For the past three days, we have been fortunate to be a part of Design Connections Education 2016, a conference which brings together leaders, analysts, experts, architects, and designers in the educational industry for presentations and discussions about current trends and future innovations in the field. We thank Interiors & Sources and its partner nGage Events for putting together this great summit and providing all the attendees with the chance to connect and learn!
Magnolia Santa Ana - Professional Photography
We just got back photos of the recently completed Magnolia Public Schools - Santa Ana, a new 750-student charter school designed by Berliner Architects. This two-story, 55,000SF school serves grades K-12 for Magnolia Public Schools.
Photography by Tom Bonner
Berliner Named 2016 Best of Year Finalist by Interior Design
Interior Design magazine has named Berliner Architects as a finalist for the 2016 Best of Year Award! The Best of Year award has, for the past eleven years, highlighted the latest and greatest in architectural, interior, and product design in a variety of categories. This year, Berliner has been shortlisted for the Institutional Design category in recognition of our work on Temple Beth Sholom. We would like to sincerely thank Interior Design Magazine for considering us for this honor, as well as the entire team that worked with us on Temple Beth Sholom. We offer our sincerest congratulations to all the other talented designers and firms likewise nominated for a BoY Award!
Berliner Celebrates 20 Years!
Berliner Architects is proud to celebrate 20 years! Last night, we hosted an open house at our office, inviting colleagues, friends, and family to join us in commemorating this incredible milestone for our firm. We sincerely thank everyone who has made the past twenty years possible—and we hope to continue making Every Space Count for at least twenty more!
Ribbon Cut at Magnolia Santa Ana!
Our team was delighted to join faculty, parents, students, and more at the official ribbon cutting ceremony of Magnolia Public Schools' Santa Ana campus last Friday! Designed to cultivate learning in a safe, community-oriented space, this school is expected to serve up to 750 K-12 students at a time. We thank Magnolia Public Schools for this opportunity to help create an innovative learning environment, and we wish students and faculty the best of luck in their new campus!
Berliner at the 2016 Culver City Art Walk
Berliner Architects was proud to be a part of this year's Culver City Art Walk! Intended to introduce the public to Culver City's growing art scene, Art Walk is an annual event where visitors can take a free self-guided tour of the many design firms and art galleries located in the Arts District. Aside from perusing these galleries, visitors can also view a number of musical and dance performances, engage in interactive experiences, and enjoy special offerings at several local restaurants.
As one of the many creative offices in the Arts District, we were opened to the public as part of the Art Walk to exhibit works by local artists Juhn Kwon, Stanley Felderman, and Emma Berliner. Models of our past projects, including academic centers like Pierce College and institutional buildings like the Temple Beth Sholom, were also put on display for our guests. Meanwhile, our parking lot was briefly transformed into a concert venue!
Heart of Los Angeles is an organization dedicated to providing academic, arts, and athletics programs to the under-served children of our city. The rock group First Aid, supported by HOLA's music program, played a concert in front of our office as part of the Art Walk. We were delighted to host HOLA's musicians, as we are currently designing their Lafayette Park Facility, which will include ensemble rooms to house HOLA's Youth Orchestra of Los Angeles.
We were thrilled to see everyone who came out for the day's events, and look forward to next year's Art Walk!
Temple Beth Sholom wins 2016 AIA|OC Award!
We are super excited to announce that our recently completed project Temple Beth Sholom won an AIA|OC Merit Award. Richard Berliner, Minah Yeo and Kai Telless accepted the award for the team last week at the Marine Institute in Dana Point. It was a wonderful event and we'd like to thank our clients at Temple Beth Sholom and the entire team who helped us create an award winning space!
Photos by Benny Chan
XQ Super School Winners Announced!
Berliner Architects is part of a Core Planning Team of educators and consultants whose proposal to create a provocative learning environment was awarded a $10-million challenge grant from XQ: The Super School Project.
The grant award recognizes a developing, collaborative vision to redefine the curriculum, technology, and space of Southern California’s Vista High School to create a new center of rigorous student learning and empowerment, to be called Vista Challenge High School (VCHS).
