Posted by Derek Leavitt on Fri, Jul 10, 2009 @ 12:40 PM

The Fashion Square Car Wash remodel is a project that we've had in our office since early 2007. And just as the real estate market has transformed so much in these last few years, so too has the scope of this remodel fluctuated from medium to large to small; finally landing back at a happy medium.
We thought there was value in sharing this architecture process with you. So, instead of the typical approach of only showing finished project photos, we decided to provide a deeper look into the project - from concept to construction and, finally completion (in August 2009).
In the next few months, we're going to go back through our sketches, drawings and construction photos and post the process to a project blog. Although the blog is still being completed, we're off to a good start.
Check it out.
Posted by Derek Leavitt on Thu, Feb 26, 2009 @ 12:52 PM
Over the last few days we've been in the process of selecting colors for the interiors of the Fashion Square Car Wash project. While early interior renderings featured colors that were primarily placeholders, now that construction is underway, the time has come to make a final decision. Something that architects often like to avoid.
A Concept for the Colors
As is typical in our work, instead of just picking something that "looks good", we strive to find a deeper meaning or concept behind the design. Since the project is a remodel, we decided to let the original building and its history be our guide.
Mid Century Modern
Since the original modern steel structure was built sometime (we think) in the 1940's, we started to investigate what colors were common at the time the building was constructed. Off to google we went in search of mid century modern architecture colors. Interestingly enough, we found many great examples of popular mid-century color palettes. Two of our favorites are below, showing some of the possible options we are considering:

Eames fiberglass colors used in their ever popular furniture.
Sears vintage paints and stains.
Common Colors
We also actively searched Eichler homes and other mid-century modern examples. Many of the colors pallettes we found from this era contained our preferred colors. Although this is a small exercise in selecting color, we felt it was important enough to search for precedents behind these selections. The goal is not to copy mid-century modern design exactly as it was when constructed, but rather to understand the history and reinterpret these concepts for today's modern world.
We should have a decision on these colors in the next week and will post some renderings not long after.
