Podcast Summary

Podcast: Archispeak
Episode: #352 – ‘A 13-Year Architecture Project’, with Israel Peña
Hosts: Evan Troxel & Cormac Phalen
Guest: Israel Peña
Date: November 21, 2024

Episode Overview

This episode centers on the realities—both rewarding and grueling—of long-term architectural projects, spotlighting a 13-year school modernization in Beverly Hills led by guest architect Israel Peña. Through candid conversation, Evan and Cormac explore the complexities, setbacks, unexpected discoveries, and personal growth Israel experienced as project manager and construction administrator. In the latter part, Israel shares about his creative life outside architecture, discussing an elaborate home Halloween display as another creative, community-driven outlet.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Introducing the Project and Setting the Stage

• Israel has been with HMC Architects for 22 years, with over half of that spent on the featured Beverly Hills K-5 school project ([00:15]–[00:54]).
• The project began in 2011, initially as a K-8, later reconfigured to a K-5 after a long program and design evolution ([10:22]).
• Cormac points out the unusual length, comparing to his own seven-year historic project in Annapolis ([15:18]).

2. Coping with the Marathon: Longevity & Sanity

• Israel’s approach to managing stress and maintaining sanity is rooted in fitness and running, recounting participation in 28+ marathons and several Ironman events:
  • “Really, after a stressful day of work, I go and I run… That was my therapy, and that’s the only way I could get through some of those incredibly difficult days.” – Israel ([03:20]).
  • Notably, during peak periods, Israel’s walking and running miles on site surpassed mileage he put on his vehicle ([08:29]).
• The metaphor of long architecture projects as endurance events is a recurring theme.

3. The Project’s Scope, Historic Complexity & Budget Evolution

• Project Highlights:
  • Five interconnected buildings (~118,000 sq ft), featuring three historic 1927 Spanish Revival structures and two from the 1960s.
  • Full modernization, seismic retrofit, and preservation—all historic interiors and exteriors were touched ([10:22]–[12:36]).
  • “There’s really nothing that we didn’t touch as part of this modernization. But it didn’t start off as that...” – Israel ([11:37]).
• Initial budget: $22 million—insufficient for true scope. Incrementally grew to over $50 million with added scope and unforeseen needs ([12:58], [16:21]).
• Bureaucratic and political factors (board reluctance to pursue additional bonds, leadership turnover) heavily delayed decision-making and funding ([16:17]).

4. Design & Construction Phases – Obstacles at Every Turn

• Design Phase Length:
  • Seven years from pursuit/presentation (2011) to “final” schematic (2014) and eventual DSA submission ([23:53]).
  • Multiple redesigns and evolving requirements due to funding opportunities (seismic mitigation programs) and structural revelations during demolition ([25:46]).
• Approval Hurdles with California’s DSA:
  • Israel details DSA’s multi-phase, specialist review process, changing reviewers mid-way, program funding shifts, and multiple submittals:
    • “We literally had to pull back and redesign our structural systems…that was our second submittal.” ([28:42]–[32:03])
    • Ultimately, the project saw four major design revisions after entering DSA approval ([33:04]).
  • Remarkably, despite the timeline, they kept the project under the 2013 CBC building code ([33:41]).
• Construction Phase:
  • School closed for almost seven years; shifting all students (700–800) to another campus made construction feasible ([19:19]–[20:47]).
  • Tight <6.5-acre site made logistics challenging ([21:35]).

5. Tales from the Trenches: Historic Surprises & Problem Solving

• Unforeseen conditions abounded—removal of plaster revealed extensive hollow clay tile walls (“had to remove every square inch…replace it with metal stud framing” – [37:15]).
• Unique preservation challenge: The historic auditorium’s dome and floor.
  • “That ceiling in the auditorium. And the dome. The dome is the one that kept me up at night a lot. It’s—how do you document that, knowing that whole thing needs to come down and you need to rebuild it and make it look exactly like it was before?” – Israel ([40:14]).
  • Used advanced scanning, modeling (Revit, Rhino), and detective work to recreate complex geometry and match historic construction ([41:21]–[45:13]).
• Numerous scope changes were compounded by incomplete or inaccurate historic documentation and the need to learn, on the fly, how things were originally built ([44:12]).

