London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Wednesday, Oct 22, 2025

An Experimental Micro-Office Glows Like a Lighthouse in L.A.

An Experimental Micro-Office Glows Like a Lighthouse in L.A.

An imaginative design/build firm challenges its skill sets by crafting an experimental and modern office in an industrial pocket of Los Angeles.

Nowhere else are the playful aesthetics of Los Angeles design/build studio Knowhow Shop best expressed than in Lighthouse, their recently completed office in Highland Park that doubles as a striking showpiece.



The Lighthouse office is clad in fiberglass with Awlgrip topcoat.

Sharply angular and experimental, the 154-square-foot micro-building pulls inspiration from a variety of sources including boatbuilding.

The core of the design, however, centers on custom-built SIPs (structural insulated panels) and a lightweight, prefabricated construction system that-in addition to its oversized glazed openings-inspired the building’s Lighthouse name.



An aerial view of Knowhow Shop's shop-yard with the Lighthouse office and fabrication shop in Highland Park.



The oversized, glazed openings (Triview Glass) feature reclaimed Douglas Fir trim.

"This is not a project that we would have been able to hand off to a contractor to execute, so we bypassed the normal methods of architectural production, and relied on the most experimental potential of our design/build model," say founders Kagan Taylor and Justin Rice, who crafted the freestanding office to free up room in their fabrication and machine space.



The custom front door eschews right angles and is equipped with an August Smart Lock.



Taylor and Rice custom built the mitered SIPs that are joined with film-industry hardware in their shop next door.

Working with an approximate budget of $50,000 that includes time estimates, Taylor and Rice completed all of the work themselves in between other projects.



The custom-made skylight "marries traditional boatbuilding materials with details borrowed from a car sunroof." The worktops are Formica 2297 Terril.



The custom Douglas Fir bookshelf echoes the angles of the office.

"We were interested in a designing a micro-building that included the most basic elements of architecture-door, window, skylight-and was constructed the way we would build a piece of furniture," note the designers, who not only built these elements on their own-trades they had never practiced previously-but also took up the challenge of installing the glazing, fiberglass, and topcoat, as well as the the interior fit-out and finishes.



Set on industrial casters originally designed to support roll-off dumpsters, the tiny office can be easily moved around the shop-yard.

Made to be as flexible and mobile as a fabrication machine, the structure sits lightly on industrial casters instead of a traditional foundation. The asymmetrical wedge shape was partly informed by the clearances required to forklift a load of plywood into their shop.



The floors are Douglas Fir with OSMO finish. The angled walls and ceiling are Douglas Fir Marine Grade Plywood with a whitewash finish.

"Lighthouse is an office for our business, a showcase of our craft, and an example of the huge potential within rethinking the way we design and build," say Taylor and Rice.



A look inside Knowhow Shop's fabrication and machine space. Moving the office out of this space freed up room for a second CNC router.



Knowhow Shop Lighthouse and fabrication space floor plan.



Lighthouse wall sections.

