Old Town La Quinta
Location: La Quinta, California
Architect: SGPA Architects, San Diego, CA
Contractor: Old Town La Quinta LLC
Phase One of mixed-use project: 3 stories, with restaurants, retail, bank, office suites.
Unique features: All fir ground floor, fir/clad upper floors. All product deep-set in 12" thick walls. We supplied the doors with 12" kicks, ADA sills, no hardware.
Phone Interview: Wells L. Marvin
President, Marvin Homes & Owner/Managing member: Old Town La Quinta LLC
Interviewed by: Trish Jackson
Architectural Specialist, Southern Calif. Region, SPW
Q: What was your primary goal in building Old Town?
A: We wanted to create a quality mixed-use area for La Quinta, with an atmosphere that separated it from the other, more contemporary developments in the city.
Q: How important were the windows and doors to achieving the architectural style?
A: Very important. We were going after a 1920's Santa Barbara look- reflective of the period, yet simple and distinctive. It was critical to get the muntins right- we wanted horizontal bars only, used in conjunction with both rectangular and radius doors and windows. SPW was receptive to our vision.
Q: Did SPW meet those needs?
A: SPW not only met, but exceeded my many expectations. They showed me that they valued my business with excellent information, product, delivery, and service from the very beginning of the bid process through completion.
Q: Was there anything specific that made SPW stand out above their competitors?
A: SPW is an integrated company, and dealing directly with the factory was important to me, not only for project control, but quality control as well.
Q: Are there any significant changes in the next phase (2 buildings)?
A: We wanted a rustic look initially, and felt that using all wood product on the ground floor would achieve this effect. We stained all the doors units and painted the windows in various warm colors. The top floors were done with complimentary clad colors. However, we are already realizing the maintenance involved; we will use entirely wood/clad product on the next phase
