It should be no surprise that green’s our favorite color. Green as in sustainable construction and building design. Our objective at The South Group is to build environmentally responsible homes from the inside out—everything from recycled-content materials and low-emitting paints to energy-saving lighting and efficient water systems. Which is why we decided our best holiday gift to South residents was a gift of green: a carbon offset credit. If you haven’t heard of carbon offsets, here’s the lowdown:
As you know, carbon dioxide emissions (like your car’s exhaust) are heating up the earth’s climate. And each of us has a “carbon footprint.” It’s the car we drive, how we heat and cool our home and office, how frequently we do laundry. The stuff of life has an impact. In fact, the average American is responsible for over 10 tons of CO2 annually. Carbon credits help offset this impact by investing in technology projects that reduce carbon dioxide emissions and donating to charities and organizations that fight global warming.
You can learn more about Carbon Credits at carbonfund.org.
The South Group would like to wish each of you a happy holiday season and a very prosperous New Year.
It’s inevitable that in these final days of December we each think about what the future holds. Well, in our little piece of the world—the South neighborhood—it’s looking very bright. Luma will be completed in 2007 and hundreds more will begin living South, construction progress will continue on Evo and locals will enjoy Starbucks and the new retail coming to Elleven.
So, here’s to the future.
Head in a new direction> Just north of the South neighborhood is Chinatown, well-known by many and undiscovered by an equal number. Many of us already have a secret, hole-in-the-wall noodle house and a list of underground boutiques and galleries. For those who have yet to venture into Chinatown, you can always take The Undiscovered Chinatown Tour. It’s offered the first Saturday of the month from 10:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. You can find more info at www.chinatownla.com.
Elleven
We’re expecting the streetscape permits from the City of Los Angeles by the end of December, at which point we’ll begin construction of the final sidewalks, plant street trees and install lights and planters on Grand Ave. and Eleventh St. The South Group will notify the Elleven Home Owners Association of exactly when this project will start.
We send a special thanks to The South Group's Customer Service Manager, Vita Chipembere. He has jumped right in to keep our new owners up to date on all matters relating to their new homes. We really appreciate Vita's insight and knowledge.
Luma
Concrete is underway at the 19th floor and forming is ongoing at the roof in anticipation of Luma’s final “topping out” at year’s end. Installation of glass and aluminum windows is complete up to the 12th floor, along with partitions and other components of the interior suite construction. The kitchen cabinet casework for the mock-up units at the south end of the 4th floor are expected to be complete by mid-January.
Evo
Now that concrete is completed on Evo’s 6th floor deck at Grand Ave. and 12th St., structural columns are being formed for the 7th floor. Just in time for the rainy season, waterproofing is complete at the connection to Elleven on Evo’s north side, and excavation under the tower is generally completed for the top-down construction portion of the project. Now comes preparation for the methane barrier and any other required underground electrical or piping.
If you live at Elleven, you might recognize Amy Arroyo and her dog, Lucky. They, along with Amy’s fiancée, Jim Atkins, live at Elleven, having moved here from Portland, Oregon. What you might not know, however, is that Amy was the interior designer for Elleven and is hard at work on Luma. The couple loves the idea of being pioneers in a new downtown neighborhood, where they can both work and play close to home. And, Amy, of course, has more than a professional interest in making sure that the spaces she and her neighbors live in are both visually dynamic and enjoyable to live in.
South: Tell us about your background.
Amy: I am a Boricua (Puerto Rican) with a masters degree in Interior Architecture from the University of Oregon. After a few years of working at various firms and designing projects like movie theaters, schools, corporate and hospitality, I joined Ankrom Moisan Associated Architects (AMAA) in 1997. I designed Luma while working at AMAA. I recently moved to Los Angeles to pursue more condo work and opened my own firm, Arroyo Interior Design, in one of the most beautiful buildings in downtown LA, The Petroleum Building, which was built circa 1926. It’s only a few blocks from my home at Elleven.
South: What drew you to interior design?
Amy: I decided to be an interior designer in my third year of high school and never looked back. I realized that through my work I would impact a lot of people. The idea to make spaces beautiful was intriguing and obviously during college and in practice I understood it was more than making spaces look good. There was programming, problem solving, research, innovation and, more importantly, team work. Behind every design there is a team and how strong the design turns out depends on the team dynamics and communication.
South: Do you have a design philosophy?
Amy: Putting yourself in the shoes of your client is the best design approach. Living at Elleven has given me a lot of knowledge on how to design better for what we need in this environment. Never follow trends because trends come and go. Design with passion and, more importantly, design functional spaces.
South: What has been your favorite project?
Amy: I have two favorite projects. One is a Presbyterian church in Beaverton, Oregon, that seats 2,500 people. It was one of my favorites because there were many details to design like light fixtures, wall sound baffles, carpet and wood paneling, and the architect—Jim Smith from AMAA—was great to work with. My other favorite project is Mingo Restaurant, also in Beaverton. The best part of this project was the weekly meeting with the clients and now friends, Michael Toccini and Mike Cronan, and their willingness to let me be creative and to allow me to take their vision to reality.
South: Could you describe your vision for Luma?
Amy: We wanted to create a more modern interior for Luma. Luma’s lobby is one of its best features and it was a collaborative design with my colleague and college friend, Yuwen Su of AMAA. I think people are going to find Luma’s lobby bold, dynamic, surprising and sophisticated. They are going to really love to show it off to their friends.
South: What influence has Luma’s setting in downtown LA had on your design approach?
Amy: Downtown LA is a place where people don’t want the ordinary. It’s also casual…jeans and high heels. These places have to reflect these personalities.
South: What has surprised you about the process of designing Luma?
Amy: What really has surprised me is living in a condo. It has given me a new tool to make these environments better.
South: When you complete a project, what is your expectation for it?
Amy: The best part of seeing a project completed is that it is better than what you had envisioned. Having it in your head and drawing it on paper never compares to seeing it full scale and in color and, even more importantly, seeing it full of people. That’s invaluable.