Phase 1 of The Press, an adaptive reuse project that is converting an old Los Angeles Times facility into a modern office campus, was recently completed in Costa Mesa, Calif. The project is retaining most of the existing, 450,000 sf structure, and converting it into an expansive creative campus with contemporary office space.
A strategy of “selective subtraction” was utilized throughout the project to introduce daylight, fresh air, and views, according to a news release from Del Amo Construction, the project’s general contractor. This strategy included removal of roof panels and covering walls to expose the underlying skeletal structure. Elements such as canopies and monolithic concrete walls are a nod to the former production space—an active newsroom and printing plant that operated from 1968 to 2010 and was decommissioned in 2014.
The design by Ehrlich Yanai Rhee Chaney Architects (EYRC) aims to preserve the integrity of the original site while bringing it up to today’s health, safety and building code standards. Challenges included significant remediation from ink and fuel tanks found on site, as well as ensuring the property was compliant with current ADA requirements.
“The Press is a human-scaled, creative campus with a rich history, positioned at the heart of Orange County’s newly energized business corridor,” said EYRC Partner Patricia Rhee, FAIA. “It’s so exciting to see the transformation of The Press and how it’s signaling a new life for this massive industrial complex—its emergence from years of disrepair.”
All aspects of the core and shell revitalization are now completed. Ongoing work will add new structures including a parking garage and R&D building. The remaining structures of the multi-phased project are scheduled to be completed in early 2023.
The Press was recently leased by Anduril Industries, constituting the largest office lease in the last 15 years in Orange County.
Building Team:
Owner and/or developer: SteelWave and 5 Ronin
Design architect: Ehrlich Yanai Rhee Chaney (EYRC)
Architect of record: Ehrlich Yanai Rhee Chaney (EYRC)
MEP engineer: Alvine Engineering
Structural engineer: Saiful Bouquet
General contractor/construction manager: Del Amo Construction
Related Stories
Office Buildings | Apr 4, 2017
Amazon’s newest office building will be an ‘urban treehouse’
The building will provide 405,000 sf of office space in downtown Seattle.
Standards | Mar 29, 2017
Wellness movement is catching on with AEC firms
Hord Caplan Macht the latest to join the club by submitting its offices for certification under Fitwel’s program.
BIM and Information Technology | Mar 28, 2017
Digital tools accelerated the design and renovation of one contractor’s new office building
One shortcut: sending shop drawings created from laser scans directly to a wood panel fabricator.
Office Buildings | Mar 27, 2017
New York warehouse to become an office mixing industrial and modern aesthetics
The building is located in West Chelsea between the High Line and West Street.
Office Buildings | Mar 24, 2017
Brookfield expands its ‘office of the future’ brand to Houston
The developer engaged four design firms to come up with unique suites it will market under its DesignHive label.
Office Buildings | Mar 21, 2017
Fruit company’s HQ acts as an oasis among surrounding industrial processing yards
Graham Baba Architects designed the project around a central, landscaped courtyard.
Office Buildings | Mar 20, 2017
The new workplace: More than a generational issue
Today’s workplace requires designers and employers to look holistically at the organization’s culture, its criteria for success, and its place in the world.
Office Buildings | Mar 7, 2017
Large creative office projects generate staggering returns for property investors
A new Transwestern report examines the adaptive reuse trend across the U.S.
Office Buildings | Mar 2, 2017
White paper from Perkins Eastman and Three H examines how design can inform employee productivity and wellbeing
This paper is the first in a planned three-part series of studies on the evolution of diverse office environments and how the contemporary activity-based workplace (ABW) can be uniquely tailored to support a range of employee personalities, tasks and work modes.
Office Buildings | Mar 2, 2017
Office renovation and addition give new life to a section of Huntsville, Ala.
The newly opened Freedom Center, near Redstone Arsenal, includes a 10,000-sf conference center.
