flexiblefullpage
billboard
interstitial1
catfish1
Currently Reading

In Southern California, a former industrial zone continues to revitalize with an award-winning office property

Office Buildings

In Southern California, a former industrial zone continues to revitalize with an award-winning office property

The three-floor building offers about 25,000 sf of office and amenity spaces, as well as a variety of sustainable and energy-efficient components.


By Novid Parsi, Contributing Editor | May 4, 2023
In Southern California, a former industrial zone continues to revitalize with an award-winning office property. Photo: Patrick Tang, Take Flyt Imaging
Photo: Patrick Tang, Take Flyt Imaging

In Culver City, Calif., Del Amo Construction, a construction company based in Southern California, has completed the adaptive reuse of 3516 Schaefer St, a new office property. 3516 Schaefer is located in Culver City’s redeveloped Hayden Tract neighborhood, a former industrial zone that has become a technology and corporate hub. In March, Los Angeles Business Journal gave 3516 Schaefer St the top Gold award in the commercial office category.

Owned by Redcar Ltd. and designed by RAC Design Build, with contract administration services from Formation Association, the three-floor property consists of about 25,000 sf of office and amenity spaces. In addition to 18-foot-high floors, the building’s features include a mix of open-floor work areas and conference rooms, a second-floor break room with kitchen space, a third-floor mezzanine area, private patios, outdoor decks on all floors, and a secured parking lot.

Originally, the project site included an existing single-story building that Del Amo Construction removed, as well as a crane-rail steel structure that was modified and incorporated into the new building. The new space, which is adjacent to Redcar’s two-story 3520 Schaefer St, provides an airy, low-rise structure with indoor-outdoor features, a sloping roof line, and an exterior of metal, glass, concrete, and wood.

3516 Schaefer St’s sustainable and energy-efficient components include custom steel windows and doors fabricated to allow for fresh air and ventilation, roof solar panels with a fully integrated photovoltaic system, variable refrigerant flow (VFR) HVAC, EnergyStar appliances, programmable Lutron lighting, three fully operational EV charging stations with eight additional pre-installed locations, bicycle parking, a stormwater capturing drywell system, and drought-tolerant landscaping.

On the Building Team:
Owner/developer: Redcar Ltd.
Design architect and architect of record: RAC Design Build
MEP engineer: AMA Consulting Engineering
Structural engineer: Glotman Simpson
General contractor: Del Amo Construction

In Southern California, a former industrial zone continues to revitalize with an award-winning office property Photo: Patrick Tang, Take Flyt Imaging
Photo: Patrick Tang, Take Flyt Imaging
3516 Schaefer St adaptive reuse 8B2A3940
Photo: Patrick Tang, Take Flyt Imaging
3516 Schaefer St adaptive reuse 8B2A4000
Photo: Patrick Tang, Take Flyt Imaging
3516 Schaefer St adaptive reuse 8B2A3912
Photo: Patrick Tang, Take Flyt Imaging

Related Stories

Codes and Standards | Jul 19, 2023

Office leasing in major markets by financial services firms rebounds to pre-pandemic norms

Though the pandemic led to reductions in office leasing by financial services firms in gateway markets, a recent report by JLL found a notable leasing resurgence by those firms.

Sustainability | Jul 13, 2023

Deep green retrofits: Updating old buildings to new sustainability standards

HOK’s David Weatherhead and Atenor’s Eoin Conroy discuss the challenges and opportunities of refurbishing old buildings to meet modern-day sustainability standards.

Government Buildings | Jul 13, 2023

The recently opened U.S. Embassy in Ankara reflects U.S. values while honoring Turkish architecture

The U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Overseas Buildings Operations (OBO) has recently opened the U.S. Embassy in Ankara, Turkey. The design by Ennead Architects aims to balance transparency and openness with security, according to a press statement. The design also seeks both to honor Turkey’s architectural traditions and to meet OBO’s goals of sustainability, resiliency, and stewardship.

Sponsored | Fire and Life Safety | Jul 12, 2023

Fire safety considerations for cantilevered buildings [AIA course]

Bold cantilevered designs are prevalent today, as developers and architects strive to maximize space, views, and natural light in buildings. Cantilevered structures, however, present a host of challenges for building teams, according to José R. Rivera, PE, Associate Principal and Director of Plumbing and Fire Protection with Lilker.

Mass Timber | Jul 11, 2023

5 solutions to acoustic issues in mass timber buildings

For all its advantages, mass timber also has a less-heralded quality: its acoustic challenges. Exposed wood ceilings and floors have led to issues with excessive noise. Mass timber experts offer practical solutions to the top five acoustic issues in mass timber buildings.

Multifamily Housing | Jul 11, 2023

Converting downtown office into multifamily residential: Let’s stop and think about this

Is the office-to-residential conversion really what’s best for our downtowns from a cultural, urban, economic perspective? Or is this silver bullet really a poison pill?

Adaptive Reuse | Jul 10, 2023

California updates building code for adaptive reuse of office, retail structures for housing

The California Building Standards Commission recently voted to make it easier to convert commercial properties to residential use. The commission adopted provisions of the International Existing Building Code (IEBC) that allow developers more flexibility for adaptive reuse of retail and office structures.

Headquarters | Jul 5, 2023

The game room: Transforming game design office spaces

IA Interior Architects' designers discuss the aesthetic considerations for gaming industry work environments.

Office Buildings | Jun 28, 2023

When office-to-residential conversion works

The cost and design challenges involved with office-to-residential conversions can be daunting; designers need to devise creative uses to fully utilize the space.

Standards | Jun 26, 2023

New Wi-Fi standard boosts indoor navigation, tracking accuracy in buildings

The recently released Wi-Fi standard, IEEE 802.11az enables more refined and accurate indoor location capabilities. As technology manufacturers incorporate the new standard in various devices, it will enable buildings, including malls, arenas, and stadiums, to provide new wayfinding and tracking features.

boombox1
boombox2
native1

More In Category



Sustainable Design and Construction

Northglenn, a Denver suburb, opens a net zero, all-electric city hall with a mass timber structure

Northglenn, Colo., a Denver suburb, has opened the new Northglenn City Hall—a net zero, fully electric building with a mass timber structure. The 32,600-sf, $33.7 million building houses 60 city staffers. Designed by Anderson Mason Dale Architects, Northglenn City Hall is set to become the first municipal building in Colorado, and one of the first in the country, to achieve the Core certification: a green building rating system overseen by the International Living Future Institute.


MFPRO+ News

San Francisco unveils guidelines to streamline office-to-residential conversions

The San Francisco Department of Building Inspection announced a series of new building code guidelines clarifying adaptive reuse code provisions and exceptions for converting office-to-residential buildings. Developed in response to the Commercial to Residential Adaptive Reuse program established in July 2023, the guidelines aim to increase the viability of converting underutilized office buildings into housing by reducing regulatory barriers in specific zoning districts downtown. 

halfpage1

Most Popular Content

  1. 2021 Giants 400 Report
  2. Top 150 Architecture Firms for 2019
  3. 13 projects that represent the future of affordable housing
  4. Sagrada Familia completion date pushed back due to coronavirus
  5. Top 160 Architecture Firms 2021