Blog: Updates on Urbanology

Advanced, Eco-Friendly Venice Home Is a Record-Setter

Well-known Los Angeles architect and environmentalist David Randall Hertz FAIA has sold Venice home he designed for himself and his family. The $14.6m sale price is the highest recorded home sale in Venice. In addition to being a classic compound of four structures connected by three bridges within a tropical oasis, the home is made famous as a setting in the Showtime series “Californication.” Los Angeles Times first reported the sale.

Hertz designed the residence in 1995, and created an addition in 2006. Its design is inspired by Hertz’s travels surfing through Southeast Asia. It is also indigenous to Venice and the California tradition of home design represented by Rudolph Schindler, particularly in its use of indoor/outdoor spaces and natural environmental features. Hertz has referenced the style of the residence as “Bali Modern meets Venice Craftsman meets Schindler.”

A native Angeleno, Hertz will remain living in Venice where he also keeps the offices of his design firm, The Studio of Environmental Architecture.

The 5,000 sf home is set on a 7,500 sf lot. It is a compound of buildings set around a lap pool, with 7 bedrooms, media room, pool house. All of the residence’s exterior is built out and put to use with features including: outdoor kitchen, fire-pit, roof deck, outdoor shower, basketball area.

Hertz is a thought-leader in environmentally conscious design. The home pioneered several sustainable and energy-saving features and materials: concrete floors and counters; recycled and certified sustainable wood; photo-voltaic solar energy system that was installed in 1995; natural ventilation that requires no air-conditioning; zero VOC paint; reclaimed materials. The home was awarded the Sustainable Living Award by the Eco Home network.

Other environmental features are listed on the home’s webpage. Assisting the sale were Justin Alexander of Halton Pardee + Partners with Tami Pardee of Halton Pardee + Partners, plus Tim Mullin of Partners Trust and Katie Pardee, also of Halton Pardee + Partners.

Real Estate Trends in L.A. 2017 -- Tami Halton Pardee, ABC7

Tami Halton Pardee, Founder of Halton Pardee + Partners, discusses 2017 real estate trends with reporter Elex Michaelson. Live on ABC 7 Eyewitness News, December 14, 2017. Tami discussed where interest rates are going and the mood in the market, post-election. Tami also pointed out L.A.'s next hot neighborhoods, including those along the Expo Line light rail.

A Year in Urbanology: In 2015 Our Friends Set the Trends

The Toast of Bunker Hill: JSPR partnered with The Related Group on The Emerson, DTLA’s finest for-lease residences. Just a year after launching, The Emerson was filled with “cultural creatives" -- entertainers, gallery owners, entrepreneurs who are the essence of urban vibrancy. A host of sommeliers makes The Emerson their home. At the center of this cool clique is Elizabeth Heuttinger of friendly-chic Otium restaurant, between the Emerson tower and the new Broad museum.The

 

Home Sweet Work: Ehrlich Architects was firm of the year. American Institute of Architects said so, noting Ehrlich’s approach to “classic California Modernist style.” Its latest design is a creative office environment that looks and feels like a residence. At elevon at Campus El Segundo, there are lofty studios, rooftop conferences, outdoor fireplace/TV rooms. Bring your dog. The office condominium project is nearly 100% sold out. Retail too. Next door to the new L.A. Lakers Practice Facility.

 

Preservation Development:40 years in the making, Marblehead is finally a thing. Sea Summit at Marblehead in San Clemente opened in November. “These inspiring homes, trails and nature preserve reflect decades of careful planning – one of the longest development periods for a coastal project in California,” said Taylor Morrison Division President Phil Bodem. The Wall Street Journal depicted Sea Summit’s 116 acres of protected habitat, preserving views and creating public trails.

 

China and Climate Change: Climate breakthroughs included the Paris treaty and U.S. and China agreeing to lower carbon emissions. The design world was ahead of them with an historic commitment among 52 design firms working in China to design to low carbon standards. Cuningham Group Architecture has long been a leader here, organizing the Themed Entertainment Sustainability Summit among the top theme park developers working in China.
 

