Sleek and creative mixed use townhouse

Abbot Kinney Boulevard is one of the main thoroughfares in the coastal neighborhood of Venice, a section of Los Angeles. The street contains a unique blend of restaurants, small boutiques, and one-of-a-kind retail establishments, along with single-family houses, apartments, and live-work spaces for artists-in-residence.

This mixed-use project, designed by Dennis Gibbens Architects, is situated in the middle of a stretch along the boulevard known for its many recent examples of architectural experimentation. The ground floor houses parking and a single retail tenant; the two upper floors contain a single-family residence. The public residential spaces are on the second floor surrounding a private courtyard. The third floor contains bedrooms and a large exterior dining and entertainment deck.

The entire shell of the building is constructed of board-formed poured-in-place concrete. Other exterior walls are glass or stucco – non-corrosive materials practical for their use near the ocean. The roughly textured surfaces of the concrete – both inside and out – contrast sharply with the smooth and highly refined finish materials, which include tile, stone, stainless steel, stained woods, and smooth terrazzo floors.

Photos: Benny Chan, Nazy Alvarez, and Ryan Turner