6. Personal and Professional Growth Through Adversity

• Israel reflects on his evolution—a journey from self-doubt to newfound confidence:
  • “One of the things that I really had to learn was to trust that I knew what I knew, you know, because I always second guess myself…So I definitely walked away with a little bit more confidence than I had before.” ([48:06]–[49:27])
• The demands ultimately took a toll: Israel discusses a stress-induced autoimmune condition (impacting his vision) that changed his daily life ([54:53]).
• Feeling “empty” now that the project is complete, echoing a common post-project letdown among architects ([54:51]).
• Emphasizes the educational value of Construction Administration (CA) and how he insisted young architects share in the day-to-day lessons of solving on-site unforeseen conditions ([51:22]–[53:32]).

7. Attachment to the Work & Architectural Calling

• Israel describes developing a deep emotional connection to the building itself, not just the client or users:
  • “I really became an advocate for the building because I felt that so many people didn’t understand the significance of what this cultural resource is and is for that community…” ([56:57])
• Cormac relates the experience to architecture’s persistent, sometimes unbalanced, “love affair” with projects:
  • “It’s that abusive relationship...we love and we love and we love, and it just doesn’t love us back…” – Cormac ([57:41])

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On endurance and coping:
  • “That was my therapy, and that’s the only way that I could…get through some of those incredibly difficult days. But it was definitely my fitness.” – Israel ([03:20])
• On historic preservation surprises:
  • “…as soon as the plaster came off, and we saw that they were hollow clay tiles, now we understood, oh, that actually was a little different…So we basically had to remove every square inch of hollow clay tile…” – Israel ([36:26])
• On the post-project feeling:
  • “Oh, absolutely. I…again, it was incredibly stressful. But now being off of the project, I’m, I feel a little empty. You know, it’s like, what, what’s next?” – Israel ([54:04])
• On self-realization:
  • “I had to give myself more credit than I was willing to give myself. So I definitely walked away with a little bit more confidence than I had before.” – Israel ([49:27])
• On project advocacy:
  • “…for this particular project, I really became an advocate for the building because I felt that so many people didn’t understand the significance…” – Israel ([56:57])

Timestamps for Important Segments

• [03:20]: Israel explains how running helped him cope with long-term project stress.
• [10:22]: Initial project overview—scope, history, significance.
• [12:58]: How the project’s scope crept and budget changed.
• [15:18]: Why the project took 13 years: “politics and bucks.”
• [23:53]: Length of schematic and design phases; number of redesigns.
• [28:42]–[33:15]: Challenges with DSA, changing requirements, multiple design resubmittals.
• [36:26]: Discovering hollow clay tile and how it altered the renovation plans.
• [40:14]: The auditorium dome preservation challenge.
• [48:06]: Israel’s professional growth and building confidence.
• [54:04]: The bittersweet “emptiness” after project completion.
• [56:57]: Becoming an advocate for the building as a cultural resource.
• [58:58]–[72:00+]: Israel’s Pirates of the Caribbean home Halloween display—creative process, community engagement, and charity focus.

Bonus: Israel’s Creative Outlet – Halloween Pirates of the Caribbean Display

The closing segment (from [58:58] on) is a lively change of pace, with Israel sharing details about his and his partner’s annual home Halloween extravaganza—a faithful Pirates of the Caribbean walk-through built from scratch and staged with family, combining theatrical set design, architecture skills, and 3D printing:

• All decor is handmade or custom-built (lettering, figures, props).
• The project doubles as a community charity drive for the American Cancer Society ([66:46]).
• Showcases Israel’s passion for making and how creative side-projects provide balance and joy amid high-stress professional commitments.

Conclusion

This episode is a deep dive into the real-world demands of large, drawn-out architectural projects—highlighting not just technical challenges but the enormous perseverance and adaptability required. Israel’s candor about the stress, exhaustion, and eventual sense of pride and emptiness offers a compelling look into the lived experience of practicing architects. The episode also celebrates the creativity that flourishes outside work, reminding listeners of the passions that renew and sustain through the marathon.

For Further Exploration

• Israel’s documented Halloween shows: (Photos/videos requested in the episode; see show notes)
• More behind-the-scenes stories at archispeakpodcast.com
• Information on DSA and California school construction: CA Department of General Services - DSA

Note: Intro/outro, sponsor mention, and ads have been omitted in accordance with guidelines.