Largest New Community, Fastest Internet:Ontario unveiled SoCal’s first masterplan with ultra-high bandwidth data. As with the Google Fiber cities outside of Cali, gigabit living means lightning-fast downloads and future-proofed homes. Homeowners pay directly through their HOA (at reduced rates). The L.A.Times wrote about it. CBS2 broadcast it. Ontario Ranch is built by some of the country’s best homebuilders, including Brookfield Residential.

 

 

  

 

 

Silicon Beach Waves: Urban coolness inundated Playa Vista: Mayor Garcetti trumpeted the new Runway retail. Yahoo moved into its new HQ. Google planned its own move. Maltzan Architecture designed the new Brickyard creative space. Gensler hacked an older building, which nabbed new tenants (including Jessica Alba’s Honest Company). Culver City expanded transit service and connected with Expo Rail. And Brookfield Residential opened two stunning, vertically sleek neighborhoods

 

Props to Pardee Properties: Tami Pardee is #1 in Los Angeles, selling over $2 billion of residential and commercial properties. And #17 in the U.S., says Real Trends/Wall Street Journal. But forget the haughty stereotype of celebri-brokers. Tami is about community commitment. Pardee Properties’ Giving Back program directs 10% net sale proceeds to essential charities: Over $750,000 has gone primarily to needy neighborhoods. JSPR worked with CBS2 on two stories “Tami’s Tips” for renters, and "When is the Right Time to Buy?"

 

Huge Explosion in the Arts District: Investor’s Business Daily covered it: $2 billion of institutional funds blowing-up the east end of DTLA. The boom included “curated” retail (as in ABC7’s Eye on L.A.) at the Michael Maltzan-designed One Santa Fe community. The Arts District became L.A.’s art and architecture center: Hennessey & Ingalls bookstore moves to OSF from Santa Monica. Hauser, Wirth & Schimmel museum opens in March a block away. Did we mention One Santa Fe took top honors in AIA-LA’s 2015 Design Awards, and launched L.A.'s largest private bike share program

 

Foodie Districts: Anaheim now claims the world stage for more than Disney. The delicious urbanism of the Packing House food hall and nearby Center Street and their creators – City of Anaheim and LAB Holding – transformed the city’s downtown and were huge hits in the Wall Street Journal and at Urban Land Institute's international Fall Meeting. 

 

At the Center of Real Estate Trends: Led by Director Stuart Gabriel, UCLA Ziman for Real Estate is the voice of knowledge in scores of media stories per year. Through its Economic Letter, the Ziman Center released groundbreaking research and analysi. Most recently, “Will Airbnb Go the Way of Napster?” detailed how the home-rental company can shift from a “disruptor” to a partner. Meanwhile, CBS2 featured Gabriel discussing when is the best time to refinance.

 

KFA: The Next 40 Years: Killefer Flammang Architects' adaptive-reuse work reshaped Los Angeles, including historic landmarks Eastern Columbia building and Ace HotelAnd yet, 75% of KFA’s work is new-construction, including in the fast-moving worlds of hospitality, residential, transit-oriented development and creative office. The firm celebrated its 40th anniversary and will soon announce bold 2016 news.

 

JSPR is grateful to its friends for an abundantly exciting year. We have the joy of working with the best creative partners in SoCal, including Urban Land Institute, InterCommunications, Greenhaus, Air Condition, Polaris Pacific, Hayes Martin & Associates, Hexa, Alexandria Abramian, Gunn Jerkins, Kulli Marketing, Salt&PR, Downtown Breakfast Club, White Oak Communications, Casey & Sayre, Mike Hoye Public Relations, Rachel Forman, Urbana, Balcony Press, Michelle Moreno and many more. Forgive us if we neglected any of you. But thank you all!

 

 

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These are freelance roles, with great growth potential. Our clients? Travel and resort, luxury brands, real estate, architecture, urban design and development. They are the leading influencers in the country and they value our work. This is an ideal opportunity to experience fulfilling projects and events, and to work directly with some of the top marketing pros in the business.

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The business-development and public-relations achievements of JSPR are responsible for multiple millions of dollars in sales and exposure, and its media placements achieve international recognition. Past successes include everything from the unveiling of the world’s highest-rated LEED Platinum building to innovative marketing campaigns for cities, designers and developers (recognized with several national Bulldog Reporter awards).

Amazing projects, people and places need our help and yours. If you have what it takes, send your resume and cover letter to JackSkelley@JSPRLA.com