SPF:architects has topped out construction on WE3 at Water’s Edge, a six-story creative office building in Playa Vista. The 183,000 square foot structure along Silicon Beach encompasses four floors of open creative workspace, with upper floors of the structure wrapped in a “floating” perforated aluminum skin.
Sited on the last developable lot in the Playa Vista Specific Plan, WE3 will be the third and final structure of a sprawling 6.5-acre campus currently occupied by Electronic Arts and LA Fitness. WE3 is 400-feet in length with a total usable area of 160,000 square feet, laid out along the entirety of the campus’ eastern edge. The site strategy included the relocation of an existing soccer pitch (for public use), with a new synthetic grass field set to anchor the planned plaza.
As SPF:a states, WE3 experiments with new forms to create a LEED Gold eligible creative workspace. This six-story concrete structure reduces material waste by incorporating locally sourced and recycled concrete and metal and includes large insulated windows along the perimeter to optimize natural light and reduce energy use. The perforated metal skin wrapping the building filters daylight to provide relief from blazing western light, further reducing the need for heating and cooling. Additionally, the skin extends beyond the southern and northern edges of the structure to administer shade throughout the day.
The $80 million project, which broke ground April 2018, is the third and final structure of the sprawling Water’s Edge campus, a 6.5-acre block located at the intersection of Lincoln and Jefferson boulevards. WE3 is being developed by Rockwood Capital and Marshall Property & Development. McCarthy Building Companies is overseeing construction. In October, Nike leased the two upper floors. The athletics brand will join a number of other tenants already operating on the campus, including Electronic Arts, LA Fitness, ad agency Doner and entertainment company Pop Media Group.
WE3 topped out November 2019 and is expected to finish construction May 2020.