The proposal, which builds upon innovative changes already underway at the North San Diego-area public high school, is one of 10 chosen throughout the United States by XQ: The Super School Project jury. More than 1,000 applicants vied for XQ’s inaugural prize, which was announced this week in Washington, DC. “You are showing the country what a 21st-century school looks like,” said President Barack Obama, as he congratulated the winning teams.
Quarterly Newsletter
Last week we sent out the Berliner Quarterly Newsletter! Follow the link below to see the full thing! and if you didn't receive the email in your inbox sign up below!
Alliance East Los Angeles's MPR Room Construction!
The multi purpose room at Alliance for College Ready School's new East Los Angeles Campus will accommodate both the DSA approved High School as well as the Middle School that share a space on this tight urban lot. The MPR room becomes a focus of the campus with its large over hanging roof and floor to ceiling glass windows, watching the construction on this has been so much fun, check out these progress photos we've taken along the way!
New Renderings Developed for NOVA Santa Ana
New renderings have been developed for our work at NOVA Academy Santa Ana, due to open this Fall. Located in a prominent location across from Santa Ana City Hall, the future home of NOVA Academy is a 4 story office building that Berliner has been charged with converting to a hi-tech charter school serving students from surrounding low-income neighborhoods.
Berliner completed a through code analysis process, determining the extent of the upgrades required to convert the occupancy classification from B (offices) to E (Educational). This work includes additional means of egress, fire-rating of corridors, and structural upgrades.
Originally built in 1981 with a "pre-Northridge" steel moment frame system, the building requires an extensive seimic strengthening as a result of the change of occupancy. To this end, Berliner and our team of consultants evaluated a diverse range of strategies, ultimately landing on an innovative fluid damper retrofit system. This approach will alleviate the need to enlarge the foundations, saving valuable time and resources.
Additionally, the renovation will fully update and modernize the facilities - including a fitness center and student resources hub. Brand new IT and A/V infrastructure, combined with a vibrant and exciting environment that Berliner can provide, will ensure that NOVA Academy's mission to prepare students for the rigors and challenges of college will be fulfilled.
Magnolia Santa Ana Facade!
The facade at Magnolia Santa Ana has been evolving over the last few weeks and is really taking shape!! check out the progress photos to see a peak into the construction!
Happy National Teachers Day!!
Berliner at the 2016 Early Childhood Education Design Conference
Today we're at the Early Childhood Education Design Conference in Denver learning all about innovative spaces in Early Childhood Learning Environments. What a great conference where ideas are shared on how to create the best learning environments!
XQ Super School - Semi Finalists!!
Berliner Architects working with the Challenge High School Team have been selected as a Semi-Finalist in the XQ Schools Competition!!!
Stratford Melrose - Ground Breaking!
Congratulations Stratford Schools on the ground breaking of their very first LA school!! Below you can see Richard with some of the most influential people at Stratford Schools. We're so excited to start construction and are event more excited for all their new students in the fall!
What's Inside Your Dream Classroom?
Berliner Architects will be presenting and exhibiting at the 2016 California Charter School Conference. At our Booth #1625 we will be asking
"What's Inside Your Dream Classroom?"
Please Comment Below with your thoughts!
LACAN Ground Breaking Ceremony!
We've recently been working with LA Community Action Network on a new headquarters in Skid Row where they can do the most help! Today was the groundbreaking ceremony in their new headquarters and the ceremony was as touching as the organization itself!
cangress.org/ - Check out this organization and all that they do to help the homeless in Los Angeles.
Office Site Visit - Alliance East Los Angeles High School
This week for our monthly office meeting we went on a site visit to check out the construction going on at Alliance For College-Ready Public Schools - East Los Angeles High School. Lautaro who has been leading as Project Manager for the Construction Administration for this job gave us a tour of this soon to be finished school!
Berliner Architects Holiday Card How to
This year's Berliner Architects Holiday Card is an origami card! (don't worry if you didn't get one you can still make this with any 5x7 paper, but please email us so you're on next years list! KaiT@berliner-architects.com )
Below is the instructional video to help you if you got a little stuck in folding!
Please leave comments with your success, we want to see everyones origami!