Malibu Community Labor Exchange Center

JKA, working as a subconsultant to Kimley-Horn, was retained as architect of record to facilitate the design and permitting of the City of Malibu’s Labor Exchange Center, a facility that will link local workers and tradespeople to employers and work in this community. The project site is situated on the LA County Department of Public Work’s field yard, which in turn is accessed via Santa Monica College’s Malibu campus. JKA’s approach to the design uses prefabricated flatpack materials to speed construction. A standing seam metal roof and fire-resistant wood siding gives the building a sense of warmth and craft, and addresses the high hazard fire location. The proposed 700 SF structure’s building program includes a central meeting room flanked by an office on one side and a restroom and storage closet on the other. Windows and large bi-fold doors allow the north and south walls to open to the exterior for natural ventilation and expand the central meeting and class room to outdoor terraces that embrace the coastal setting.