Gold Architecture, Building and Structure Design · 2021
The Rossmore Residential Multi-Unit
- A' Design Award 2021 Gold Winner in Architecture, Building and Structure Design
- Awarded April 15, 2021
- CLIENT: Archillusion Design
- Estimated Number of Design Views: 27,882
- Verification code A0C79347F3 · Verify this award
About The Rossmore Residential Multi-Unit
The Rossmore is a residential apartment building designed for Hancock Park in Los Angeles. The building has twelve stories, sixty-eight units and a total area of 9,290 square meters, with two subterranean parking levels. Cross laminated timber panels are used for floors, walls and roofing, making The Rossmore one of the first mid-high-rise timber apartment buildings in the city. High-performance concrete cladding panels with sculptural elements form the facades. The design follows Art Deco principles found in the surrounding neighborhood.
The Rossmore Residential Multi-Unit by Art Nesterenko emerges as a significant contribution to contemporary residential architecture, demonstrating how multi-unit housing can transcend utilitarian functionalism to achieve genuine sculptural presence and poetic expression. The work participates in ongoing architectural conversations concerning the integration of organic formal language with the technical demands of high-density dwelling, recalling the biomorphic aspirations of earlier twentieth-century masters while deploying contemporary parametric design capabilities and construction methodologies. The facade's distinctive curved fins, sweeping upward in continuous catenary arcs, suggest both the ribbed vaulting of Gothic cathedrals and the natural growth patterns of botanical forms, creating a building envelope that appears to have emerged through organic processes rather than purely rectilinear industrial logic. The chromatic sophistication evident in the concrete surfaces—shifting through warm roses and cool violets depending on light angle and atmospheric conditions—demonstrates refined attention to material finish and the phenomenological experience of color in architecture. Particularly noteworthy are the generous terraced balconies integrated within the structural rhythm, their abundant greenery softening the mineral palette and introducing living elements that will mature and transform over seasons and years. The ground-level treatment, featuring expansive arched openings that mirror the facade's curvature, creates welcoming threshold conditions that mediate between public streetscape and private residential realm. The building's relationship to its urban surroundings suggests confidence in architectural identity while maintaining contextual respect—neither deferring to nor dominating its neighbors, but rather offering an alternative vision of what residential architecture might become. Viewers are invited to contemplate how such formal innovation might influence their own experience of dwelling and urban belonging.
Press Kit
- Unique Properties
- The Rossmore Plans to be the first massive timber Mid-High rise Apartment building, to go up in Los Angeles answering to the need for sustainable design and construction practices that meet the needs of a more than ever pressed environment. The Rossmore will be a proving grounds and pioneer in terms of Prefab massive timber Design and Construction.
- Dimensions & Packaging
- Total Building Area: 100,000 square feet (9,290 square meters)
Number of Stories: 12
Number of Units: 68
Parking: 2 subterranean levels - Tags
- architecture, building, design, art deco, los angeles, hollywood, california, archillusion
- Production Technology
- CLT Technology (Cross Laminated Timber Construction)
Applications for CLT include floors, walls, and roofing. The panels’ ability to resist high racking and compressive forces makes them especially cost-effective for multistory and long-span diaphragm applications. - Design Challenge
- The most challenging aspect of this project was maintaining the historical connection to the surrounding area. Given that the neighborhood was built in an era of Art deco construction materials, the intention to maintain aspects of conventional design was paramount. The process involved paying homage to a neighborhood known for its bygone Hollywood charm; while simultaneously creating a landmark building environment that is visually stunning and sets precedence for a new age of cinematic luxury.
- Project Duration
- Hancock Park, Los Angeles, CA, USA
- Operation Flow
- N/A
- Research
- Research for the Rossmore project borrowed from the cultural history of its location, known for Hollywood Royalty, as well as the economic history that gives rise to the Art Deco movement - prevalent in the neighborhood. This meant utilizing construction methods that are cost-effective while providing elegant and luxurious details in design. Balancing an intricate interplay of form and function. At its core, the Rossmore is a conventional building with elaborate curved facade ornamentation.
- Inspiration
- The Rossmore is a full-service high-end apartment building that reimagines the intersectionality between contemporary design and art deco charm. Inspired by today's material science, sculptural design, and art scene, the building envelope was developed to follow the guiding principles of Art Deco. The Rossmore is set to utilize high-performance concrete cladding panels with sculptural elements for the facades, while being one of the first massive timber mid-high-rise apartment buildings in Los Angeles, answering the need for sustainable design and construction.
- Image Credits
- Copyright Archillusion Design
- Patents
- Copyright Archillusion Design