M Lofts, Merced, California

M Lofts is a mid-block urban infill project consisting of fourteen live-work loft units and seven ground-level retail spaces. The façade design takes its cues from the materials and aesthetic proportions of the adjacent historic building. Tall windows are set deep-into the facade to provide the tenants with street-front balconies and to bring large amounts of daylight into each apartment’s double-height loft space. Laser-cut metal ornamental grills, patterned with modern-interpretations of locally made baskets, are used at the storefronts, above the main building entrance, and for balcony railings.