REthink Development Celebrates the Completion of Lofts @ Cherokee Studios with a bit of Rock-n-Roll

Oct. 15, 2009 - PRLog -- LOS ANGELES, CA – REthink Development, a Los Angeles-based
sustainable real estate developer, is proud to announce the completion of the Lofts @ Cherokee Studios (www.loftsatcherokeestudios.com), a 12-unit live/work loft development expected to achieve LEED Platinum certification from the USGBC, an accomplishment that marks it as the first building of its kind on the West Coast.  To celebrate the siteʼs musical legacy and its future as a green building landmark, REthink Development is hosting Rock-n-Platinum, a four-week design showcase that interprets music through design.  The showcase will run from October 29th through November 19th, kicking off on October 29th with a preview & party that includes live performances.  Public tours will be held every weekend until the showcase ends on November 19th.  Proceeds from tickets sales for the party and public tours will benefit Habitat for Humanity of Greater Los Angeles.

“This may seem like a lot of fanfare for a loft building, but we really wanted to bring the building to life,” explains REthink Development Co-Founder Steve Edwards.  “To date itʼs the only building of its kind, designed to be LEED Platinum and quite literally designed for musicians and other creative types.  Since music and creativity played such an integral part in the projectʼs evolution, we thought that Rock-n-Platinum would be an ideal way to really go back to the foundation of what makes this project so distinctive.”

Two of the twelve lofts feature dedicated recording studio spaces that have been acoustically treated and prepared.  Upon request, new homeowners can work with Bruce Robb, one of the owners of the original Cherokee Studios, and George Auspurger and his team of expert acousticians to finish building out their professional home studios.  The hope is that new generations of musicians will be able to continue the Cherokee Studios legacy, cutting their own award-winning tracks on the very site where David Bowie cut some of his.  In an additional nod to the siteʼs musical history, several gold and platinum albums will be permanently displayed in the main lobby of the building.

Besides the penthouse units, the Lofts @ Cherokee Studios also feature more modest one-story live/work ʻflatsʼ and two-story townhouse units.  These are located in the Eastern tower that faces onto Fairfax Avenue.  In the Western tower, three deluxe penthouse units are perched atop three tri-level units. The units range in size from 1000 sf to 2000 sf.

A perforated metal façade envelopes the front and back of the structure, acting both as a sound and light mitigator and a form of movable and changeable sculpture that residents can adjust according to their moods.  The perforated and completely permeable façade also allows for generous cross-ventilation, cutting down on the need for energy-consuming air conditioning.

Between the two towers, a second story courtyard serves as a connective space from which all units are accessed, allowing each residence ample natural daylight.   Mini-green roofs
accentuate the towersʼ courtyard walls.  A field of photovoltaics covers the top of the East tower, while a simple green roof planted with natural drought-resistant grasses adorns the West tower, serving as communal space for residents and an invaluable form of insulation, reducing the heat-island effect and storm water runoff.

Inside the units, sustainable features and finishes abound.  From a kitchen backsplash made from recycled skateboards, to FSC certified wood floors; from recycled glass tile in the
bathrooms to super-efficient insulated windows, the greatest care was taken in working towards the goal of LEED Platinum.

“This showcase is an opportunity to really show people what the spaces could be like when they are filled with life and music and creative energy,” adds Greg Reitz, Co-Founder of REthink Development.  “Our hope is that the Rock-n-Platinum showcase will also be a platform for us to share good, green building karma.  We would like interest in the showcase to help to generate funds and support for Habitat for Humanity of Greater LA, an organization that understands the importance of green building and implements sustainable principles whenever possible while providing homes for the people who need them most.”

"Habitat for Humanity of Greater Los Angeles and Hollywood for Habitat for Humanity are thrilled to be a part of Rock-n-Platinum to celebrate the reinvention of an iconic Hollywood Recording Studio into sustainable, live/work spaces," says Erin Rank, President/CEO of Habitat for Humanity of Greater Los Angeles. "This project aligns closely with our commitment to building a greener and greater Los Angeles.”  

ABOUT THE LOFTS @ CHEROKEE STUDIOS (www.loftsatcherokeestudios.com)  
Cherokee Lofts is the most advanced and distinctive building of its kind in Los Angeles. It will be the "greenest" LEED Platinum* Certified mixed-use development in the state of California. The building honors the significant musical and Hollywood history of Cherokee Studios, and MGM and Republic Studios before it, and all the artists who recorded music on the site from David Bowie to Dave Mathews. Cherokee Studios represents the premiere in green design, form, and function in the epicenter of the entertainment capital of the world.  
 
ABOUT RETHINK DEVELOPMENT  
REthink Development is an innovative real estate development and consulting company focused on leveraging green building practices and high performance building technologies to build higher value, healthier, and more environmentally sound communities and workplaces for the future. Like Toyota’s design of the Prius, REthink Development advances real estate development by mixing the right technology, design, innovation, and market positioning to deliver a product that smartly differentiates itself in the marketplace. As a result, the popularity, market recognition and perception, and economics of such a differentiated product ultimately drive profitability upwards while increasing the economic, social, and environmental bottom line (“triple bottom line”) for all immediate and extended stakeholders.  For more information, visit www.rethinkdev.com.  
 
ABOUT HABITAT FOR HUMANITY OF GREATER LOS ANGELES  
HFHGLA strives to eliminate poverty housing through advocacy, education and partnership with families in need to build simple, decent affordable housing. Since 1990, HFH GLA has built and renovated nearly 600 homes locally and worldwide, transforming the lives of hundreds of individuals. For more information, visit www.habitatla.org.  
 
ABOUT HOLLYWOOD FOR HABITAT FOR HUMANITY  
Hollywood for Habitat for Humanity (HFHFH) is an entertainment industry partnership with Habitat for Humanity of Greater Los Angeles that launched in 2000 with a 20 house "blitz build.” HFHFH was founded by Screenwriter/Director Randall Wallace (Braveheart, We Were Soldiers) to encourage the entertainment industry to support Habitat for Humanityʼs goal of eliminating substandard housing worldwide. HFHFH works with talent and industry leaders who support the organization through donations, volunteer hours and advocacy. Thousands of volunteers from the entertainment industry have helped build homes in the United States and around the world. www.hollywoodforhabitat.com

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