Flying high: Christopher Martin is continuing the family tradition of shaping Los Angeles--and he's pursuing his passion for experimental planes.

CHRISTOPHER C. Martin, co-chairman and chief executive of A.C. Martin Partners Inc., is the third generation of his family to lead the architecture firm. From the May Co. building at Wilshire Boulevard and Fairfax Avenue to Arco Plaza downtown and the refurbishment of City Hall, each has had a hand in shaping the city. Now, Martin is guiding the firm to what could be one of its largest commissions as part of the Forest City Enterprises team competing for the $1.2 billion Grand Avenue redevelopment. Active in both business and civic affairs, Martin will become chairman of the Los Angeles Area Chamber of Commerce next year. An avid flyer who has built his own plane, he also has some thoughts about the proposed modernization of Los Angeles International Airport.

Question: The Martin family has had a hand in L.A. architecture for nearly a century. How did that shape how you approach your work?

Answer: Architecture and urban planning was something we talked about all the time. We were always talking about the land and the environment and the city, about how all the different parts can come together to form a world-class metropolis. That was dinner table conversation for us. My grandfather used to say you must take care of your community. If your community is healthy, your business is healthy.

Q: But often the community has little interest in the client.

A: Nimby-ism is not a good planning principal. It's the antithesis of good planning. It's all about "I've got mine and to hell with everybody else." That is not the way cities work. It's not healthy for anyone to do that.

Q: You live in Sierra Madre, one of the wealthiest communities in L.A., but the dream of homeownership remains just that for most people in Los Angeles.

A: I'm very disappointed we haven't figured out how to solve the housing issue so we have a more homogenized blend of housing. It's irresponsible to have communities that are completely exclusive and yet demand a workforce that can't live in the community. That's not right.

Q: The City Council may force developers to restrict 20 percent of the units they build for low-income residents. How would this change how housing is built?

A: If we go into what's called inclusionary zoning, it's at the expense of workforce housing. We need police officers, fireman and city workers but they can't afford to live in the community. At he same time they are not low income. They won't get that 20 percent in the projects but they can't afford the next level up, which is almost double in price. That's not the way to make it work.

Q: Why don't you believe inclusionary housing can work?

A: The problem is that it's driven by a desire for a political solution. Politicians are trying to appeal directly to low-income individuals and to a political philosophy that is not well thought out. There has to be a homogenization of housing, it has to be a blend. Otherwise you end up with these high concentrations of low-income housing, which is not what we want.

Q: You were chair of the Central City Association when it proposed adaptive reuse, which was credited as one of the main drivers of downtown's revival.

A: We were looking for an answer of what to do with all these old buildings that will never get leased. We argued that as long as developers made everything safe and complied with the intent of the (housing) code, they should be able to convert them. Now they're back on the tax rolls, generating money and easing transportation because you don't have people driving back and forth on the freeways. And with more people living downtown, restaurants are putting on the next shift of workers.

Q: Your firm has been chosen as a finalist for the $1.2 billion Grand Avenue project. You must be on pins and needles.

A: We're very excited about this opportunity. I'm particularly excited because I've spent my career working downtown and this is the most significant final big project in the downtown area, in the city center particularly.

Q: Why has your firm made it this far?

A: We have a saying in my industry. A project is like a three-legged milking stool, and the three legs are time, design and money. If you don't have them equally supported you fall over. In my estimation they got away from the economics of the issue. I think there was far too much discussion of the design of the buildings and they got away from the discussion of the environment and the economic solutions.

Q: The Los Angeles Conservancy is pushing for the Ambassador Hotel site to be preserved, while LAUSD is contemplating tearing down a large portion for a new school. What should happen there?

A: I'm disappointed the conservancy played such a major role. They have essentially said you must keep the buildings, but the buildings don't work for educational purposes. We need to keep remembrances of these things but we can't turn these buildings into shrines.

Q: Do you see that as an odd sentiment for the man whose firm oversaw the restoration of L.A.'s City Hall?

A: We're lucky from a firm standpoint. Our office did the May Co. department store at Wilshire and Fairfax. Tom May and my grandfather were the best of friends. Tom May wanted to do this great department store on Wilshire to be the showcase of department stores. The result is that beautiful historical building. It's not a shrine to us and it's not a shrine to Tom May. It was a building for commerce.

Q: You'll become chairman of the Los Angeles Area Chamber of Commerce in January. Do you think Mayor James Hahn is in tune with the business community?

A: I see the mayor as being interested in the business agenda. Whenever we ask him a question he responds well. He reached out to the business community to help defeat (San Fernando Valley and Hollywood) secession, and we really put our shoulders to the wheel on that. We have also been involved in reviewing his plans for Los Angeles International Airport, which we support with some amendments.

Q: Why are you taking that approach instead of calling for a new plan?

A: We didn't want to throw it back to square one and start another 10-year environmental review process. There's $3 billion worth of work that I don't think anybody has any disagreement on. And those are all related to efficiency and safety and security.

Q: That sounds a lot like the alternative proposed by City Councilwoman Cindy Miscikowski.

A: I think Cindy Miscikowski's proposal is very well written and it parallels the views that we had in the chamber. I think the mayor is in favor of Cindy's proposal as well. In the end I think he is going to come out and say Cindy's proposal is great. I just hope (City Council President) Alex Padilla is able to pull together a special committee so that it doesn't stagnate.

Q: Speaking of flight, your hobby is to design, build and fly experimental aircraft.

A: I started making models when I was a kid. When I got married, I was flying sailplanes. When my wife became pregnant I stopped, but I reserved the right to fly again in the future, and she was OK with that. Then in 1996, my son really got the bug when he was about 16. It became a father-son thing.

Q: And so you've built a plane?

A: Right after we got back into it we said "let's build a real plane." We researched it and I wanted to use the greatest materials. We wanted carbon fiber, fiberglass, Kevlar and foam core. We started with a kit for the hull, which cost about $35,000 and then we selected the engine and the propeller. We added the avionics and radios. All together, I've sunk about $150,000 into building the plane. It took three years and four months.

Q: Have you had any close calls?

A: One time, we were taking off from this airport on the tip of Baja and at the end of the runway was a ravine and then a wall, so you have to get off the ground or bring the plane to a stop. Well, halfway down the runway we were just below takeoff speed. Not a big deal. But the plane wouldn't gain speed and we're past the point when we can stop. So I push the throttle all the way down and pull back as hard as I can on the wheel and we just barely get off the ground and clear the wall.

INTERVIEW

Christopher C. Martin

Title: Co-Chairman and Chief Executive

Company: A.C. Martin Partners Inc.

Born: June 1950, Pasadena

Education: B.S. in architecture, USC 

Career Turning Point: As a 9-year-old he realized his father was an engineer but didn't drive trains for a living; that led to his interest in buildings

Most Admired Person: His father, for his vision and entrepreneurship

Hobbies: Designing, building and flying experimental aircraft

Personal: Married, three children