | Associate

What’s your current position at Berliner, and kind of work do you do?

I’m a project designer and I also help manage projects. I have experience working with the design through construction administration, where I spend a lot of time working with people. Right now I’m wrapping up the Brightstar school project, and I’m working on a playground in East LA. I’ve been fortunate to work with a range of people in architecture and on the job site, and I enjoy getting to know people outside of the office.

You have a background in urban design at Columbia University, and a degree in architecture from Woodbury University. Why were you interested in studying design?

I grew up in South Central Los Angeles for half of my life. I remember the riots, and for me, it was very personal. I was with my mom and sister, and we went on the bus to my grandma's house. I should've known better because I saw people honk and holding signs, but I was a kid. When we were coming back, the bus couldn't stop. There were break-ins in nearby stores, and then the hospital that was in front of our apartment complex burned down. So my mom decided to send us to a better school district, and I went to Manhattan Beach. I rode the bus for an hour and a half, and I remember seeing the city that way. When we moved to Compton, I would ride the bus for longer, up to two hours.

Throughout that time the Metro started the green line. For some reason, I would just love to take the Metro and look at the environment and wonder how so much change could happen from street to street. I realized that the way that I could make an impact in the city is through my perspective of how not only buildings but our larger environment can create a better community. For undergrad I studied a lot of buildings, but I was more interested in the homeless issue and more community-based kind of projects. So that's why I went to Columbia, and that's where I really defined who I was. I believe that architecture is about community and how we can give hope and opportunity to people.

What project have you really enjoyed working on in the office?

I’ve really enjoyed Brightstar, working on the construction documentation set and the administration. It has been a great experience where I learned a lot. I learned how to better manage the construction process and work with others. I enjoy interacting with everyone on site, from the foreman to the electricians, it’s been great to simply spend a few moments getting to know people and listening to what they have to say. For example, the General Contractor and I got along because we both enjoyed punk music, and we would talk about that. In that way, you build relationships and trust, and that goes a long way to making a better project and making meaningful work.

What challenges have you faced in the last year that you had to overcome?

I would go back to the Brightstar project, as I learned a lot after the structural design had to change. Everything was already approved, and you have to go back to the city and make sure the new design gets approved, and you don't know if it will because the connections might be different than they were before. So that was challenging, but also a great learning experience.

What advice would you give to others who want to advance in their career and learn?

I would say that you should be passionate about what you do. Be sure of yourself and treat others with respect. Simply being a good person and asking questions like “how are you” can go a long way in the profession, but also life in general. Kindness and respect allow you to better appreciate the perspectives of other people. Don’t stress out about the small things, there’s always solutions to problems. At the end of the day, how you treat others will reflect whether the project succeeds or not.

Are there other designers or people that inspire you?

Definitely Teddy Cruz. He’s been a big influence in my life and when I practice. He’s spoken a lot about waste and community, including on the other side of the border, and how they’re using waste to construct buildings. I feel that's something that we should think about when we're designing, is a more careful consideration of waste and our impact on the environment. More broadly, I think architecture has a role to play in issues like gentrification, development and housing, and Teddy’s work explores ways that we can make an impact. I also really enjoy Archigram and Superstudio, their work is really inspiring.

What do you enjoy most about working at Berliner?

I enjoy learning from everyone else and their perspectives. I believe the environment of the people I work with and the culture is really good. It’s great to hear how someone’s day is going and their individual work, as well as what they enjoy outside the office. There are great people here, and that’s what I enjoy the most.

What is your favorite part about Los Angeles?

You might laugh, but it’s the smell. If you go through different parts of the city, you experience different smells: at the beach you smell the ocean and the salt, or this great area around Alameda where they have taco trucks and you smell the al pastor tacos, or the soups and BBQ in Koreatown. Los Angeles has a really great diversity of smells that can tell you where you are in the city. I also enjoy the coast, simply driving along the water or looking at the beach. It’s very peaceful and gives me time to reflect.

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Tony Armer | Senior Associate

What’s your current position at Berliner, and kind of work do you do?

I’m a project manager at Berliner, and right now, I'm primarily working on Prop 51 for a high school, but I'm also working on several other projects that are in various stages of development.

Why were you interested in construction and design?

I've been doing this for over 30  years, and I still enjoy it. I've loved architecture since I was a kid. I went through a lot of drafting classes, the same thing everybody does when they want to do it. But then I went into the army, and when I came out of the army, I found I still had a passion for doing it . A friend of mine had recently graduated from SCI-ARC and we were at lunch one day and starting discussing architecture, he introduced me to some of his other friends from school and started giving me a network. He had passed the contractor’s license exam and started a design build residential practice and he was starting to get busy so he asked if I would join him. As his practice started slow down, I started going out to work in commercial firms. Most of my experience is really doing by learning. I tend to be very hands on and feel I get a better understanding of things this way.  I like CA, and I think it's important because it's easy to draw but not understand it. If you're actually watching somebody build, I think you learn a lot more from it.

