Alloi Architecture + Construction

The renderings vs the before

Welcome to the Overlook House remodel in Baldwin Hills. We've upgraded the primary bathroom with bright white terrazzo and a larger window that floods the space with light and frames beautiful hillside views, enhancing the shower experience.

What materials do you prefer in your primary bath?

When asked by architecture news.io, "How Can Cross-Disciplinary Collaboration Lead to Better Outcomes in Architecture Projects?", Alloi founder Marcos Santa Ana turns to our Zen Modern Home as an example.

"As an architect-led design-build firm, we thrive on collaboration with our engineering and construction trade partners. For our Zen Modern home project, we closely partnered with our plaster expert to create a custom stainless-steel trowel, achieving a raked aesthetic that mimics the relief pattern of a board-formed concrete wall. We also developed a process using wood-alignment guides tacked into the base mortar to maintain perfectly level trowel installations for each course. Building strong relationships with partners is key to our success."

Read the full feature here: https://architecturenews.io/qa/how-can-cross-disciplinary-collaboration-lead-to-better-outcomes-in-architecture-projects/

Friday inspiration // The Weekend House on Lake Yamanaka by Kazunari Sakamoto.

Sakamoto, a renowned Japanese architect, is a significant influence on Alloi’s design philosophy. Known for his innovative approach to residential architecture, Sakamoto emphasized simplicity, functionality, and a harmonious relationship with the environment. His work masterfully integrates architecture with its surroundings, creating spaces that are both beautiful and profoundly functional.

Images via Kazunari Sakamoto Architectural Laboratory

included our Hollywood Canyon, Zen Modern, Wagoya, and Dihedral projects in their "Meet Your Next Employer" series. Read the full feature below to learn more about our work and opportunities to work in our Los Angeles office!

https://archinect.com/news/article/150442342/four-modern-los-angeles-homes-by-alloi-your-next-employer

Four modern Los Angeles homes by Alloi: Your Next Employer? Following our previous visit to Washington-based mwworks architecture + design, we are moving our Meet Your Next Employer series to Los Angeles this week to explore the work of Alloi Architecture + Construction. Founded in 2009, the architect-led design and build firm was established with the...

Swipe for the before ➡️

The Volume House, located in Beverly Hills' Benedict Canyon, underwent a complete remodel to both expand and modernize the client's 1990s home. We've dramatically enhanced its curb appeal with a fresh facade combining plaster, wood, and metal. A two-story glass curtain wall now connects the dining room below with the guest bedrooms above, while an articulating canopy from the west suite provides shade over the spacious roof deck patio.

Bougainvillea is in full bloom at the Santa Monica Canyon House. We love the look of it flowing over the smooth stucco exterior walls. If we squint our eyes, we could be in Greece!

Founding principal at Alloi, Marcos Santa Ana, discussed sustainable design for small spaces for Architectural Record's webinar!

Listen to Marcos discuss the Dihedral House and the design process behind making this a "high-performance" home.

The webinar can be accessed here: https://continuingeducation.bnpmedia.com/courses/benjamin-moore/sustainable-design-in-small-spaces-web-live/&Affiliate=CPSpeaker

The rendering vs current progress!

We’re working on a build project in Westwood with . Our architectural background enables us to effectively bridge the gap between design and construction. As the general contractor for this project, we're able to approach construction with a deep understanding of design intent and quality standards.

Swipe for the before! ➡️

We were able to open up the living and kitchen spaces in our Dihedral house by removing half of the existing home's gable roof and rotating the roof plane upward to create a large double height space in the new kitchen. A huge 15' island is flooded with natural daylight underneath a 16sf skylight, while a linear white LED light fixture provides task lighting over the sink. What's your favorite aspect of this transformation?

Throwing it back to our visit to the iconic Stahl House (Case Study House #22) in the Hollywood Hills. Designed by Pierre Koenig in 1960, this mid-century modern home's cantilevered design and striking glass walls allow for stunning views of the city below. It’s a prime example of the Case Study House Program, blending modernist ideals with its natural surroundings. 🌿

Its open layout and innovative use of materials highlight the shift towards open, adaptable living spaces that continue to inspire architectural design today.

Meet our team! 🤝⁠

Marko Boules is our construction project manager! He holds a bachelor’s degree in Architecture and an architect certificate from London’s University of Greenwich. Marko has over 10 years’ experience overseeing all phases of construction projects, including residential, higher education, restaurant, infrastructure, grocery, and retail projects for both public and private sector clients. Outside of work Marko enjoys being outdoors, traveling, and finds peace and happiness at the beach or the snow-capped mountains.

Meet the rest of our team here: https://alloi.us/studio/

A little throwback to the Dwell feature of Dihedral!⁠
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"The single-story one-bedroom, one-bathroom ranch-style home had been modified piecemeal over the years. A 2002 renovation added a new family room and a second-story principal suite, bringing the home to 1,600 square feet. However, Santa Ana points out that the resulting layout "forced guests through narrow passages and blocked backyard access to the living room and kitchen." What’s more, a dangerously steep staircase led to the second floor, and the rooms generally felt small and segmented." ⁠

Read the full feature here: https://www.dwell.com/article/dihedral-house-alloi-architecture-construction-a8f68d6b
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Drawing inspiration from the works of iconic mid century architects, the Eames House is one project in particular we have great admiration for.

The Eames House, or Case Study House #8, designed by Charles and Ray Eames as their primary residence and work studio, was introduced as the “Bridge House” in the January 1945 issue of Arts & Architecture magazine. Due to material shortages and plan reconfiguration, the double story, two structure home was completed in 1949. This iconic home, overlooking the ocean north of Santa Monica, serves as a living laboratory of the Eameses' creativity, showcasing their approaches to life and work. The materials, interior collections, and landscaping remain as they were during the Eameses' lifetimes, telling the story of their lives and work. On June 17th, 2007, the house and its 1.4-acre site were declared a National Historic Landmark on what would have been Charles’s 100th birthday.

