Talk about a transformation. In the last year the venerable Canyon Service Station on Entrada Drive in Santa Monica Canyon has gone from looking grim to being “green.” Architect Scott Prentice has completely restored the original 350-sq.-ft. adobe structure which he uses as a reception and meeting area for his three-person architectural firm. With windows on three sides, the room is filled with natural light. The only furnishings are a round table and two chairs. A hallway leads to the 500-sq.-ft. addition where Prentice works with his two assistants. Soft turquoise and construction models dominate the large, open room which looks out onto a lap pool that has a fountain designed to drown out any street noise. The pool, which is solar heated, is also enjoyed by Prentice and his family, who live next door to the former gas station. Asked how he likes having an office so close to home, the architect said, “It’s sure nice to be able to walk to work” and “beats working out of the garage.” What initially attracted Prentice and his wife Glenda Rovello, a trained architect and production designer, to the single-story, ranch-style house which they bought in 2001 was “the parking for five cars,” he jests. Since then they have doubled the space of their home to accommodate their growing family: Henry, 10, and Will, 7, who attend Canyon Elementary School half a block away. Originally from San Diego, Prentice received his architectural degree from Cal State Pomona College, and then studied in Florence and Milan before returning to the U.S. His 10-year-old firm does commercial work and is currently restoring some residences in the canyon. “I have been encouraging green elements for several years now,” Prentice said. “Unfortunately, they are often the first to get cut which is regrettable given the savings in the long run.” CANYON HISTORY FOR SALE When the Marquez family, the original owners of the Rancho Boca de Santa Monica land grant, put the historic gas station up for sale in the fall of 2003 residents rallied to try and buy the lot, which at 17,000-sq.-ft. was one of the largest in the canyon. Included in the sale was a 2-bedroom, 100-year-old clapboard house with a big fenced-in yard, as well as the vintage station which had been in operation since 1922. Because the property was zoned R-1, the gas station needed a conditional use permit to operate in this residential neighborhood. Brian Clark, who was leasing the station from the Marquez family at the time, spearheaded the campaign with local realtor and canyon resident Frank Langen. Fearing the station would be torn down or relocated, they proposed having the structure declared a historical landmark and maybe turning the house into a history museum featuring archival photos of the area. However, in a surprise move, the Marquez family chose to sell the lot to neighbor Chris Hoffman, an attorney who lives on Amalfi Court for close to the $2.3-million asking price. Shortly before the sale closed in May 2005 the station itself–the original adobe structure–was declared a historic cultural monument. Like everyone else who lives in the canyon, Prentice said he followed the unfolding drama over the future of the gas station. Then when the opportunity came to purchase it he pounced. He paid Hoffman, who tripled the size of his own yard in the deal, $500,000 to acquire 4,000-sq.-ft. which, luckily, abutted Prentice’s lot. Technically, all the transfer in ownership required was a simple lot- line adjustment. “The fact that I already owned the property next door put me in a unique position to acquire the lot,” explained Prentice, who said he had no real concern about the land being contaminated as he had already studied soil reports before purchasing his home at 521 Entrada. Rehabilitation Efforts Prentice’s restoration of the original adobe structure and adaptive reuse efforts apparently more than meets the standards of the U.S. Green Building Council’s Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design program (known as “LEED’). There is radiant heating in the floors and a computer-controlled lighting system. The architect is particularly proud of the reuse of the concrete which once covered most of the service station lot. A ton of it was recycled and used to build a retaining wall. He has also planted a dozen trees and drought tolerant plants. His new office is expected to soon receive its official “green” certification. “Since the station is designated a City of Los Angeles Historic-Cultural Monument, we had to adhere to the strict guidelines laid out by the U.S. Department of the Interior’s standards for the rehabilitation of historic structures, with additional oversight by the city’s Historic Preservation office,” Prentice explained. “Our goal was to restore the structure to its original 1924 state, as mandated by the guidelines. It took about a year to get the various approvals and then four months to build. This project has turned out as lovely as I thought it would.’
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