WE3 at Water’s Edge, a six-story, 160,000-sf creative workspace has completed construction in an area of Playa Vista colloquially referred to as “Silicon Beach.”
WE3 is the third and final building in a pre-existing commercial campus. SPF:architects’ main challenge with the project was to create a plan fully integrated with the existing conditions that would maximize the lot’s buildable area and maintain a compelling architectural standard. The project evolved over time to create a longer, more flexible office space that allowed more light and views on each elevation. A new public courtyard was created and an existing on grade sports field was relocated over the parking substructure.
The 400-foot-long building includes four levels of parking (two subterranean, one at grade, and one above grade) and four floors of open workspace. Each of the four levels is approximately 40,000-sf and fifteen feet floor to floor.
WE3 at Water's Edge - SPF:architects from SPF:architects on Vimeo.
Due to zoning restrictions, the building’s top floor could not be contiguous and exceed 20,000 sf. In order to maintain the desired area requirements, a gap was introduced mid-floor and a sky garden was created. The sky garden is located approximately 70 feet above natural grade and provides views toward Baldwin Hills and the Pacific Ocean. It also provides tenants with a wind-shielded terrace that can be used for impromptu meetings or casual workspaces. Additionally, all circulation and exiting is designed to be exterior.
WE3’s exterior includes a “floating,” perforated skin that shrouds the building and dematerializes it, visually lengthening the structure’s significant mass while providing the glass facade cover from the full brunt of the sun. Natural light filters through the skin in all directions and is proportionally spread across the entirety of the interior surface area.
Related Stories
Office Buildings | Sep 30, 2016
How to choose the right amenities for your office
No matter how lavish the amenities, they’ll prove ineffective in making any kind of positive impact if they don’t align to a company’s culture and the characteristics that make an organization unique, write Gensler’s Lena Kitson and Kimberly Foster.
High-rise Construction | Sep 23, 2016
A massive redevelopment in Tokyo reunites developer and architect
Mitsui Fudosan and SOM join forces to create OH-1, a mixed-use complex with a prominent public square.
Office Buildings | Sep 22, 2016
‘Floating’ triangular glass building from Foster + Partners breaks ground in Copenhagen
The glass building provides the illusion of floating above a stone plinth.
Office Buildings | Sep 20, 2016
Sterling Bay proposes SOM-designed office tower near Chicago’s newly opened Transit Center at Union Station
The building is one of several projects that are filling this developer’s plate in this city.
Office Buildings | Sep 8, 2016
Taipei’s Lè Architecture, designed by Aedas, is almost complete
The 18-story building is designed to resemble a moss-covered river pebble in Taipei’s Nangang District.
Office Buildings | Sep 2, 2016
Eight-story digital installation added as part of ESI Design’s renovation of Denver’s Wells Fargo Center
The crown jewel of a three-year makeover project, the LED columns bring the building’s lobby to life.
Codes and Standards | Sep 1, 2016
Overuse of air conditioning hurts office productivity
A study found temperatures in the low 70s reduce worker performance.
| Aug 12, 2016
OFFICE GIANTS: Technology is giving office workers the chance to play musical chairs
Technology is redefining how offices function and is particularly salient in the growing trend of "hoteling" and "hot seating" or "free addressing."
| Aug 12, 2016
Top 70 Office Engineering Firms
Jacobs, AECOM, and Thornton Tomasetti top Building Design+Construction’s annual ranking of the nation’s largest office sector engineering and E/A firms, as reported in the 2016 Giants 300 Report.
| Aug 12, 2016
Top 100 Office Construction Firms
Turner Construction Co., Structure Tone, and Gilbane Building Co. top Building Design+Construction’s annual ranking of the nation’s largest office sector construction and construction management firms, as reported in the 2016 Giants 300 Report.