Category: Project

Graphic Identity System, Packaging Design, Web Design, Collateral

www.Rodentnation.com

Retail Design, Modular Display System, Sustainability Consulting

Triple life of packaging, display and garden, all in one. Bulk on pallet gives a sense of value. Added value with garden and giving to the community. Fashionably utilitarian, biodegradable, humanizing Amazon by showcasing the behind-the-scenes personality. End of use, not end of life. Upcycle.

Interpretive and Wayfinding Signage for Mount Wilson Observatory

Coming Soon: Summer 2025

URBAN PLANNING, WAYFINDING, PUBLIC PARK AND RECREATION PLANNING

GARDEN GROVE, CA 2014

The OCTA ROW bike and pedestrian path has the ability to create an ever-growing axis of vibrant street life to Garden Grove. Bringing residents out of their homes and cars to socialize, exercise and enjoy the outdoors will also revitalize the local retail scene. This leftover space is a blank canvas that can set the stage for a new city culture. A linear park that weaves through the previously abandoned spaces, creating an edgy and vibrant identity for Garden Grove. Brightly colored steel planters zig and zag through the space, transitioning into seating, bike racks, and signage elements. Native plants and the bright color schemes contrast the industrial setting while pavilion structures house a rotating program of overhead art installations that provide shade at the midpoint of the path. Lighting up at night, it extends the hours for walking, jogging, riding and socializing in the community. Upon extending octa row to the additional sections of the path, this color scheme can transition in hue, creating a gradient of color to be experienced by riders and pedestrians who travel through garden grove from one color to the next. Supported by its strength in residential community, OCTA ROW has the potential to make Garden Grove a role model city in bringing pedestrian life to Southern California.

Retail Design, Fabrication Management, Project Management, On-site Supervision

Popup Tasting Bar, various locations, 2024

Displaying MAYAWELL’S roots, forms are inspired by Mayan art and architecture. Bold use of color draws attention from afar and immerses visitors in the world of Mayawell. Visitors are greeted by an exploration of flavors and merchandise at the tasting counter and swag carts. Materials inspired by the landscape of Oaxaca create a backdrop for the festive product at the tasting counter. Illuminated reliefs carry Mayawell taglines and illustrations, and a live agave emphasizes the key ingredient. Multi-level elevated platforms internally glow with vibrant colors, boldly showcasing Mayawell’s roots.

Interior Architecture, Construction Management, Historic Renovation

Dorland Residence by Lloyd Wright, Altadena, CA, 2019

With a loving respect to its architecture, a 1949 Lloyd Wright built with “typical elements of the house of tomorrow” is adapted for today. The existing kitchen and bathroom (not original to the house) are renovated and a second bathroom is added within the footprint. The new kitchen aims to feel like a part of the architecture that has always been there. Its form follows the dramatic geometry of the house and its openness connects it to the surrounding landscape. With the removal of a wood and ribbed glass screen, what was once an isolated service quarter becomes the active, multi-functional center of the house. A mudroom off the kitchen is converted into a full second bathroom, extending the functionality of the 1,462 square foot house. The existing bath is replaced with a new layout and red palette contrasting its blue counterpart. Layers of paint, tile and epoxy flooring were stripped to reveal the plywood ceiling, douglas fir beams, lightweight concrete block walls, and original concrete floor. Seventy-year-old redwood reclaimed from the screen is used exclusively for the trim carpentry. New elements introduced are teak, brushed limestone and waxed uncoated brass that will age with the house. Laundry is added, built into the backside of the kitchen, the wood structure and concrete slab is restored, curtains are replaced with Kvadrat textiles, windows are re-screened in bronze, mismatched textured glass is replaced to clear, discreet ductless air conditioning is added and the original hydronic radiant floor heating system is now plumbed to a smart, energy efficient tankless system.

Restaurant Design, Brand Development, Graphic Identity, Packaging Design

NONDESIGNS partnered with PBJ.LA, a new brand turning the classic into innovative, organic vegan sandwiches and almond milks. The first location at Grand Central Market in downtown LA is a bright and colorful statement, highly branded down to the paper pouches that cradle each sandwich.

Photos by Jakob Layman