Archinect - News

UCLA buys into Westside Pavilion conversion space formerly reserved for Google campus

2023-12-29T12:15:00-05:00

UCLA has purchased the former Westside Pavilion shopping mall near its campus, reports The Real Deal. The 580,000-square-foot office known as One Westside was formerly been leased to Google for a 14-year term, but was left vacant as the company’s staff reductions began in January of this year ended the deal.

The Gensler project was partially completed in 2022 at a cost of $475 million. The other 240,000-square-foot half of the mall has been redone by a developer called GPI and includes a mixed-use residential component enacted at what used to be the mall’s parking lot. Google had invested in a spate of other office conversions highlighted by the $280 million Thompson Center project in Chicago, earning it praise as one of corporate America’s leading proponents of adaptive reuse strategies.

According to The Real Deal: “UCLA has not said what it wants to do with the three-story indoor mall, wh...

Frank Gehry's Ocean Avenue Project gets the final go-ahead in Santa Monica

2022-07-19T13:23:00-04:00

After nearly a decade of planning and design changes, Frank Gehry’s proposed Ocean Avenue mixed-use development has finally been given the go-ahead by the Santa Monica City Council.

Gehry Partners says it will be characterized by a “full-service hotel, world-class exhibitions and programs in a new space for cultural institutions, affordable and market rate housing, and a variety of publicly accessible spaces including a new pedestrian mall,” and come along with a LEED Silver certification. The estimated cost of the project is around $243 million, and the firm says it will include a cultural program and employment package that will deliver an estimated $53.3 million in economic benefits to the Westside community.

Image courtesy Gehry Partners LLP

“The Frank Gehry Project is unique, brings new amenities like a cultural institution to the Downtown, and will provide one-time funds to deliver City services including transportation infrastructure, parks, re...

20 featured architecture and design jobs on LA's Westside

2022-07-15T11:45:00-04:00

If you are looking for new architectural career opportunities in the greater Los Angeles area and would like to be near Southern California's magnificent beaches, check out our latest weekly picks of featured positions from Archinect Jobs. This highlight includes a selection of exciting openings in the coastal neighborhoods of Venice, Santa Monica, Hermosa Beach, and El Segundo as well as LA's bustling 405-adjacent hubs of Culver City, Inglewood, and West Los Angeles.

Need to look up specific job titles from the architectural profession? Simply consult Archinect's Guide to Job Titles series. To improve your portfolio, resume, interviewing skills, and increase your overall chances of getting that next job, follow our Archinect Tips series.

Eric Owen Moss Architects seeks a Designer and an Architect/Job Captain in Culver City
"Eric Owen Moss Architects is seeking talented architects/designers for its international architecture practice based in Culver City, CA. The position requires a...

Design, Bitches lead pedestrian-friendly remodel of a major shopping center in Los Angeles

2018-08-20T16:23:00-04:00

...the center, known as Runway, is being remade as a place where pedestrians will be more inclined to hang out, shop and eat — without having to dodge vehicles. After seeing the closed-off streets packed with people during farmers markets and other special events, manager DJM Capital Partners Inc. concluded that Runway’s autocentric ethos was outdated and has decided to make the ban full time, even though the center was built only three years ago in the recently developed community.

The Runway, a 220,000 square foot retail space in Los Angeles neighborhood Playa Vista, will undergo a $9.1 million renovation lead by local architect team Design, Bitches. The complex is located next to Marina Del Rey, Venice, and Santa Monica making it part of the Westside area known as "Silicon Beach". The new plan for Runway focuses on closing off the streets and creating a more pedestrian friendly space.

The Runway at Playa Vista rendering by Design, Bitches. Image: Design, Bitches.

As shopping centers face major changes to compete with online stores, these spaces are being rebranded as "lifestyle centers" focusing on public space as their main attraction. The Runway renovation is expected to be complete by early 2019.

Roam L.A.'s Westside with these travel tips from Ehrlich Architects' Takashi Yanai

2015-12-18T19:41:00-05:00

No two people, let alone architects, perceive even the most frequented cities in the same way. How do designers experience their cities as locals?

Head westbound on the traffic-laden streets of Los Angeles and chances are that you'll find yourself in the aptly named Westside. This loosely bordered part of the city is a hodgepodge of districts that include the Hollywood set-like mansions of Beverly Hills, Miracle Mile in Mid-Wilshire, and quirky beachside Venice, to name a few. Aside from that, the Westside is home to a number of well-loved architectural landmarks, as well as where some of today's most famous architects established their careers decades ago.

Archinect got in touch with Takashi Yanai, Partner and Director of the Residential Studio at Ehrlich Architects, who shared a chockfull of must-see sites around his "neck of the L.A. woods", as he described. Check out Yanai's suggestions — and some of his Instagram shots — right below to rediscover old favorites or find something c...

Rush hospital just what the doctor ordered?

2011-12-13T00:37:00-05:00

The new Rush hospital is already a major success as a work of architecture and urban design. It reminds us that a hospital needs to be designed for two sets of clients: Those who use it and those who simply pass by. The best-designed hospitals heal scars in the cityscape as well as patients. We'll know next year if the new Rush does both.