Marcelo Spina and Georgina Huljich on Victory Wellness and Adaptive Reuse Projects

Building LA

Today, I’m joined by Marcelo Spina and Georgina Huljich, the co-founders of Patterns, to discuss their latest project – The Victory Wellness Center in North Hollywood. The project involves the conversion of a former supermarket building originally built in the 1940s, into a contemporary medical office building. In our conversation, we dive into the how they approached the existing building, the challenges and opportunities of building in Los Angeles versus other cities, and the evolving landscape of architectural education.

Georgina and Marcelo highlight how their upbringing in Rosario, Argentina shaped their perspective on architecture and the arts. Drawing inspiration from the city's renowned arts and music scene and the extensive public education system in Argentina, they developed a distinctive viewpoint on the practice of architecture. They emphasize the importance of educating the public about the impact of architecture on their communities and share their experiences as teachers at UCLA and SCI-Arc.

We also discuss Georgina and Marcelo's initial approach to the Victory Wellness Center project and how they were able to create a project that thoughtfully incorporates the original structure, while also breaking from it through a series of cuts, subgrade courtyards and a new floor directly beneath the bowstring truss.

Listen to the episode on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, TuneIn, or on your favorite podcast platform.

Topics Covered:

• The influence Rosario, Argentina has on their practice
• Differences and similarities of practicing architecture in Argentina and the U.S.
• The countries where they see the most exciting potential from young designers
• Thoughts on how to create a successful architecture lecture
• The key differences between SCI-Arc and UCLA
• Marcelo and Georgina's initial adaptive reuse approach to the Victory Wellness project
• What parts of the project Marcelo and Georgina are most proud of
• The opportunities LA presents to innovate and experiment with design
• Marcelo and Georgina's perspective on what is LA's greatest contribution to architecture
• Why LA continues to inspire them

Guest Info:

• Connect with Marcello on LinkedIn
• Connect with Georgina on LinkedIn
• Learn more about Patterns on linkedin.com/company/patterns

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