Urban Outfitters

Miyamoto provided structural engineering services for the Urban Outfitters store on Santa Monica’s Third Street Promenade to seismically upgrade the existing unreinforced masonry (URM) structure and bring it into compliance with local building codes. A series of strongback posts and wall anchors were installed on the interior wall faces to reduce the potential of out-of-plane collapse in an earthquake. Glulam posts were selected in lieu of the typical steel strongback post to blend with the existing timber components of the original building. Using the retrofit methodology selected, the retail space was able to remain operational during normal business hours and construction was performed in the evening hours to significantly reduce the financial impact of construction to the store. This retrofit represents a successful conversion of a 1927 industrial structure into a trendy shopping space with the kind of architectural detailing valued among the demographics Urban Outfitters is targeting in Santa Monica. This detailing includes a distressed palette of materials such as aged wood and metals with oxidized patinas found in old buildings of this era — now repurposed and made safer.