The American Institute of Architects, Santa Barbara (AIASB) will hold its 13th annual ArchitecTours Oct 1. This year’s tour theme will celebrate Santa Barbara design, highlighting a range of project types that demonstrate exemplary design in the community.
The 2022 tour will be in-person after a virtual tour in 2021 and a canceled tour in 2020 due to the pandemic. The tour runs 10 a.m.-4 p.m. with an after-party, 4-6 p.m.
Projects on the tour include several unique residences; a contemporary cliffside home on The Mesa, a renovated modern farmhouse in downtown Santa Barbara, and two homes in Montecito that share a strong relationship with their natural surroundings.
Also, on the tour are several historic building renovations including the former Hollister Family Office building and adobe, which now hosts the Appleton Partners Studio and architectural library. Additionally, tour goers will have the chance to visit two new multi-family housing buildings downtown that offer a range of unit sizes and amenities.
Participants will receive a tour brochure and/or app with maps, photos, and information detailing all the projects. They will meet architects and design professionals and discover how design impacts art and art impacts design.
Tickets:
AIA members and seniors: $75
General public: $85
Students: $25 with proof of enrollment
AIASB associate members $25
Among the tour sites are:
» State & Pedegrosa: This .4 acre lot at southwest corner of State and Pedregosa streets, was once a gas station. The owners waited almost 20 years for the passive soil contamination to reach a level appropriate for development.
Representing the north entrance of the El Pueblo Viejo district, the desire to embrace Santa Barbara’s Spanish colonial heritage style was important. The project is a mixture of residential duplexes and a small commercial building.
Architect: Thomas Ochsner Architect
» Appleton Partners LLP Offices & Marc Appleton Library: The new location of the office and architectural library of Appleton Partners LLP, Architects is rich in history. In 1931, descendants of Col. William Wells Hollister, hired architectural firm Edwards and Plunkett to design a Spanish colonial-styled brick building with porches and open garage for their family’s office.
Exclusive to tour participants: Book signing with Marc Appleton 11 a.m.-noon.
Architect: Appleton Partners LLP
» Mayee Plaza: This mixed-use development is located in the heart of downtown Santa Barbara. The project added 4,800 square feet of commercial space, now home to the Radius Group’s new offices, and 26 efficiency housing units under the city of Santa Barbara’s Average Unit-Size Density (AUD) Program.
The building is comprised of a central two-story Monterey style building ensconced on the surrounding sides by three-story Spanish Colonial style apartment housing. Beneath it all is a partially subterranean parking garage that features automated parking lifts in order to provide maximum parking in the minimum amount of space.
The unique footprint was driven by two key existing assets on the site — the 1875 historic Ygnacio House, a recent Santa Barbara Landmark that was home to the last speaker of the Barbareño Chumash language, and a glorious oak tree that now shades the common outdoor living space.
Architect: Cearnal Collective, LLP
» Casa Anatega: a Spanish Colonial Revival-style mixed use development at corner of Anacapa and Ortega streets. Thirty residential units sit above nearly 5,000 square feet of commercial/retail/restaurant space and a 32-space parking garage.
The nearly half-acre site, categorized as a Priority Housing location under the city of Santa Barbara’s Average Unit-Size Density (AUD) Program, which allows for a maximum of 63 units/acre, was a prime opportunity to generate much needed housing. Situated in downtown and a block from State Street, the dilapidated existing buildings (a single-family residence and several industrial buildings) were a vast underutilization of the site.
Architect: Cearnal Collective, LLP
» Cabrillo Commercial Complex: Bringing new life to the beachfront gateway of Santa Barbara, the Cabrillo Commercial Complex project transformed and revitalized a neglected existing structure on a prominent Cabrillo waterfront site.
Home to an aging restaurant for 30 years, the Cabrillo Commercial Complex renovation project involved breathing new life back into an existing, deteriorating building on a prominent site.
The historic structure that had been hidden beneath the surface was uncovered, while adding improvements to create two new vibrant restaurants with a commanding presence on beachfront Cabrillo Boulevard.
Remaining true to the architectural style of downtown Santa Barbara, layering of lighting and natural materials combine to create a dynamic exterior and interior dining experience adjacent to a historic waterfront setting.
Architect: DMHA Architecture + Interior Design, in association with Henry Lenny Design.
AIASB thanks sponsors:
Corinthian: Sonance
Ionic: Ferguson/Newport Brass, T&S Structural, American Riviera Bank.
Doric: Allen Construction, Van Sande Construction.
Tuscan: Ashley & Vance Engineering, Architectural Foundation of Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara Screen and Shade, TAB Builders, SB insulate, Bristol Property Management, Brighten Solar.
In Kind: Trico Reprographics, Kunin Wine, Aquiviable, Mission Audio Video.