What project have you enjoyed working on?

At one point I had moved to Utah, and started working for one of the three bigger firms in Salt Lake City. I was there for 12 years. It was a very beneficial period in my career as I was exposed more to several other aspects of the field other than just drawings and designing the building but also what a practice involves from a higher level. I worked on almost entirely K-12, but would on occasion help the firm with projects that needed help. But I learned a great deal about educational architecture but about education and the kids we educate as well. I did all the CA work on my projects, I met with clients, and over time, it helped be become more well-rounded. It pushed me up towards leadership and administrative positions and helped me better understand the practice from different perspectives. It helped me be more well-rounded.

I come to enjoy working on schools. I've done almost every type of project. I've worked on hospitals and concrete tilt ups. I've done institutional. I like schools because I think of the client that we're doing the schools for. I mean, we all went to school, and I've always thought about the process of things that I was dealing with in schools and how we can we make those things better.

What advice would you give to others who want to advance in their career and learn?

I have a couple of thoughts. One of the first things somebody told me to do is to read a spec book, which is boring. It's horrible, but the specs cover means and method, how you put things together. We just draw the wall and we call it a six inch wall. We don't necessarily get into the means and methods. I think that understanding that a little better will help you. And never be afraid to ask questions. There's nothing wrong with asking a question, if you don't know something, it's OK. Ask the question. It's better that you ask the question or say, let me see if I can find out.

In short, try to listen, don't talk. We have a habit of when somebody says something, we want to jump into the conversation. Try to listen to what somebody says. Then you can understand where someone is coming from, what they're asking you and how to resolve it. If you're constantly thinking about how you want to respond to that question, you’re not listening.

Are there other designers or people that inspire you?

I think I’ve been inspired by different firms, and different people depending on where I’ve been in my career. I enjoy looking at how other firms and people solved problems that were specific to their location as well as there parameters. I don’t think I have one particular person or office in particular, but more so different practices that influenced me at a given time.  I think the creativity and problem solving is what inspires me.

Are there any particular types of projects you’d like to do but haven’t?

I've never done a high rise building. But then that being said, I don't know that I feel I am missing anything if I don’t do one. I've thought about it a lot of times, and I really like doing K-12 and higher-ed type projects. I like doing educational things. So I would say that it's probably not one that I haven't done, but there might be some out there that I'd still be happy to do if they presented new problems and challenges I haven’t had to work through yet.

What is your favorite part about Los Angeles?

I was born in the San Fernando Valley. So I've lived in the San Fernando Valley in that area for most of my life. I’m not sure there is a particular place in the city that is my favorite, as I really enjoy backpacking and hiking. So we go to places like Joshua Tree, or up to Tahoe. I guess the thing I like about the valley is you are still fairly close to beaches, mountains and other areas to enjoy.

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Rahel Zewdu, LEED AP | Senior Associate

What’s your current position at Berliner, and kind of work do you do?

I'm a Senior Associate and Project Manager at Berliner Architects. I joined the firm right after college and worked here for 12 years, until 2012. Then I moved to Michigan and Washington, D.C., where I worked for for another architecture firm a little over a year. I then relocated to San Jose, where I worked at Gensler. And since I’ve moved back to Los Angeles, I rejoined Berliner Architects. I feel like I’ve come full circle!

I went to architecture school at Cal Poly SLO, and I loved everything about it. What you learn in school is very interesting, and becomes very different when you join the workforce. As a student you are able to be much more creative. You can select any site you want, including the Moon or Mars, and your creativity is limitless. When it comes to the real world, you’re drawing and drafting and thinking about public spaces in a practical way. I started as a drafter at first, and at some point throughout this one big project, Richard (Berliner) asked me to read over the proposal. It kind of happened by accident, but that is how I gravitated toward project management, and I just fell in love with it.

Why were you interested in studying architecture?

I was born and raised in Ethiopia, and I come from a family of five kids, three older brothers and one younger sister, so I am the first girl for the family. My oldest brother was an architect. While he was in architecture school, he would bring a lot of his assignments home and build models. At the time I was in third grade, I believe I was seven or eight years old. I would just be near him and try and help him build. I was just fascinating with the plexiglass and the cardboard. I gravitated toward it since a very young age. So I owe it to my brother, really.

What projects have you enjoyed working on most?

I’ve really enjoyed our educational work. They're my favorite clients, in part because they trust us and are very open-minded. They are usually very eager to learn, ask good questions and they're open to a lot of good ideas as well. I think that makes it very, very easy to work with such amazing people. And we learn so much from them as well. We understand that things like their budget might be a problem, but they want to see great design as well. So we find ways to serve these amazing educators and students. It’s a great collaboration.

