Koning Eizenberg Architecture’s Santa Monica, Calif., office reflects the value the firm places on speed, frugality, and sustainability. “We’ve always had this interest in how you build fast and how you build cheap,” says co-principal Julie Eizenberg, AIA. Built in the late 1990s, the structure incorporates simple industrial materials—corrugated Zincalume siding, a plastic film ceiling, and high-density fiberboard floors—and required no sub-grade work. Balanced daylighting, movable exterior shades, natural ventilation, and a roof-mounted photovoltaic array reduce grid-electrical load.
“None of this has any value unless you create a nice place to be in,” adds Eizenberg, who says that she and partner Hank Koning, FAIA, FRAIA, LEED AP, designed the 3,500-square-foot interior as “a relaxed, collegial setting. We like being in the thick of things, so we all have open work stations. There’s a lot of chatter that happens over the wall and between groups. It’s a classic creative workspace.”
