Steven Ehrlich

One of an emerging group of important young architects from Southern California, Steven Ehrlich explores the vitality of vernacular forms and spaces, the richness of texture and materials, and the generosity of spatial arrangements. Having studied and worked in Africa and Asia, Ehrlich fuses an anthropologist's understanding of culture with the principles of classical modern architecture. The result is a subtle reinterpretation of classical modernism that is socially responsive. In addition to residential projects, Ehrlich has designed artists' studios, film and animation production studios, libraries, a municipal gymnasium, and a wide variety of civic and commercial structures. The work of Steven Ehrlich Architects is distinctly modern, yet informed by the simplicity and directness of vernacular forms and a vigorous sensitivity to the urban conditions of the "Pacific Century." Their designs represent the intersection of cultural influences as diverse as traditional African mud construction, the ancient Chinese discipline of feng shui, and California's Latino community. This monograph features twenty-eight projects and two essays, illustrated with photographs, plans, and Ehrlich's dynamic sketches. Among the projects included in this volume are the DreamWorks SKG Animation Studios in Glendale, California; the orange Coast College Art Center in Costa Mesa; the Sony Music West Coast headquarters in Santa Monica; the Biblioteca Latinamericana and Washington Area Youth Center in San Jose; the Shatto Recreation Center in Los Angeles; the Ahmadu Bello University Theater in Zaria, Nigeria; and the Taichung Civic Center in Taichung, Taiwan.