This year, the keynote panel – including Head of Planning at California Forever Gabe Metcalf, Chief of Infrastructure for Climate and Mobility at the City and County of San Francisco Alicia John-Baptiste, Executive Director at Abundant Housing LA Azeen Khanmalek, and KQED housing reporter Adhiti Bandlamudi as moderator – was particularly keen to examine and applaud the recent initiatives undertaken by San Francisco’s new Mayor, Daniel Lurie. With issues of homelessness, community safety, and stifling bureaucracy impacting the accessibility of affordable housing in the Bay Area, Mayor Lurie’s profound initiatives to make safe and revitalize San Francisco’s downtown core, his commitment to increase funding for services to stabilize vulnerable members of the community through his “Breaking the Cycle” initiative, and his commitment to expedite the creation of much-needed affordable housing through streamlined permitting by way of his “Family Zoning Plan”, were each debated with hopeful anticipation. Indeed, Mayor Lurie’s first six months in office have yielded some encouraging results.

As active members of HAC, and as avid supporters of its mandate and efforts to address housing affordability in California, we’re pleased to support HAC’s endorsement of Mayor Lurie’s recent efforts. With progressive and ambitious effort, California’s housing crisis does not need to be inevitable – it can be addressed.

To read a summary of HAC’s legislative strategy, including its analysis of Mayor Lurie’s policy initiatives, visit the HAC blog: https://housingactioncoalition.org/news/2025-legislative-strategy

Photos courtesy of Scott Chernis Photography.

This article appeared in the Summer 2025 edition of the Praxis newsletter.

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AXIS Architecture + Design, and our predecessor firm (GFA) has called Los Angeles home for 28 years. Simply put, to all of our fellow Angelinos, and especially those who have been directly impacted and who have lost everything, we share your shock, your anguish, and your grief at what you’ve been through.

But as a team of architects – a profession that can’t help but look to the future to see “what can be” – we choose to recognize that Los Angeles’ soul cannot be burned, and that slowly with time, contemplation, and healing, collectively *we will* rebuild this great city.

As your neighbors, and as a team that’s proud to call Los Angeles home, AXIS Architecture + Design is committed to doing our part to help those affected rebuild. In the months to come, we’ll be empowering and encouraging our team to engage with the community to authentically make a difference where they can.

In the meantime, we take comfort and pride in the resilience of the people that make #LAStrong.

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From all of your friends at AXIS Architecture + Design.

祥蛇献瑞，新岁呈祥！

AXIS 祝愿您和家人蛇年大吉，万事如意！

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One of the rooftop balcony areas in the Weingart Tower, the largest affordable housing project in Los Angeles, designed by affordable housing and multi-family residential architects AXIS Architecture + Design.

In the few months since its opening, Weingart Tower has been honored by being named the winner of three significant design and community awards.

In September, Weingart Tower 1 was named Project of the Year in the Multi-Family Development, Supportive Housing category by the Southern California Association for Non-Profit Housing (SCANPH) at their annual Homes Within Reach Awards. The awards annually recognize and honor excellence in the Southern California and West Coast affordable housing industry.

One of the private residences in the Weingart Tower, designed by Los Angeles multi-family residential architects AXIS Architecture + Design.

In October, the project was named the Los Angeles Business Council’s 54th Annual Architectural Awards winner in the Housing Projects – Multi-Family Affordable category. Selected by a panel of Los Angeles business leaders, the awards annually celebrate projects that embrace innovative design that enhances the lives of Los Angeles residents.

Also in October, and with particular recognition of our construction project partners Swinerton, Emerson Construction, DCI Engineers, and National Ready Mix, Weingart Tower 1 was named the American Concrete Institute California Chapter’s Concrete Project of the Year in their High-Rise Buildings category.

Congratulations to all of our project partners for their well-earned recognition on this amazing and impactful project.

Visit our Affordable Housing online project portfolio for additional photography of Weingart Tower 1, and for an in-depth review of AXIS’ design of the project.

This article appeared in the Fall 2024 Edition of The Praxis newsletter.

The post AXIS’ Weingart Tower Affordable Housing Project Wins Three Industry Awards appeared first on AXIS Architecture.

