jensen building

orange, california

A model for modern urban planning was developed over a century ago within Old Town Orange. The historic district consists of a central plaza park with a vehicular roundabout, 4 spoke streets extending the commercial district several blocks in each direction, with an industrial edge along the railway, initially used for packing fruit for exportation. The residential component surrounds the commercial hub and extends several blocks each way. There is a resurgence of this pedestrian based, mixed-use, environment in modern society. This demand presented the opportunity to infill a void at the southern gateway to the commercial district. The design challenge of new construction within a historic district involves constraints of mass, bulk, material, form, and style. The solution consists of developing a rhythm to work with the streetscape , and timeless, permanent materials. Historically, the buildings within the community utilized bricks every 7th course, in a rowlock application. The new building responds by placing emphasis upon the 7th course as a projection, casting shadows which emphasize the horizontality of the building. The building functions as office space, retail, and restaurants which have added to the revitalization of the town. Both interior and exterior utilize similar materials and design elements for cohesion.

This project received the PCBC Gold Nugget Award, 2006, and has been published in the Plaza Review.

jensen building

orange, california

A model for modern urban planning was developed over a century ago within Old Town Orange. The historic district consists of a central plaza park with a vehicular roundabout, 4 spoke streets extending the commercial district several blocks in each direction, with an industrial edge along the railway, initially used for packing fruit for exportation. The residential component surrounds the commercial hub and extends several blocks each way. There is a resurgence of this pedestrian based, mixed-use, environment in modern society. This demand presented the opportunity to infill a void at the southern gateway to the commercial district. The design challenge of new construction within a historic district involves constraints of mass, bulk, material, form, and style. The solution consists of developing a rhythm to work with the streetscape , and timeless, permanent materials. Historically, the buildings within the community utilized bricks every 7th course, in a rowlock application. The new building responds by placing emphasis upon the 7th course as a projection, casting shadows which emphasize the horizontality of the building. The building functions as office space, retail, and restaurants which have added to the revitalization of the town. Both interior and exterior utilize similar materials and design elements for cohesion.

This project received the PCBC Gold Nugget Award, 2006, and has been published in the Plaza Review.