From Denny’s to Designer Preschool: It's a New Net-Zero LA Community That's Combatting Housing Insecurity
The Woodlands in Los Angeles is redefining transitional housing by transforming a former motel and a Denny’s into a vibrant, 100-unit housing community that includes the Betty Bazar Community Center and Preschool. Designed by Kadre Architects, the project features a radical prototype: a net-zero community that provides free childcare and case management for resident families. By integrating bold design with passive sustainability like solar chimneys and reflective paint, the site reduces utility costs to fund essential social services. Design firm founder Nerin Kadribegovic’s own experience with displacement inspired the center's design, which proves that high-quality architecture and built-in support systems are the keys to breaking the cycle of housing insecurity.
“I’d like my practice to be significantly driven by community engagement and the quest to understand how design principles—that are clearly of value on so many levels—can be accessible to everyone. Great design should not be reserved for private spaces.”
—Architect Nina Cooke John, AIA, NOMA NCARB, founding principal of Studio Cooke John
Inclusive by Design: A Women-Led Vision for Humanscale
Designed by architect Suchi Reddy of New York City–based Reddymade, Humanscale's San Francisco showroom opened in January. The new, light-filled space features garden views, a flexible layout, and material choices reflecting the City by the Bay’s culture of sustainability, innovation, and well-being. It also serves as a hub for the local community while setting a standard for how inclusive design can be practiced as thoughtfully as it's produced.
The Jonathan Club Turns 100 With a Careful, Modern Revival
As Downtown LA’s Renaissance Revival icon The Jonathan Club hits its centennial, Tim Barber Architects has been quietly modernizing the landmark since 2013. From restoring the jaw-dropping indoor pool with historically accurate mosaic tile to reimagining a 1920s barbershop as a modern internet lounge, every update balances preservation with real-life use. The result? A living, breathing club that honors its storied past while evolving for today’s members—proof that good design, like a great club, only gets better with time.
Five Questions With Architect & Designer Tom Polucci
Equal parts architect, mentor, and big-picture thinker, Tom Polucci brings 25+ years of insight to his role as global director of interior design at HOK—and a deeply human perspective on how spaces shape behavior. Known for pushing bold ideas and nurturing young talent, he champions timeless materiality, pattern-happy experimentation, and spaces that support well-being.
Here, Tom shares the philosophies, surprises, and creative instincts guiding his work today.
5 Small Tables With Even Smaller Carbon Footprints
This international selection of eco-friendly tables from KFI Studios, Knoll, Andreu World, Loope, and Haworth represents the vision of designers from Poland, Denmark, Spain, Finland, and the U.S. These products offer smaller proportions for office lobbies, cafes, hotel lounges, and other intimate commercial spaces, while also introducing sustainable features such as FSC-certified wood, biodegradable components, and recycled and recyclable content, bringing a truly circular design to the table.
Zero Bugs, Total Control Thanks to the Zenith Retractable Screen
Corradi USA’s Zenith Retractable Screens transform expansive commercial openings into comfortable, climate-responsive spaces. Designed for scale and performance, they deliver shade, wind resistance, and seamless indoor-outdoor integration without compromising views or design intent.
The PEEL Chair by PROWL Studio Doesn’t Last Forever—and That’s the Point
With the PEEL chair, PROWL Studio flips the design process on its head by considering the end of the product’s life first. Developed with M4 Factory and finished using hemp bioleather by Studio Veratate, the chair replaces plastics with a hemp-based bioplastic that decomposes in about six months.
The Brodins Double Down in LA With a Studio and Gallery to Go With It
Two artists, two spaces, one vision: Kelley and Gavin Brodin are expanding their sculptural universe in Los Angeles with a new dedicated monumental sculpture studio for their practice, Formed For, alongside Brodin Gallery, a platform for conceptual and collaborative exhibitions. Launching during Frieze this week, the dual debut signals a deep commitment to immersive, emotionally resonant art.
Kelley and Gavin Brodin at their new Formed For studio
Event
Angels & Demons: An Evening of Divine Mischief
presented by Design Industries Foundations with media sponsor The Comm Sheet
March 19, 2026, 6 p.m. to 10 p.m.
Cathedral of St. John the Divine, New York
Hosted by Jamie Drake and David Rockwell and featuring arias performed by soprano Jamie Gagliano and tenor David Santiago.
Mix and mingle with leading architects, designers, and manufacturers over a three-course dinner, followed by dessert and dancing.
How Maya Bird-Murphy Built a Sanctuary for Design Activism
From exposed "guts" to translucent walls, Mobile Makers’ new Chicago HQ is a masterclass in adaptive reuse.
Recycled Sneaker Cork as Wallcovering? You Bet!
These six new wallcoverings, crafted from sustainable materials, offer benefits beyond mere wall protection.
Mar Bar is a New, Chic Reason to Stay Out Late in Palm Beach
This speakeasy by NXN Studio exudes relaxed luxury, inviting guests to settle in and stay for just one more round.
Fab 5 Interview With Interior Designer Vishakha Joshi
Colombian Furniture Maker Fango Takes on Deforestation
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The Comm Sheet celebrates the commercial design world while sparking community connection. Our twice-monthly newsletter delivers bite-size content—including insights from top designers; spotlights on new projects and innovative products; and deep dives into topics like neurodiversity, inclusivity, environmental sustainability, and democratization in design—all in a sharp, lively, easily digestible format.