What’s up with feng shui these days? Is it still a thing? Maybe you remember when it was quite the interior design buzz in the 90s, which is a bit amusing considering feng shui has been around for over 6000 years. Nevertheless, at the time, a flood of companies, retailers, restauranteurs, and residents got busy arranging their spaces to achieve better energy flow. Some people call feng shui superstitious. But there are design experts who say…
Read MoreAs you all may already know, SweisKloss has been a Santa Monica Certified Green Business since the end of 2019, and we could not have been happier when we accomplished this certification. Now, we are pleased to share that Sustainable Works recently notified us that we're to be awarded as one of the recipients of the…
Read MoreHow often would we associate innovative, unique architecture and biomedical research? When one thinks about a science institution, a more utilitarian building might come to mind, but the Salk Institute for Biological Studies designed by famed architect Louis Kahn is a world-renowned center that conducts science within an artfully built environment in the picturesque La Jolla area. And if you ask SweisKloss Design Partner Abeer Sweis…
Read MoreHow many of you still read print magazines? At SweisKloss, we’ve opted to go digital with many of the design, architecture, building, and product magazines we would get in the mail. And some of our go-to publications have never had a printed version. Online is easy and interactive—and less expensive to produce for publishers—so it was a surprise to learn that 73% of adults prefer to read printed magazines rather than digital ones. Obviously…
Read MoreAt one time or another, we’ve all thought or said, “What do I want to be when I grow up?” Perhaps as adults we still ponder this, but when you’re young, and the world is your proverbial oyster, the thought is more front and center. Embarking on a professional path is made of up of many stages, and one of those is education. There’s nothing like the power of knowledge and learning, which is why we all love seeing work by design and architecture students and why Abeer…
Read MoreCoast Modern is a documentary film that thoughtfully weaves commentary and cinematography of iconic and more obscure modern homes this side of the continent from L.A. to Vancouver that were built mid-century and after. Coast Modern is also the label coined in more recent years to this specific form of west coast modern aesthetic, which is not so much a movement as it is a way of living. And while this coastal style certainly encompasses.…
Read MoreLos Angeles offers ample opportunities to stay attuned to the arts, and one way is through visiting many of the unique museums around town. With the Oscars coming up this month, we thought it’d be a relevant and fun nod to the film industry—with an architecture spin, of course—by focusing on the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures. Designed by legendary architect Renzo Piano…
Read MoreMia Lalor has been a Designer + Project Manager with SweisKloss for almost a year now, and we couldn’t be happier to have her here. She brings a great energy to the team. Her design sensibilities, positivity, and work ethic blends perfectly with our studio environment. To mark this milestone, she agreed to do a quick Q&A…
Read MoreDo you remember our blog the other week about sourcing places that could reuse our outdated samples from our materials library, and we mentioned donating to an architectural salvage warehouse? Well, we took a trip to Eric’s Architectural Salvage LA to see what they are all about. Situated on an unassuming street in DTLA, the space is massive and holds literally thousands of vintage architectural pieces from eras past, such…
Read MoreIf you are a foodie, you know the name Tartine, and if you are a baker, you really know the name Tartine. A mere tasting of their sourdough loaf could entice even the most dedicated of keto dieters to break bread. Tartine has been on the rise (can’t let an obvious pun go to waste) since 2002 when Elisabeth Pruiett and Chad Robertson partnered up, creating their first corner bakery spot in San Francisco’s Mission District…
Read MoreOut with the old, in with the new…it’s nice to clear out and refresh (spark joy and what not). The start of a new year brings in extra motivation, right? But how and where do we responsibly get rid of the old stuff? This question inevitably comes up every time we clean out our materials library (our space devoted to samples of tiles, stone, hardware, wood, etc.) at the SweisKloss office. A library cleaning “party” had to…
Read MoreWe can hardly believe that we’ve written 152 SweisKloss blogs. You can imagine that quite a bit of contemplation, research, and writing goes into our weekly musings on architectural design intertwined with the latest SweisKloss news, thoughts, and happenings. It has now become customary to do a year-end review to see which blogs have resonated the most with our readers. In case you missed any of these or simply want to read again, here are the top five blogs from 2021.
Read MoreThe Hayden Tract neighborhood is a deep dive into unique architecture if 1. You know about it and 2. You can find it (hello GPS navigation). One staff member has been traversing from Santa Monica to Hayden Tract several times a week in her spare time to get to The Pottery Studio and commented on the creative vibe of the area. Fascinated by this seemingly hidden district made up of structures where architecture is an obvious visual priority, we wanted to…
Read MoreAccording to denmark.dk, Danish design is about “simplicity, functionality, and elegance—these are the basic aspects of Danish design. Nature is often part of the inspiration, and sustainability is key.” These aspects are similar to our way of thinking and how we’ve designed + built California homes all these years. Wherever possible, we incorporate clean lines, indoor-outdoor living, natural materials and so on. No surprise we have an affinity for Scandinavian design sensibilities…
Read MoreWe’d like to think so. As you may know, SweisKloss is a certified green business; it was in 2019 that we received we received our certification, truly a proud moment for us. But there’s no resting on our laurels because being green is an ongoing effort of staying informed and making changes no matter how big or small. We incorporate sustainability into our design + construct process, but it has simply become something we take into consideration at work and in our personal lives. Recently, a group of us got together…
Read MoreHave you recently looked at the calendar and thought “How is it almost holiday season already?!” And this year will be far different from last year with more in-person gatherings. We can imagine that your home will be filled with a lot of fun festivities, getting back to traditions or starting new ones. To help jumpstart your party planning, we asked some of our staff for their favorite holiday drink picks, including kid friendly ones. Here are the recipes.
Read MoreIn our blog last week, we gave you a glimpse into who William F. Cody was as a person and how his path to becoming an architect was forged. We found that his artistry and personality certainly added to the indelible mark he made in the architecture world. This week we continue our blog about Cody, focusing on some of the memorable built structures he designed that are still standing to this day.
Read MoreWhile William F. Cody may have been known as the “Desert Maverick” who paved a design path of Mid-century Modernism in Palm Springs and other areas of Coachella Valley, we see him as simply a great architect and artist. As we researched more about his life, we learned who he was as a person, where he drew inspiration, and how he became the architect he was, which compelled us to make this a two-part blog.
Read MoreFinding the right person to oversee our project sites is extremely important to us. Construction Superintendents are at the site daily making sure everything runs smoothly through all phases of construction. Without question, it’s a demanding position. When we met with Andy Oldfield about being a Construction Superintendent for us, we knew his high energy and enthusiasm would be the right fit for our team.
Read MoreEvery so often we like using our blog as a platform to recognize successful and inspiring women in all aspects of architecture. When we discovered the beautiful architectural imagery by photographer Danica O. Kus, we couldn’t stop admiring the way she captures the artistic breath and beauty of architecture.
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