HomeMy WebLinkAboutcc - Cooper (ARC 10-03-2016 Item 3 - Olive)Dear ARC Members -
I was disappointed to hear that you approved 1042 Olive St. as submitted last
night. What I find unsettling is that, with the exception of Commissioners Angela
Sol and Amy Nemcik, the rest of you determined that scale was not an issue
here. It appears that you are continuing to arbitrate “good taste” by applauding
the design of this building. This is not within your purview. Your purview, based
on the Community Design Guidelines, is to arbitrate scale and contextual fit. Your
assumption that the surrounding buildings (the Ramada motel, the Budget motel,
the Best Value Inn and the historical Heritage Inn) will all soon be demolished
and replaced with similar looking four-story monoliths is not based in reality. SLO
grows slowly and incrementally for a reason. Slow, incremental growth and the
preservation of “a small town image” (an actual quote from the Community
Design Guidelines) has consistently been, and remains, the will of the residents
of SLO and your charge is to reinforce those values.
As an example of responding to scale and contextual fit, I had unfortunately
neglected to give you a graphic illustration of how this could be achieved. I
suggested the following design strategies which can be found in the building
I’ve included below:
“The first two floors should be emphasized through manipulation of materials and
color…”: Note the use of the white band at the second floor level. “…and
incorporating a 4-6 foot deep step back above the second floor”: Note how the
massing within each bay appears to step back at the second/third floor levels .
This would have provided a more pleasing transition to the surrounding two-story
structures.
Received: 10-04-2016
SLO City Clerk
Back in January 5, 2015 the following letter was published in the Tribune:
SLO Commissioner Patty Andreen wrote a letter lauding the design of Marsh
Street Commons. Save Our Downtown supported this project as it fit
appropriately into the context of the Downtown and followed the City guidelines.
However, where some of us take exception to her implication is that she and her
Architectural Review Commission colleagues should continue to unilaterally
arbitrate “good design”…the sort of “good design” presumably reflected in the
TransAmerica Pyramid located in Downtown San Francisco. Needless to say, the
talented local design firms to which she alludes are free to locate their
“TransAmerica Pyramids” in locations that are less contextually sensitive. So
what prevents an ARC from arrogating design that could conflict with the
priorities of the community? The Downtown Design Guidelines. The Downtown
Design Guidelines have yet to be rewritten to reflect Ms. Andreen’s priorities, but
when they are, they won’t be rewritten by a handful of appointed design
commissioners. They will be rewritten through careful and thorough input from
the community at large. In the meantime, we remind Patty Andreen and her
p a g e 3 g a r c i a a r c h i t e c t u r e + d e s i g n
g a r c i a a r c h i t e c t u r e + d e s i g n
1 3 0 8 m o n t e r e y s t r e e t , s u I t e 2 3 0 , s a n l u i s o b i s p o , c a l i f o r n i a 9 3 4 0 1
p h o n e 8 0 5 . 7 8 3 . 1 8 8 0 f a x 8 0 5 . 7 8 3 . 1 8 8 1 w w w . g a r c i a a r c h d e s i g n . c o m
project, which will provide a large common outdoor area for hotel guests to gather, relax,
barbeque, or just enjoy the sunset views over the city. Lastly, with the sites’ excellent solar
orientation and southern exposures, the project incorporates many sustainable and eco-friendly
design features, including active and passive solar, passive cooling, thermal mass heating, and
high efficiency day-lighting for all hotel and working spaces of the project.
Design Approach
Given the lack of a cohesive architectural context or common design vernacular for the
surrounding built environment, the design team developed a building typology that is a direct
product of exploring the nexus between the exterior and interior functions and use of the
proposed project components, in particular the interplay between the lower commercial spaces
and their relationship to the hotel uses above.
In that spirit, OMU seeks to establish a local sense of place with a modern architectural
language that will anchor this transitional neighborhood, while setting the standard for future
redevelopment in this area. In a “form-follows-function” approach, the design team took
inspiration from the very programmatic needs and requirements of the project itself. A complex
yet straight-forward massing approach emerged from a detailed analysis of the interaction
between the ground floor commercial units and the hotel rooms above. The result is a strikingly
modern and contextual rich design solution, which endeavors to bring energy and vitality to this
small stretch of Olive Street.
The proposed architecture therefore reflects simple modern elements and shapes that also
echo concepts envisioned by Le Corbusier’s “machine for living”. Simple, straightforward
rectilinear massing and articulation, which adds movement and interest to the contemporary
vocabulary, are integrated with modern and sustainable orientation strategies. The use of
materials common to both commercial and residential uses was key to establishing an
appropriate finish and color palette for the project. Concrete block, metal and wood siding, and
ARC3 - 15
Attachment 2
colleagues that they are legally bound to follow the current Downtown Design
Guidelines.
Patty Andreen very thoughtfully and respectfully wrote this in response:
I wrote (as an individual) that we have to "insist. . .on neighborhood
compatibility" (emphasis added) and further opined that "We need a real
conversation about what [compatibility] means….The ARC is bound to interpret
and apply the Guidelines. Compatibility is a key concept. This can be subjective
due to ambiguity in the language and an explicit refusal to mandate a particular
architectural style.”
So let us begin this conversation because it is much overdue!
Allan Cooper, San Luis Obispo