For more on the Housing Action Coalition and their very worthwhile cause to advance the availability of affordable housing along the West Coast, visit https://housingactioncoalition.org/.

For more on AXIS’ affordable housing design practice, visit our online project portfolio.

This article appeared in the 2024 Summer edition of The Praxis newsletter.

The post AXIS Joins The HAC Affordable Housing Spring Symposium appeared first on AXIS Architecture.

Created by the AXIS team back in 2021, and featuring slivers of a number of the projects we’ve designed over the years, we proudly dusted-off our version of the iconic Pride Flag last month. From left to right, our flag is composed of glimpses of the Courtyard by Marriot Santa Monica, The Harper Hotel Hollywood, AC Hotel Sacramento, Hampton Inn & Suites Santa Monica, Residence Inn at Anaheim Convention Centre, and our 6th and Serrano mixed-use project.

The post AXIS Proudly Celebrates Pride Month appeared first on AXIS Architecture.

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For our Los Angeles-based multi-family residential and affordable housing clients and industry partners, particularly those practiced with adaptive reuse developments, ICYMI, earlier this month the City of Los Angeles released the second draft of their Citywide Housing Adaptive Reuse Ordinance, with the goal of improving access to affordable housing by way of streamlining the conversion of commercial and office spaces into housing stock.

Proudly, AXIS’ own Roberto Vazquez, Associate Principal and in-house adaptive reuse architectural design expert, participated in the AIA Los Angeles Roundtable that in-part advised the City on the creation of these new ordinances.

Starting next week, the city will be welcoming public feedback on the proposed new ordinances. We encourage you to visit the Los Angeles City Planning Housing Element Rezoning Program site to see the proposed new ordinances, and to learn more: https://planning.lacity.gov/plans-policies/housing-element-rezoning-program .

The post Los Angeles Releases New Draft Adaptive Reuse Ordinance appeared first on AXIS Architecture.

AXIS is thrilled to announce that our Weingart Tower affordable housing project in Downtown Los Angeles has officially topped out.

To celebrate the milestone, members of the AXIS team attended a ceremony earlier this month marking the occasion. The event was hosted in-part by Weingart Center President and CEO Senator Kevin Murray (Ret.) and Chelsea Development Co. Chief Development Officer Jim Andersen.

Weingart Center Association President and CEO Senator Kevin Murray (Ret.) with Los Angeles affordable housing architect AXIS CEO Cory Creath at the Weingart Tower topping out ceremony.

A design incorporating elements from both AXIS and Joseph Wong Design Associates, the 19 story tower – which will ultimately house nearly 300 of Los Angeles’ unhoused and underhoused citizens – includes on-site supportive services, a ground-floor cafeteria, and administrative offices.

With a considerable portion of the façade already in place, we eagerly await the grand opening of this project and the considerable impact it will have on the Skid Row community. Construction is slated to complete this winter.

From the AXIS team of California affordable housing architects, Principal Gene Fong, Senior Associate John Skrivanich, Associate Farooq Khayyat, and Principal Kevin Sund signing “the last beam” at the Weingart Tower topping out ceremony.

AXIS would like to congratulate Emmerson Construction and Swinerton for their demonstrated expediency and expertise.

Watch our blog and socials for additional updates as this amazing project approaches completion.

AXIS’s rendering of the soon-to-be completed Weingart Tower, a significant affordable housing development in Downtown Los Angeles.

For more information about our Weingart Tower project, as well as details of other AXIS non-market housing projects, visit our Affordable Housing portfolio on our website.

This article appeared in the May/June 2023 edition of The Praxis newsletter.

The post Our Weingart Tower Affordable Housing Project Celebrates Topping Out appeared first on AXIS Architecture.

Created by the AXIS team back in 2021, we’re excited to dust-off our version of the iconic Pride Flag featuring colorful slivers of a number of the projects we’ve designed over the years.  From left to right, our flag is composed of glimpses of the Courtyard by Marriot Santa Monica, The Harper Hotel Hollywood, AC Hotel Sacramento, Hampton Inn & Suites Santa Monica, Residence Inn at Anaheim Convention Centre, and our 6th and Serrano mixed-use project.

Happy Pride Month to our team, clients and industry partners.

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