melissa mohr brown

DHD Office Renovation - Phase 1
Santa Barbara, CA
Completion: August 2017
Construction Cost: Confidential

Data Hardware Depot is a fast growing Santa Barbara based company specializing in providing refurbished communications network infrastructure equipment to clients all over the world. We worked closely with the founder to design a modern, energetic space to fit the personality and culture of his fun-loving workforce. The newly renovated office space celebrates the building's existing 1930's era architecture by showcasing the exposed ceilings, concrete floors, and large steel farmed windows. Playful super graphics highlight DHD's brand and international business dealings while the locally sourced custom made living art walls add warmth and interest to the building's inherent industrial vibe. 

Photograohy by: Erin Feinblatt Photography

USC Heritage Hall Modernization
Location: Los Angeles, California
Completion: February 2014
Construction Cost: $23,810,000

At the center of the University of Southern California (USC) campus lies the heart of Trojan athletic tradition – Heritage Hall. Opened in 1971, Heritage Hall served as the home of USC's Department of Intercollegiate Athletics for more than 40 years. The complete renovation of Heritage Hall redefined the 70,000-square-foot space into a state-of-the-art visitors center with dedicated offices, student-athlete amenities, and team support areas. Heritage Hall is the front door to USC Athletics and both the starting and ending point of the recruiting path for fans, donors and potential student athletes. The building functions as an office space, but also as a monument to the Olympians, Hall of Famers, and National Champions who have attended USC.
This project had a complex building program comprised of a museum lobby, Athletic Department office spaces, recruiting and event lounge, high tech multi-purpose room, game day experience room, catering kitchen, TV studio, a “fireside dining” conference room, exterior plaza upgrades, the Athletic Department’s Operations Center, and student athlete spaces. The athlete spaces included locker rooms, a rowing room, a golf simulation lab, a nutrition + juice bar, and the “Women of Troy” female athlete lounge (the first of its kind in the nation). The centerpiece of the completed facility is the expanded Hall of Champions which replaced the outdated “Heisman Lobby.” The two-story lobby was transformed into a light-filled public museum highlighting the extraordinary achievements of USC’s 125 year athletic history across all 21 sports. Dynamic displays showcase digital interactive content aimed at engaging, educating and inspiring visitors. Unique pedestals designed for USC’s collection of trophies replace the thick glass cases, making it the only place in the country where the general public can physically touch a Heisman.
Adding to the complexity, Heritage Hall was named a historic landmark within the city of Los Angeles, thus the integrity of the building’s exterior could not be altered in a significant way. In order to update the historic façade, the bronze tinted glazing was replaced with a clear structural glass system, leaving the historic colonnades intact. Enhancements were also made to the outdoor plaza spaces surrounding the building by providing all new decorative paving, updated plantings, a water feature, comfortable lounge/dining furniture and modernized on-grade skylights. An existing ancillary building was converted to a conference room and lounge complete with upgraded finishes, a catering kitchen and indoor fireplace.
This project sits close to my heart as I was involved from the very beginning through all phases of design, construction, and final close out. With a demanding schedule and high profile client, it took a genuine team effort to see this project through to completion. I spent six months in the construction trailer on site working hand-in-hand with our client, contractor, and the various subcontractors to get things done right and on time. It was an invaluable experience and I am so proud of how the project turned out. It is truly a showcase piece of architecture on the USC campus.

Click here to see incredible before and after photographs from DLR Group and an awesome video that captures the spirit of the project produced by our environmental graphics partner, Advent.

