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oca.arch

Collaborative of architects and designers striving to creating meaningful impact
in people’s lives

06/11/2025

.arch, and .la with support from are hosting a compressed earth block rebuilding workshop, providing a fireproof and low-carbon alternative to conventional construction systems, yet still seismically safe and structurally permissible.

Let’s make some blocks for a local fire rebuild!

June 28, June 29 10AM
3356 N Marengo Ave, Altadena, CA 91001

RSVP in Bio

https://www.eventbrite.com/e/fireproof-building-envelope-workshop-intro-to-compressed-earth-block-tickets-1395798754649

Graphic support .studio Designs and renderings .arch
Photos and Anteros Earthblock

12/24/2023

Season’s greetings from OCA! 🎄

We look forward to a big #2024 with a few majors projects that we worked hard on for the past year scheduled to go into construction and another few projects that we could only dream about before finally on the boards. 🙌

12/21/2023

Ksenia possesses extensive and varied experience in architectural design. She has work on projects at all stages of design, from concept to developing detailed drawings for construction. Ksenia has also managed ground up construction and remodels of residential houses and public spaces.

Her special interest in architecture lies in observing the life of buildings— how they age, serve their inhabitants, and are utilized, thereby creating and preserving their unique history and atmosphere. Ksenia is delighted by the ability of spaces to adapt to new functions.

When designing buildings, Ksenia contemplates what the structure will become in a hundred years, how the materials used will be preserved, and whether the design will remain relevant.

Ksenia strives to create comprehensive and intelligible projects, actively participate in their realization and the construction process. This allows her to continuously refine design solutions while maintaining motivation and inspiration for further work.

11/05/2023

While designing the Hollywood Hills project, we got the opportunity we had been looking for.

The site constraints provided us with an opportunity to use the section to stack spaces vertically, and a portion of the ADU basement sits under the pool.

As the house cascades down the hill, it preserving views for those in the main structure, as well as the views of those using the exterior areas and the ADU.

Drawing by
Project Team:

10/11/2023

I only understood Uzbekistan in contrast to Kyrgyzstan, and it is fundamentally different culture, place, architectural language in every way.

My trips to Uzbekistan were always impromptu, and I would retreat exhausted to the (by now) familiar and slower-paced Kyrgyzstan. The Timurid architecture and influences of the early Persian Empire are apparent.

Numerous iwans— walled domes come into view while wandering in Bukhara's ancient center. This is the defining feature and most recognizable of any major mosque or madrassah. The iwan denotes the entry and provides a sense of public grandeur, also providing ample space for abstract and at times representational tilework: mosaic tigers (Registan/Samarkand) and calligraphy. The talaar is another architectural feature that is site and climate specific. It is an enclosed porch on three sides, providing a different spatial reading to the building that it is adjacent to. Each talaar offers respite from the heat, shade, and the century-old wood carved wood columns that support the roof provide ample visual interest for me to lose track of time, studying the layers of patterns.

10/07/2023

The yurt is positioned in summer grazing areas, which are passed down through generations. While the Kyrgyz are often associated with a nomadic lifestyle, they still form strong bonds with specific locations.

Instead of factories, yurts are crafted in villages like Tolosun's. Kyzyl-Tuu, his village, excels in yurt construction. Tal saplings are used for yurt frameworks, and steam-bending is employed for all components. In the highlands of Djai-Loo, trees are scarce due to elevation and sheep grazing. Wild onions thrive where sheep cannot reach. Kyrgyz refer to their yurts as "Boz-Uy," meaning "grey house." Tolosun exports yurts to Switzerland and California.

Furniture, fixtures, and equipment (FF&E) - in some cases, the true nomad stays in one place. Near Xinjiang, a family dismantles a 100-year-old wooden yurt to use as a kitchen. They set up a metal yurt for visitors. Shyrdak rugs reveal vibrant colors when unrolled. Traditional felted interiors are still handcrafted when resources permit.

09/23/2023

Latest project we've been working on is on Hollywood Blvd in the hills above LA. 📍

The big idea for this project is to create a single cascading structure that is both the house and the ADU, connected by a pool into a seamless architectural solution. The project is challenging because it also involves legalizing existing work that was done without a permit.

The project integrates this addition, providing a clear architectural language that reconfigures the house, making sense of the existing and the new. Physically, we build single foundation for all components of the project that cascades down the hill: the existing house is propped up and stabilized, a pool is added with a view of LA, the guest house is located further down and rests partially on the pool foundation. Aesthetically, a single language is used with just a few materials; smooth white Sant Barbara stucco, shou sugi ban (charred cedar), exposed concrete and a stone tile that matches it.

09/06/2023

Kyrgyzstan is a country that is dominated by mountains. Only 7% of the land is arable. Two mountain ranges run across the country, the Pamirs and the Tien Shan. Mountains serve as the introduction to the country for the many alpinists that come to climb in the big mountains from across the world. I was a member on one of the teams that made a summit attempt on a 7000m peak in the Kyrgyz Pamir.

Mountains define that way traditional Kyrgyz nomads interact with the environment. The winters are harsh, leading the local population to rely on yurts to migrate to the Jai-Loo, or high pastures during the summer, and stay in low villages during the winters. The climate creating by mountains makes permanent dwelling in these areas impractical. Architecture is performed without architects, and permanent structures are nearly nonexistent.

Mountains dictate the behavior of people. Climbers move in teams between camps on the mountain, crossing glaciers while being roped together to secure one another in case of a fall using human counterweights. Such teamwork is essential for safety and the shared goal of reaching the summit.

📸 :

09/04/2023

Happy Labor Day! Our new project in Hollywood Hills is on its way. Stay tuned and enjoy the day!

Project Team:

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Los Angeles, CA

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Tuesday	9am - 6pm
Wednesday	9am - 6pm
Thursday	9am - 6pm
Friday	9am - 6pm

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http://oca.la/

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