Calabasas Multifamily and Mixed-Use Objective Design Standards

JKA was asked by the City of Calabasas to write Object Design Standards (ODS) that establish a clear set of architectural and site design requirements for new multifamily and mixed-use developments. JKA began with first exploring and defining Calabasas’s built-form and environmental design character through two Staff-led city tours. Then, JKA developed a citywide community survey to better understand which building components best reflected Calabasas character and attended two joint study sessions with the City’s Architectural Review Panel and Planning Commission.

Community and stakeholder feedback were incorporated into the final ODS document that fosters Calabasas identity through three different sections. The Site and Open Space ODS intends to enhance the pedestrian experience between projects and public facing frontages while Massing and Bulk ODS limit the scale of new multifamily and mixed-use buildings to connect to the scale and built-form patterns of existing surrounds. Lastly, the Building Architecture and Detail ODS document acknowledges two distinct design characters in the City, one specific to Old Town Calabasas and the other for the rest of the City. The resulting design standards help ensure that the traditions, details, identity, and qualities that Calabasas has developed through adopted policies and review processes over four decades continue to exert its presence and qualities in each future project.

Consultant Team
Quixotic Nature Based Solutions: Landscape Architecture