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Do you love before and afters as much as we do?

Check out how we transformed this smaller primary bath in the Hollywood Canyon Home into a light filled, relaxing space. We focused on the material palette here as the original bathroom already had a great skylight which we utilized & revamped. Using soothing grey large format tiles play on texture and color as the zebra wood shelf and countertop add warmth. A vertical rotating medicine cabinet with storage and custom soap dish add to the functional nature in this smaller space.

Meet our team! 🤝

Ivette Ramos is an architecture and interior designer at Alloi!
Her passion for design led her to the New School of Architecture + Design in San Diego where she graduated in 2018 with a bachelor’s degree in Architecture, minoring in construction management. She plans to further her career in architecture and design and obtaining her architectural license. Some fun facts about Ivette include being fluent in Spanish, spent time living in Mexico City, is a Mexican native, and credits Luis Barragan as her favorite architect. You can find Ivette reading, biking, or spending time with her family and friends.

Learn more about our team here: https://alloi.us/studio/

Thank you for the Wagoya feature!

"This formerly banal midcentury ranch, found in the airport-adjacent community of Westchester, needed a serious refresh. Alloi wanted the home’s makeover to be as ecologically friendly as possible. So their new design focused on incorporating natural materials, sustainability, and functionality."

Read the full article here: https://ecohomemag.com/japandi-makeover-by-alloi-architects/

Here's a sneak peek of our upcoming mid-century home remodel. The versatile neutral cabinetry color by takes on the character of different hues, from gray to sage depending on the time of day. We're loving this color paired with the brass hardware and cremo delicato marble countertops and backsplash.

An aerial shot of the landscape architecture of our Seaside Modern home. We were working with limited front yard space with this project, so we opted for a patio extension to give the owners and their family an outdoor living area that still feels private from the street.

More info on this project: https://alloi.us/work-portfolio/seaside-el-segundo-modern-home/

How it started vs how it's going

Swipe to see what the exterior of our Loft House project is looking like now! We can't wait to share more photography of this project soon.

Thank you for featuring Wagoya!

"Inspired by mid-century Eichler homes, Wagoya House pays homage to the iconic architectural style while incorporating contemporary design elements. The residence, located in the Los Angeles neighborhood of Westchester, began as a indistinctive, outdated ranch before undergoing a major transformation at the hands of Alloi, a design firm founded by Marcos Santa Ana in 2009. Built with a Japanese post and beam construction method called ‘wagoya,’ the appropriately named house harmoniously blends natural materials, sustainability, and functionality."

Check out the full article here: https://design-milk.com/a-nondescript-los-angeles-ranch-gets-a-japandi-transformation/

Meet our team! 🤝⁠
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Molly Liu is an Architectural Concept Designer & 3D Artist at Alloi! She earned her Master’s Degree in Architecture at UCLA in 2019 and previously accomplished her Bachelor’s Degree at East China Jiaotong University, graduating summa cm laude while winning Best Graduate Design Award. Liu has won various architectural competitions and art awards, including the Third Prize in UA Creation Award & International Concept Design Competition, Honourable Mention in the international competition “The Habitat – Rethinking Student Housing in India” and Excellent prize of National Architecture and Environmental Design Majors’ Art Works Grand Prix. Molly describes herself as an Architect, visual artist, and cat lover.
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Learn more about our team at alloi.us/studio

The entry into our Zen Modern project features a board formed concrete entry wall and custom designed raked stucco to accentuate the contrast between smooth and rough textures. A steel screen directs the meandering pathway experience from street to entry.

More info on this project here: https://alloi.us/work-portfolio/zen-modern-house/

We love taking bits of inspiration from iconic buildings! We noted this cantilevered concrete slab at The Palm Springs Architecture and Design Center which creates a stunning floating effect.

Completed in 1961 by E. Stewart Williams, the building was actually originally known as Santa Fe Federal Savings and Loan. It was acquired by the Palm Springs Art Museum in 2011 to restore & repurpose it into the existing architecture and design museum.

Colorful tiles from Mexico adorn the patio outside our Santa Monica Canyon house project. These were sourced by one of the owners of the home, paying tribute to her home country. Echoes of their Mexican & Persian heritages are found in subtle details throughout the home!

Before & after exterior shots of our Lake Pitch House in Silver Lake. The project is a transitional remodel on a sloped hillside. The design blends historical local architecture with modern elements, featuring eave-less gables and horizontal cement board bands.

More info on this project here: https://alloi.us/work-portfolio/lake-pitch-house/

Meet our team! 🤝⁠
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Michelle Woo is our project developer & sales and marketing manager here at Alloi! She brings expertise in managing large projects through a personal approach to client relations. With a degree in business administration and marketing from Southern California she leads the sales and marketing efforts at Alloi and is an integral part of the leadership team. She enjoys working with new clients and guiding them through the design journey. In her spare time, you may find Michelle trekking through the Sierra Nevada’s, visiting her favorite local farmer’s markets or volunteering with Nourish LA every Sunday.
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Learn more about our team at alloi.us/studio

Alloi's Wagoya House project, which recently received an Award of Merit, has also won a Grand Award for Best Renovated House at the 61st Annual PCBC Gold Nugget Awards!

Thank you to everyone who had a hand in this project and made this possible and for the recognition. Swipe for a photo of our team on site mid construction!

The Wagoya House harmonizes feng shui with mid-century modernism. More on this project here: https://alloi.us/work-portfolio/wagoya-mid-century-modern-house/