CRA Sherman Way at Laurel Canyon Community Redevelopment Agency, Los Angeles, 2010-2011

The Community Development Agency of the City of Los Angeles provided grants to 14 building and business owners in the San Fernando Valley neighborhood at Sherman Way and Laurel Canyon. Kaplan Chen Kaplan was engaged to meet with tenants and owners of the one and two story commercial buildings as well as for the ground floor of a six story building to propose new facade and signage designs. Buildings included a dental office, pediatric doctor’s office, real estate offices, a plumbing business, a theater dinner club and an auto repair facility. For this broad range of buildings types we developed unique and appropriate expression for each such as the design for Capitol Auto to articulate the long blank walls of the original facility and to enliven a street corner. Exterior lighting, safety and security are also key considerations incorporated into the design of the storefront. Cost estimates and plan check documents were prepared for the project.