Firm： ORA

Type： Commercial › Office

STATUS： Built

YEAR： 2016

SIZE： 5000 sqft - 10,000 sqft

This project is an adaptive reuse of a 1920’s warehouse in the industrial zone of Los Angeles’ Chinatown neighborhood. The building was restored and converted into three creative office suites, one of which is a 6,000 square foot headquarters for a prominent music booking agency.

The tenant required space to facilitate changing daily operations and evolving partnerships, as well as consolidate its loose network of agents, managers and creative staff. This necessitated flexible and varied daytime work environments and a large open space for events.

The design locates private offices for agents and managers along the perimeter with creative staff situated on mezzanines above between the roof trusses, maximizing the open space. Expanded metal mesh mezzanine guardrails and large conference room pivoting screens provide transparency and separation while formally linking disparate program elements into one cohesive environment.

Custom plywood and steel furniture organizes the open area program and circulation. Two oversize tables provide a drop-in workspace for staff, clients and visitors by day and dining tables for evening gatherings. Plywood booths offer flexible, semi-private areas for work, casual meetings and lunch breaks. Stacked reclaimed timbers are used address existing building level changes and create informal gathering spaces.

An important project goal was to maintain the existing building’s character while creating a viable workplace and event location. A modest material palette of plywood, steel and drywall assembled with care and restraint complements the industrial aesthetic of the existing building shell. Existing structure, steel glazing systems and wood flooring have been restored and reused. New infrastructure is designed for decreased resource demands and increased energy performance.