Miguel Nelson and Sherry Walsh are the eclectic, environmental visionaries responsible for the reconstruction and redesign of two of L.A.’s greenest event spaces, Marvimon House and SmogShoppe. Both are indoor and outdoor fortresses lusciously filled with native vegetation and vintage decadence where people ceremoniously congregate dance and devour delicious edibles and libations!

Opened in 1924 by an Italian race car driver, Marvimon House was originally an automobile showroom. Just East of Chinatown and just north of Los Angeles State Historic Park (site of 2009 Burning Man Decompression and Cirque Berzerk) the 7,000 square-foot event venue can now accommodate 200 people for standing events and 130 people for formal, sit-down dinners—but now the cars stay outside at valet instead of being inside on display!

Nelson and Sherry recycled what was a virtually abandoned building and turned it into a “permeable, living oasis” using Woolly Pockets—Nelson’s current living art business project—and by reusing materials in different ways such as salvaging lumber and using it to build Marvimon’s benches and tables.

“We both enjoy thinking about and experiencing architectural space. The idea of a manmade environment that is in harmony with nature is exciting to us,” says Nelson.

For their next trick, the dynamic duo transformed a 1980’s smog-check center into a 100% solar-powered, indoor and outdoor event space—Culver City’s SmogShoppe. This fortress is covered with native plants held in Woolly Pockets and is dripping with vintage style. In fact, there are far too many ways this building is classified as “green” to list here, but according to their website, the space qualified for 55 out of 57 “points” by the U.S. Green Building Council’s Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) for Platinum Certification.

Both locations holistically meld living art, architecture, design, and recycling. “We don’t really care for many new designs so we hunt for and reclaim older worn-in stuff to furnish and build with,” says Nelson. “It’s really all about the mix(ing) and the layering of real and fictional history. Our designs are filled with little jokes and shrines and mistakes … Marivmon and SmogShoppe are both … more personal and handmade than most commercial spaces.”

When asked what his dream is for LA and how his event spaces are helping to accomplish this dream, this thrift-store frequenting futurist replied by painting a clean and honest picture to which I say, “here here:”

“I’d like to see one thousand times more plants growing in Los Angeles by 2020. This is totally possible and realistic. I’d also like to see one hundred times less new construction. I think we have plenty of buildings already that are underutilized that could be carefully restored and converted to better uses … Finally, and this may sound harsh, please don’t take it the wrong way, but I’d like to see 20% less residents in LA by 2020. There are too many people who live here that don’t seem to want to live here anymore (maybe they came for the wrong reasons, or their situation has changed, or they’ve grown up, whatever). I don’t fault them, but wish they’d take a leap of faith and follow their heart to a better place. This would decrease LA’s environmental impact, alleviate congestion and make room for those of us who love it here.”

If your searching for the perfect destination to hold your next eco inspired event, you can’t ask for much better (or greener).

Marvimon House  1411 North Broadway Blvd.  Los Angeles, CA 90012  310-837-3610  kara@marvimon.com
www.marvimon.com

SmogShoppe 2651 South La Cienga Blvd.  Los Angeles, CA 90034  310-837-3610  kara@marvimon.com
www.marvimon.com

Photos Courtesy of www.marvimon.com