flexiblefullpage -
billboard - default
interstitial1 - interstitial
catfish1 - bottom
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

Multifamily Housing | Jul 25, 2023

San Francisco seeks proposals for adaptive reuse of underutilized downtown office buildings

The City of San Francisco released a Request For Interest to identify office building conversions that city officials could help expedite with zoning changes, regulatory measures, and financial incentives.

Market Data | Jul 24, 2023

Leading economists call for 2% increase in building construction spending in 2024

Following a 19.7% surge in spending for commercial, institutional, and industrial buildings in 2023, leading construction industry economists expect spending growth to come back to earth in 2024, according to the July 2023 AIA Consensus Construction Forecast Panel. 

Office Buildings | Jul 24, 2023

A twist on office conversions maximizes leasable space  

A recent NELSON Worldwide project is made more suitable for multiple workplace tenants.

Biophilic Design | Jul 20, 2023

Transform your work environment with biophilic design

Lauren Elliott, Director of Interior Design, Design Collaborative, shares various ways biophilic design elements can be incorporated into the office space.

Office Buildings | Jul 20, 2023

The co-worker as the new office amenity

Incentivizing, rather than mandating the return to the office, is the key to bringing back happy employees that want to work from the office. Spaces that are designed and curated for human-centric experiences will attract employees back into the workplace, and in turn, make office buildings thrive once again. Perkins&Will’s Wyatt Frantom offers a macro to micro view of the office market and the impact of employees on the future of work.

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.

boombox1 - default
boombox2 -
native1 -

More In Category


AEC Innovators

3 ways the most innovative companies work differently

Gensler’s pre-pandemic workplace research reinforced that great workplace design drives creativity and innovation. Using six performance indicators, we're able to view workers’ perceptions of the quality of innovation, creativity, and leadership in an employee’s organization.


Laboratories

HGA unveils plans to transform an abandoned rock quarry into a new research and innovation campus

In the coastal town of Manchester-by-the-Sea, Mass., an abandoned rock quarry will be transformed into a new research and innovation campus designed by HGA. The campus will reuse and upcycle the granite left onsite. The project for Cell Signaling Technology (CST), a life sciences technology company, will turn an environmentally depleted site into a net-zero laboratory campus, with building electrification and onsite renewables.


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