Give us "something beautiful," mandated CalArts President Steven Lavine when architects Jeffrey Daniels and Elyse Grinstein were hired to design 20 artists' studios at the California Institute of the Arts. Built on a knoll overlooking Valencia and partly shaded by wispy eucalyptus trees, the cream-colored stucco boxes are easily recognized by their colorfully painted, steeply raked triangular clerestories.
Daniels (the principal designer) and Grinstein grouped the studios--named after developer and art collector Eli Broad and his wife, Edythe, who donated money for the project--into a "village" of seven semidetached buildings. Walkways wend their way between the structures and connect several small courtyards. A grassy, tree-shaded area serves as an outdoor focal point, encouraging students to gather and relax in a modern-day version of the village green.
