Composed of two buildings, Brand East and Brand West, mixed-use complex The Brand has contributed to the reinvigoration of downtown Glendale, California, and has received a prestigious Gold Nugget Award of Merit in the Best Multifamily Housing Community (100-250 du/acre) category. The project's two buildings include 401 living units, a mix of two-story lofts, one- to three-bedroom apartments, and townhouses. A shared outdoor program of pools and plazas, along with varied recreation amenities, add to a lively mix of ground-floor retail and dining options.
Apartments in The Brand are highly sought after in this busy neighborhood, thanks in part to expanding demographics of students, retirees, millennials, and professionals. Residents of the trendy, walkable neighborhood enjoy proximity to the iconic Alex Theater as well as more recent and highly popular sites such as the Glendale Galleria and the Americana at Brand. The project commenced more than three years ago, with community leaders and Holland Partner Group looking to secure a vibrant future for the formerly sleepy Glendale. For example, one civic mandate was to include the building’s arcade for ground-floor shops and restaurants, which is designed to boost foot traffic. Other design challenges for the project team included the question of how to synthesize contemporary design with neighboring classical features. The design team also had to grapple with the challenge of scale, being sited next to a major office tower.
The approach by Carrier Johnson + CULTURE utilized bold graphics, details, lighting and an exuberant color scheme to attract attention in spite of the neighboring tower. A series of large chevrons and bright orange façade details energize the street and celebrate the new shops and dining spots. The Brand's unique exterior facade, which required 18 months of construction, illustrates Carrier Johnson + CULTURE’s dedication to potent contemporary design. The building loosely models the box-on-box design of the office building next door, but with cubist flourishes that lead the eye into and around the striking facade. Clad in cementitious plaster with vermillion accents — playful reference to Orange Avenue — the colors and massings create a welcome contemporary frontage. The arcade’s chevrons bridge the two buildings aesthetically.
While both buildings, Brand East and Brand West, successfully combine Southern California lifestyle and an urban vibe, the two are designed for very different residents. For the more energetic and outgoing residents, Brand East offers easy access to a two-story fitness center, rooftop saline pool and ground-floor retail. Brand West's more relaxed atmosphere boasts intimate common areas, relaxing outdoor spaces, and roomier dwellings. Both buildings, however, offer access to a planted green-roof terrace where residents can admire magnificent sunrises and sunsets, as well as barbeque grills and fire pits.