Blackline Office Renovation
Location: Woodland Hills, California
Completion: December 2015
Construction Cost: $7,000,000

Rapidly expanding financial technology company Blackline wanted a dynamic new home to reflect their open culture and support future growth. After analyzing three sites and facilitating an immersive set of creative visioning meetings with executives, business unit leaders and employees, it was decided Blackline would be best served by adapting their current space to reflect their emerging culture. The project was a 65,000 SF phased, occupied tenant improvement to serve as headquarters for Blackline’s 450 employees in Woodland Hills, CA.
The program, spread over three floors, included private offices, open work stations, small and large conference rooms, informal lounge and collaboration spaces, a game room, a music room, quiet pods, training areas, a golf simulation room, and a cafe. Work included an in-depth programming and visioning predesign process, extensive space planning with multiple floor plan configurations, selective demolition of walls and ceilings, selection of all new interior finishes for office space, restrooms, and elevator lobbies, selection of furniture, fixtures, equipment, lighting, and branding elements. The company also transitioned to the organizational concept of “free addressing,” where neighborhoods for each business unit were established, along with various types of work spaces. Employees are now free to work where they wish within their neighborhoods each day no longer tethered to a set desk or office.
The challenge of keeping employees connected across multiple floors was solved by adding an open, central stair which allowed for easy mobility between floors and connection to the central social and meeting area dubbed “The Heart”. The Heart is an open space and consists of various types of seating and meeting spaces with a video wall to enable large scale meetings between offices across the world. Custom, neon-lit ceiling signage features the company’s mantra “Think, Create, Serve”. Large garage doors open up into an multi-functional, tech-enabled training room to allow for larger employee gatherings. The company cafe is also connected to the Heart and serves as a place for dining, gathering, and catering for large events.
A fun space within the office is the “Recharge Zone” which includes a music (jam) room, comfortable lounge seating, a gaming area, TVs, and fitness equipment to encourage an open culture and reduce employee stress. Another unique feature of the design is the “Treehouse”, an open, airy conference room designed for informal collaboration. The room is a freestanding interpretation of an outdoor escape and features exposed wooden construction, grasslike carpet and an oversized cloud-like pendant. Blackline’s signature colors of black and yellow are refined in a sophisticated color and material palette boasting rich textures and reinforcing a homey, more residential feel.

Images provided by Andrew Scott Photographix

University of California PATH Tenant Improvement
Riverside, California
Completion: December 2014
Construction Cost: $6,000,000
LEED for Commercial Interiors Gold Certification
Design-Build Construction Project

The UCPath Center is a core part of the University of California’s strategy to increase the efficiency of administrative service delivery. The 53,000 SF project accommodates up to 370 employees in a flexible and functional work environment. The project’s program consisted of conference rooms of varying sizes, private offices, open staff work stations, call center work stations, and support spaces including a large break room. The scope of work included interior architecture and finishes; ceiling, lighting, flooring systems and utilities; and modification of existing systems and restrooms. LEED Certification was a priority for the University, and was achieved through several avenues, including: Selection of energy-efficient appliances, specification of locally sourced building materials, and utilization of sustainable finish materials, such as low VOC paints, carpets with recycled and post-consumer content, and FSC-approved woods. The suite is built on a raised floor system, allowing cooled air to rise from the floor vents improving efficiency and only conditioning occupied space.

The design for the interior build-out maximizes available work and office spaces while providing future flexibility and showcasing the University’s brand. The centralized lobby functions not only as a waiting area but also as a hub for the staff with informal gathering areas and huddle rooms. It is also directly adjacent to the executive conference room and break room. A structural X-brace is the focal point of the lobby and is accentuated by its bold yellow color. The angled element is also reiterated through the ceiling geometries in the lobby and open office area, carpet pattern, and custom wall graphics. Accent colors throughout the entire space reinforce the UC’s brand identity. The oversized break room offers multiple appliances and various seating arrangements, including lounge settings, banquet settings and counter high seats.

