Studio apartments

The soon-to-be-completed 12th LEED Platinum building in California, Cherokee Studios, boasts a unique rock n' roll background.

Thu, Jun 18 2009 at 8:53 AM EST

I was a '90s teen who lived outside of Seattle, wore Doc Martens and read Spin magazine. I blog for a website co-founded by a Rolling Stone (thanks for the shout-out, Jimmy Fallon!). I spend hours watching bad '80s music videos on YouTube and I nearly cried when Tower Records went under. Am I intrigued by the fact that Cherokee Studios, a legendary Los Angeles studio where Elton John, The Pixies, David Bowie and countless other rock icons have recorded is becoming a LEED Platinum-certified condo building?

You betcha.

Due for completion in September, Cherokee Studios by REthink Development is one of only 12 LEED Platinum-certified buildings in California and the first mixed-use — there’s 2,800 square feet of commercial space in addition to the 12 live/work loft condominium units ranging in size from 1,000 to 2,000 square feet — or market-rate multifamily LEED Platinum building in the state of California.

Rockin’. Here are some of the green highlights:

A green, living roof.
Natural daylighting.
A dynamic double façade that naturally ventilates building while eliminating noise pollution.
The same super-efficient, healthy heating and cooling system that’s being used in the 2010 Olympic Village.
Various water-saving features like dual-flush toilets and efficient fixtures.
Common areas and a percentage of heat and hot water will be solar powered (20kW total).
The location on Fairfax Avenue is primo for walking (I’m speaking from experience here). It's super close to L.A’.s famous Farmers Market, stellar home design boutiques on Melrose Avenue and other amenities.
Extensive use of eco-friendly building materials such as cellulose insulation, FSC-certified woods, no/low-VOC paints and finishes.
EnergyStar Bosch appliances.
Electric car charging for every unit in addition to bike storage.

And here are the two real doozies :

The building is 40 percent more efficient than California’s already super-stringent building energy code.
A sizeable amount of material from the old Cherokee Studios (like wood paneling from Frank Sinatra’s studio) will be incorporated into the new building’s design. Additionally, artifacts and memorabilia will be “tastefully” integrated into the new Cherokee Studios … don’t expect a rock n’ roll museum, though.

I don't mean to sound like a broken, ahem, record and I know I said the same thing yesterday about the Gap House in London, but I gotta ask ... when can I move in?

And breath easy rock historians: Cherokee Studios isn't closing. From what I gather, the business is moving into new digs in nearby Culver City.

Via [REthink Development] via [Yanko Design]

Images: REthink Development

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