Project Walk-Through

YogaWorks

Westlake Village, California

Leo Marmol, FAIA | Ron Radziner, FAIA | Marmol Radziner and Associates | Los Angeles, California

BY NORA BURBA TRULSSON

PHOTOGRAPHY BY BENNY CHAN/FOTOWORKS

YogaWorks, headquartered in Santa Monica, California, is a successful fitness and lifestyle business with locations in the Los Angeles area, Orange County, California; and New York. On any given day, each studio offers dozens of classes of varying levels, during which students can master yoga poses, learn breathing and relaxation techniques or tighten their cores through Pilates classes.

When the firm's leadership wanted to open a new flagship location in the Los Angeles suburb of Westlake Village, they turned to Marmol Radziner and Associates of Los Angeles for help with the architectural design and interiors. The architectural design-build practice, founded by architects Leo Marmol and Ron Radziner, is best known for its Modernist residential and commercial designs and, more recently, for its green prefab homes.

Skylights fill the serene yoga studios with natural light. The blue panel disguises a storage area.

"YogaWorks wanted an environmental perspective for their new Westlake Village location," explains Marmol, who, with Radziner, spearheaded the project team. "They wanted a non-threatening, warm and inviting space — an architectural presence to attract members."

The 12,500-square-foot location was within the confines of an existing commercial building, and, as such, no changes could be made to the exterior. The design firm's task was to transform the raw interior space into a soothing, eco-friendly environment.

The relaxation lounge doubles as a waiting area outside the yoga studios. The partial wall holds patrons’ shoes and towels.

Marmol Radziner and Associates created a floorplan that placed the lobby and reception area, a yoga boutique, tea room and a childcare room toward the front of the angled space, with three yoga studios, a relaxation lounge, locker rooms and Pilates studio toward the side and back of the space.

"You walk into the lobby, which is a low, compressed space," says Marmol, "and it's clear where everything is. From the lobby, you get a glimpse of the relaxation lounge. The yoga studios themselves are tall, dramatic spaces where we took advantage of existing skylights."

The lobby's bamboo flooring and nature-inspired graphics form a soothing backdrop for the check-in process.

Since the YogaWorks studios often offer simultaneous classes from early in the morning until well into the evening, circulation — patrons coming and going — was a challenge in the plan's design. The issue was addressed by tucking the relaxation lounge just off the long main hallway leading from the reception area to the yoga studios. The configuration allows those waiting for the next class to gather in the relaxation lounge outside the studios and enter through one set of doors, while the previous class participants can exit through other doors.

When choosing materials, the design team mixed sleek and rustic to create a spare, clean setting. "There's a certain roughness to the materials," explains Marmol. "We were going for a natural look, a neutral palette and a restful feeling."

Simple furnishings mark the airy tea room.

In the lobby, bamboo flooring and nature-inspired graphics greet visitors, while a dropped ceiling with recessed lighting helps make the space intimate. The relaxation lounge includes a partial wall designed to hold shoes and a large-scale potted tree, beneath which patrons are encouraged to gather. The studios feature blue panels that disguise storage units for exercise equipment.

Furniture was chosen to reiterate the light, peaceful theme. Sleek white seating and low wooden tables invite members to linger in the reception area, while the tea room sports modern white and metal chairs and tables.

Throughout the project, the Marmol Radziner and Associates team chose energy-efficient or eco-friendly materials, such as compact fluorescent lighting, instant hot-water heaters, low-VOC paint, formaldehyde-free insulation and the bamboo flooring.

Completed last summer, the YogaWorks Westlake Village facility is a stress-free, mindful respite for those seeking to become more fit and to achieve relaxation. The setting, from the first salute to the sun posture in the morning to the last half-moon pose of the evening, is quietly energizing for both clients and employees.

Architecture and interiors: Marmol Radziner and Associates, 12210 Nebraska Ave., Los Angeles, CA 90025; (310) 826-6222 or www.marmol-radziner.com.

Reception lounge chairs and tea room seating: Bludot, www.bludot.com.

Retail stands: Custom by Marmol Radziner Furniture, www.marmolradzinerfurniture.com.

Bamboo flooring: Welson & York, www.welsonyork.com.

Fluorescent lighting: Lightolier, www.lightolier.com.