Mead Valley Library
Perris, California
Completion: October 2012
Construction Cost: $10,000,000

As the cornerstone of the redevelopment of an unincorporated community, the new 22,000 SF library provides an array of services to local families as well as a sense of pride to the residents. As the only library in the region, it is anticipated to be the hub of activities in this rural community.
The project included the initial master plan, architectural and interior design, and construction administration for the new facility. The library, which is anticipated to achieve LEED Gold certification, features reading rooms for children and teens, an outdoor amphitheater, a public multi-purpose meeting room, study areas, and self-checkout. Sustainable features such as landscaping using native materials to conserve water and a full array of photovoltaic panels have been incorporated. The building incorporates state-of-the-art library technology and colorful interiors to create spaces residents of all ages will want to use often.
The interior design scope of the space included the specification of interior building materials and finishes, design and detailing of custom casework and book displays, and design and coordination of custom flooring patterns, wood ceilings, and light fixtures.

Curtis Hotel Renovation
Denver, Colorado
Completion: May 2013
Construction Cost: $5,500,000

The Curtis Hotel is an imaginative boutique hotel in the heart of downtown Denver. The project scope consisted of a renovation within the hotel to make room for a new hotel ballroom, full service kitchen, a rooftop deck, and a student amenities space for the co-building occupants Auraria Student Lofts. The new design features solutions which not only enhance the hotel’s brand but allows the playground theme to be front and center. The result is a flexible, fun, sophisticated space that provides additional amenities for the hotel through the added ballroom and kitchen facilities and accommodates a variety of student life needs.
Client goals for the new 30,000 SF hotel renovation were to create a cool design capitalizing on the already unique retro chic theme of the hotel. The new high end ballroom along with the improved existing spaces provides flexibility to their current spaces for almost any function. The student amenities space has a separate entrance and its own unique identity. Goals were to provide plenty of recreation and collaborative spaces in the form of study spaces, fitness center, lounge, outdoor grilling, lawn games and dipping pool. Renovations took place in the heart of the hotel, on the third and fourth floors, with minimal disruption to the Curtis guests. Two exit stairs were added and a pool infilled to make all of this happen. The finished spaces feature modern furnishings and a palate of fresh, rich, earthy tones, sunlit spaces and super graphics ranging from silhouettes of flying birds to comic book imagery.

Southwest College School of Career and Technical Education
Location: Los Angeles, California
Completion: January, 2015

The Southwest College School of Career and Technical Education geometrical configurations literally open the space to students while welcoming the neighboring community to utilize its resources. The building provides practical, hands-on training to diverse, multi generational user groups in a safe and inviting campus facility. The design for the new building helps re-brand this Los Angeles Community College District campus as a vibrant, forward-thinking 21st century institution. With its prominent facades and highly visible gateways, the building announces its presence to the public and engages users approaching from both north and south. Large expanses of glass and open-air corridors, lobbies, and courtyards exhibit the professional
training and instruction taking place on the inside. The multi-purpose auditorium and conference rooms, which are accessed directly off a primary open-air corridor, support campus-wide and community usage. Research and testing labs are situated on the first floor, next to the open-air central core. The highly visible southeast corner of the second level, which contains classrooms and faculty offices, protrudes outward toward the campus.
Scope Summary – The scope for the 53,655 SF building included classrooms, an Environmental and Technical Science Program, Business Department offices, and a Career and Workforce Development Center. The building embodies the concept of Building as Teacher and is a showcase for sustainability features. Visible wind turbines demonstrate on-site renewable energy production. Open-air and naturally-ventilated corridors introduce maximum natural daylight and reduce energy costs. Bioswales and retention ponds are integrated into the landscape and walkways. Flexible porous paving facilitates drainage and allows low-maintenance service access to the ground-floor research and testing labs. Sustainable finishes and fixtures were specified, such as low VOC paints, carpets and resilient flooring with recycled and post-consumer content, and highly efficient lighting. A sustainability kiosk, mural and
instructional area inform students and community members about sustainable practices. The project is pursuing LEED Platinum certification.

Style boards are used to convey design concepts to a client or project team. They typically consist of inspiration imagery, furniture, lighting and finish selections for the project. The boards are a great tool for visualizing the design style and direction for a given space. These images are examples of boards I have created for previous projects and design exercises.