What advice would you give to others who want to advance in their career and learn?

I am here because I've learned a great deal from so many different individuals, whether in this office or just life in general. I am eager to share my knowledge with everyone, and I intend to do that. I see a lot of great talent in this office, and I hope to share my experience with people so they can grow. My work may be a little different than the rest of the people in the office, as it involves a lot of emails, phone calls, proposals and scheduling. However, these are essential aspects of any project and I intend on sharing more of my knowledge with others.

Are there other designers or people that inspire you?

You can learn so much by even simply going to the city and meeting with planners or officials. You can inquire about how to better present your work, and how to improve. You learn and get inspired from outside the profession too. Then sometimes it is simply the people in your life you learn from. You start talking to them and exchange ideas. Teachers and students alike inspire me. My 5-year-old niece and how she sees the world also inspires me greatly. Really, it's what you decide or what you choose to take from all your interactions. I always look for the positive part of work, and life in general.

What do you enjoy most about working at Berliner?

I enjoy both the work we do and the people I work with. The culture of the office is really great. We're not very small, and we’re not too big either. We're just perfect. Our culture is more about what we look for in each other and how we help each other out. And we also listen to each other. I think to me, the energy is very important. From the day that I joined the office, even as we’ve grown, we have maintained a great positive and nurturing culture.

What is your favorite part about Los Angeles?

I enjoy the different cultures, languages and overall diversity of this beautiful city. I did not realize what I had until I moved to Michigan. You’re going to laugh at this, but it was very, very hard to find a decent Mexican restaurant in Michigan. So I cherish what our city has to offer, from the people to the food.  There are so many cultures represented in LA and as an immigrant myself, this environment has allowed me to share my culture and explore others’ as well.

New Team Members

Berliner Architects recently welcomed three new staff members - Tony Armer, Farrah Matovu, and Krisitana Burgi.

Tony brings his passion to see the project vision met. He has designed for educational buildings for over 20 years and has experience DSA on past projects permitting - he brings a hands on approach to the project from inception through construction. He has worked extensively in the construction of schools to assure project is completed as designed, on time and on budget. Tony is well versed in BIM. Tony is a strong believer in 21st Century learning and boundary-less education and works with clients to provide these goals. Tony believes in the use of the “building as learning tool” and not just a box to house students.

Several of his schools have won awards and industry recognition for design, materials, and lighting.

Born and raised in Kampala, Uganda to a family of builders, Farrah Matovu has always seen herself as a designer with builder’s roots. With both her parents involved in the building and design industry, she, out of her sixteen siblings was the only one interested in pursuing a dream in the design field. Farrah studied Architecture at University at Buffalo in New York, and graduated in May 2015. During her senior year, she was one of five students selected to work on an architectural project in Yangpyeong, South Korea, which involved delivering sustainable urban planning solutions to the city of Yangpyeong under the theme of reshaping the pattern of sprawl. Farrah has successfully completed a number of projects for her father’s construction company, (Youma Builder’s Construction), including the design of the cottage houses for the Katanga Resort, which is scheduled to be completed in December, 2020. Even now, she remains an active part of the design team as they near completion of this eight year project.

Farrah completed her Masters in Interior Architecture at UCLA Extension and Cal Polytechnic Pomona (2017) while serving as an active board member for the ASID UCLA Extension Student Chapter.

Kristiana Burgi is a M.Arch I student at UCLA, finishing her last year of graduate studies with a background in City and Regional Planning, as well as Public Health from The Ohio State University. She is interested in humanitarian architecture, solving urban issues through the power of design. Her undergraduate thesis was on mixed income neighborhoods and the stigmas associated with low income housing. Kristiana had the opportunity to work within communities of need in Columbus, Ohio and focused on participatory design with nonprofit and student work. She is a competitive ballroom dancer, radio DJ and music enthusiast. Kristiana enjoys the eclectic interests within design, and looks forward to what the future of architecture will bring in today’s urban complexities.

Space vs. Place

Berliner Architects, in partnership with AHBE | MIG’s Darren Shirai and Present Practice’s Ashley Johnson, recently presented at A4LE’s LearningScapes 2019 in Anaheim, CA.

The presentation, Space vs. Place, explored the differences between the physical spaces of a school and the emotional places and their effects on students. Place standards, focused more on students’ wellness and comfort, which can improve attendance, graduation rates, and test scores.

Berliner used Poll Everywhere to interact with the attendee’s and ask questions throughout the presentation to get people thinking about building places within their schools. We were fascinated with my of the responses on memories of people’s schools as well as ideas for place-making.