Some of our team members at Town Square Real Estate had the pleasure of going to a guided tour at The Southern California Institute of Architecture last Friday thanks to The Pasadena Foothills Association of Realtors Historical Preservation Committee. There we learned that, The Southern California Institute of Architecture is dedicated to educating architects who will imagine and shape the future. It is an independent, accredited degree-granting institution offering undergraduate and graduate programs in architecture that opened its doors in 1972 to a small group of faculty and students in their Santa Monica warehouse. The school spent almost 40 years vagabond until 2011 when they purchased a unique freight depot building located in the Arts District on the eastern edge of Downtown LA.
The purchase of the land here has been an important part in the economic changes happening around the downtown Los Angeles areas. The school underwent major restoration work that “included complete build out of the interior with the addition of mezzanines, build-out of classrooms, studios, shops and administrative offices.” The school today is distinguished by its vibrant studio culture and emphasis on students re-defining the limits of architecture. They are dedicated to finding new responses to real needs and aspirations of the world today while allowing giving students a unique experience to learn and create new ideas in architecture. The school also works closely with Habitat for Humanities in LA. Their current project involves redeveloping “neglected properties in LA and positively impacting the communities they exist within. The initiative allows students at SCI-Arc to design and help build homes on neglected properties in LA County, with a focus on innovation, affordability, home-healthy building materials, and sustainability.” The school is filled with history and amazing designs. If you haven’t had a chance to check out the school yet, we highly recommend you do.
By Torrey Felber, Marketing Director at Town Square Real Estate
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