Compositional Basics A street-oriented courtyard is defined by a heavy masonry base anchoring a second story set back with an open-air passageway
Light and Shadow Courtyard space is defined by a surrounding masonry arcade; Second story sets back to allow for an upstairs open-air walkway; Tall floor-to-floor dimension allows for tall openings and enhanced interior views of surrounding mountains; Building is modulated to create a cluster of spaces versus one large building mass.
Hierarchy Material hierarchy (masonry, plaster, paving materials); Spacial hierarchy (courtyard as primary elemen—both private and publict; retail on ground level with arcades as secondary element; office on second level as tertiary element set back via open-air walkway);
Indoor-Outdoor Entire space is oriented around the central courtyard; Couryard functions as an outdoor lobby—all spaces are accessed directly from the exterior; Interior spaces are oriented towards the courtyard and the surroundiing mountain views;
Materialality With the use of quality materials (carefully selected full brick, colored concrete, smooth-troweled plaster, wrought iron, and landscaping) a simple traditional composition creates lively and pleasant working environment
Scale Fourteen foot ceilings are proportioned with two foot continuous transoms, eight foot doors and windows, and a ten foot surrounding arcade. The Courtyard acts as a foreground element that sets the building back, masking its overall 35 foot height.
Population The courtyard is meant to engage the surrounding district; and by plaicng it directly on the corner the entire district is invited to participate
The Village Courtyard, in the Village section of Glendora, is a Mixed-Use project combining retail and office occupancies surrounding a common courtyard. The all-new construction was intended to harmonize with the more historic aspects of the Village, borrowing heavily from early 19th century block commercial vocabularies. The workplace environments, however, were intended to capitalize on the latest in comfort, energy efficiency, natural lighting, and neighborhood connection.
Site Plan The site plan owes much of its identity to the fact that the property is a corner lot. By placing the main massing of the building to the south and east property lines (against the existing building to the south and an alleyway to the east) in an ‘L’ configuration, a courtyard is created bound on two sides by building, and on the remaining sides by street and sidewalk. This siting provides not only a unique environment for the building’s visitors and occupants, but engages and enhances the entire intersection.
This arrangement also provides two additional, and critical, characteristics: First, the courtyard acts as a sound buffer to the Meda and Glendora Avenue intersection. Nearly all upstairs office occupants are afforded the light and visibility traditionally associated with a corner office building, but with the serenity and quiet of an open-air interior courtyard. Secondly, by placing the building back from the corner, and surrounding the second floor with an open-air walkway, its 35 foot height is diminished and appears wholly compatible with the neighborhood two-story facades. This massing also acts to open and broaden the entire intersection, creating a space which connects to the larger community.