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
‘Frightening’ First Night in Prison for Sarkozy: Inmates Riot and Shout ‘Little Nicolas’
White House Announces No Imminent Summit Between Trump and Putin
US and Qatar Warn EU of Trade and Energy Risks from Tough Climate Regulation
Apple Challenges EU Digital Markets Act Crackdown in Landmark Court Battle
Nicolas Sarkozy begins five-year prison term at La Santé in Paris
Japan stocks surge to record as Sanae Takaichi becomes Prime Minister
This Is How the 'Heist of the Century' Was Carried Out at the Louvre in Seven Minutes: France Humiliated as Crown with 2,000 Diamonds Vanishes
China Warns UK of ‘Consequences’ After Delay to London Embassy Approval
France’s Wealthy Shift Billions to Luxembourg and Switzerland Amid Tax and Political Turmoil
"Sniper Position": Observation Post Targeting 'Air Force One' Found Before Trump’s Arrival in Florida
Shouting Match at the White House: 'Trump Cursed, Threw Maps, and Told Zelensky – "Putin Will Destroy You"'
Windows’ Own ‘Siri’ Has Arrived: You Can Now Talk to Your Computer
Thailand and Singapore Investigate Cambodian-Based Prince Group as U.S. and U.K. Sanctions Unfold
‘No Kings’ Protests Inflate Numbers — But History Shows Nations Collapse Without Strong Executive Power
Chinese Tech Giants Halt Stablecoin Launches After Beijing’s Regulatory Intervention
Manhattan Jury Holds BNP Paribas Liable for Enabling Sudanese Government Abuses
Trump Orders Immediate Release of Former Congressman George Santos After Commuting Prison Sentence
S&P Downgrades France’s Credit Rating, Citing Soaring Debt and Political Instability
Ofcom Rules BBC’s Gaza Documentary ‘Materially Misleading’ Over Narrator’s Hamas Ties
Diane Keaton’s Cause of Death Revealed as Pneumonia, Family Confirms
Former Lostprophets Frontman Ian Watkins Stabbed to Death in British Prison
"The Tsunami Is Coming, and It’s Massive": The World’s Richest Man Unveils a New AI Vision
Outsider, Heroine, Trailblazer: Diane Keaton Was Always a Little Strange — and Forever One of a Kind
Dramatic Development in the Death of 'Mango' Founder: Billionaire's Son Suspected of Murder
Two Years of Darkness: The Harrowing Testimonies of Israeli Hostages Emerging From Gaza Captivity
EU Moves to Use Frozen Russian Assets to Buy U.S. Weapons for Ukraine
Europe Emerges as the Biggest Casualty in U.S.-China Rare Earth Rivalry
HSBC Confronts Strategic Crossroads as NAB Seeks Only Retail Arm in Australia Exit
U.S. Chamber Sues Trump Over $100,000 H-1B Visa Fee
Shenzhen Expo Spotlights China’s Quantum Step in Semiconductor Self-Reliance
China Accelerates to the Forefront in Global Nuclear Fusion Race
Yachts, Private Jets, and a Picasso Painting: Exposed as 'One of the Largest Frauds in History'
Australia’s Wedgetail Spies Aid NATO Response as Russian MiGs Breach Estonian Airspace
McGowan Urges Chalmers to Cut Spending Over Tax Hike to Close $20 Billion Budget Gap
Victoria Orders Review of Transgender Prison Placement Amid Safety Concerns for Female Inmates
U.S. Treasury Mobilises New $20 Billion Debt Facility to Stabilise Argentina
French Business Leaders Decry Budget as Macron’s Pro-Enterprise Promise Undermined
Trump Claims Modi Pledged India Would End Russian Oil Imports Amid U.S. Tariff Pressure
Surging AI Startup Valuations Fuel Bubble Concerns Among Top Investors
Australian Punter Archie Wilson Tears Up During Nebraska Press Conference, Sparking Conversation on Male Vulnerability
Australia Confirms U.S. Access to Upgraded Submarine Shipyard Under AUKUS Deal
“Firepower” Promised for Ukraine as NATO Ministers Meet — But U.S. Tomahawks Remain Undecided
Brands Confront New Dilemma as Extremists Adopt Fashion Labels
The Sydney Sweeney and Jeans Storm: “The Outcome Surpassed Our Wildest Dreams”
Erika Kirk Delivers Moving Tribute at White House as Trump Awards Charlie Presidential Medal of Freedom
British Food Influencer ‘Big John’ Detained in Australia After Visa Dispute
ScamBodia: The Chinese Fraud Empire Shielded by Cambodia’s Ruling Elite
French PM Suspends Macron’s Pension Reform Until After 2027 in Bid to Stabilize Government
Orange, Bouygues and Free Make €17 Billion Bid for Drahi’s Altice France Telecom Assets
Dutch Government Seizes Chipmaker After U.S. Presses for Removal of Chinese CEO
×