DESIGNING L.A.
Recent Work in Los Angeles
About SCB
SCB is an architecture, planning, interior and urban design firm.
Founded in Chicago in 1931, SCB provides design services nationwide.
SCB is at the forefront of dense urban living, innovative workplaces, inspiring learning environments, resilient infrastructure, and vibrant communities. Through the collective impact of nearly a century of work, the firm has made an indelible mark on the contemporary landscape.
Today, SCB is recognized as one of the nation’s leading designers of urban residential buildings with 250+ multi-family projects representing over 55,000 units. Working across multiple markets and residential typologies, SCB is creating a new paradigm of urban living for changing cities and demographics. From large condominiums to smaller affordable apartments, we have worked across the spectrum of multi-family and mixed-use developments. Our “inside-out” design methodology paired with a balanced understanding of high-level design, technical innovation, and sustainable design strategies has resulted in an award-winning portfolio of work for some of the top developers in the country.
As a design firm working across the country in various office markets, SCB brings a broad perspective and knowledge to corporate office projects, however believes that each project must be tailored to respond to a city’s particular context, as well as a client’s unique brand and culture.
Los Angeles Experience
Times Mirror Square
Client: Onni Group
Location: Los Angeles, CA
Size: 1.1 Million SF, 1,125 units
Times Mirror Square is a two tower residential development in downtown Los Angeles. Sharing the same city block as the historic Kaufman Building, the former headquarters of the LA Times, the development looks to its neighbor as inspiration for its distinctive architectural character.
The new building’s podium relates in height to the setbacks of the original newspaper building, with the structural columns at the ground floor, amenity levels, and crown expressed in a similar manner to the historic Art Deco structure. The façade treatment of the 37- and 53-story towers draws its inspiration from the historic processes of newspaper production. The balconies are conceived as a series of paper rolls travelling around the façade and feeding in and out of the structure, like newsprint moving through a printing press. Screening elements at both the parking garage and the crown reference linotype machines and printing plates for their design; applying the hierarchy and layout of the printed page as a proportional reference to organize the building.
Between the two structures, an extensive paseo connects First and Second Streets and is activated by new retail spaces on each side, providing an expansive pedestrian-focused public amenity. The paseo links the complex of civic center buildings to the north of the site with the Broadway Historic Theater District to the south, along with a new Metro station across 2nd Street.
222 West 2nd Street
Client: Onni Group
Location: Los Angeles, CA
Size: 700,000 SF, 700 units
Spanning an entire city block and encompassing a new Metro Station, 222 West 2nd Street, is a 700,000-square-foot, transit-oriented development in the heart of Los Angeles’ historic theater district.
The design for the project demonstrates a thoughtful relationship to its context, responding to the existing character of the theater district. The scale and rhythmic expression of the base along Broadway offers a modern interpretation of the surrounding district’s masonry and punched-window historic facades. The existing paseo through the site is enhanced with 10,000 square feet of retail along with extensive landscape and streetscape improvements. At the corner of 2nd and Broadway the building lifts, gesturing to the new Metro Station beneath.
Rising elegantly above, the glass tower reaches 570 feet to an illuminated, angular crown, adding dynamism to the evolving LA skyline. The 56-story project includes 700 apartments, ranging from studios to two bedroom units. The massing of the tower is split in to three distinct volumes separated by the buildings amenity spaces: a large pool deck with cabanas and grilling stations on the 11th floor, a landscaped terrace with views to downtown and the Hills on the 39th floor, and a rooftop sky park.
ARQ at Cumulus
Client: Carmel Partners
Location: Los Angeles, CA
Size: 580,000 SF, 300 units
ARQ at Cumulus is a 30-story luxury apartment building that is part of a larger 1,200 unit mixed-use development in the Culver City area of Los Angeles. Located at the Expo Line Jefferson/La Cienega station, the new transit-oriented development is positioned between downtown and Santa Monica. The tower’s apartment units range from studios to two bedrooms, with the top floor consisting of eight penthouse units. The ground floor includes the residential entry lobby and 11,000 square feet of retail space. Residents will have access to the adjacent Zocalo Public Square; an urban plaza and park lined with retail spaces.
The building’s sixth and 30th floors host a range of indoor and outdoor amenities including a lap pool, hot tubs, lounge space, fire pits, a fitness center, and co-working lounge. SCB conducted various shading and daylighting studies to ensure that both the amenity roof deck and Zocalo Square would receive optimal sunlight throughout the day. As a result, the tower is situated on the northeast corner of the site and is oriented to the east/west, simultaneously providing residents with sweeping views of the Hollywood Hills, downtown Los Angeles, and the Pacific Ocean.
ARQ at Cumulus
As the first residential high-rise in the area, ARQ at Cumulus will be a visual a landmark for the neighborhood serving retail, a metro station, and a residential community. The tower integrates a subtle feature lighting with distinct white banded patterns on the façade that will be noticeable day or night, reinforcing its iconic contribution to the neighborhood identity. The tower’s high-performance glass façade and elements such as its greywater reuse system, native vegetation, and energy-efficient systems throughout the building contribute to its goal of LEED Gold certification.
THE EAST/WEST ORIENTATION OF THE TOWER GIVES RESIDENTS SWEEPING VIEWS OF THE HOLLYWOOD HILLS, DOWNTOWN LOS ANGELES, AND THE PACIFIC OCEAN.
Marina Shores
Client: Onni Group
Location: Long Beach, CA
Size: 855,000 SF, 588 units
Nestled between the Alamitos Bay Marina and Los Cerritos Wetlands, Marina Shores is a two-building residential development that brings 588 apartments to Long Beach. Collaborating with the landscape architect, the team developed an integrated design approach and concept for the project inspired by the area’s ecology and its constant, changing nature in response to the tides. Open and brighter spaces represent the more uniform and reflective nature of high tide, while denser, patterned, and verdant spaces are inspired by the forms and vegetation exposed during low tide. A thoughtful and purposeful play between these two notions is evident throughout the design of the project.
The two buildings assume a three-pronged massing, mirroring each other over a new public paseo which links the Pacific Coast Highway to the marina. A series of elevated courtyards transition between private, dense, and lushly landscaped internal spaces for small group gatherings, to larger, open outdoor spaces along the marina. Indoor amenities including a club house and fitness center are located at the terminus of each residential prong, connecting to the outdoor amenity deck, which includes a pool and sundeck.
1360 Vine
Client: Onni Group
Location: Los Angeles, CA
Size: 514,000 SF, 429 units
Inspired by Old Hollywood’s edgy glamour, this quintessential Los Angeles residential complex spans a developing, largescale commercial corridor on one side and an established low rise residential neighborhood on the other. Through a series of cascading terraces, the project gradually steps from a modern tower to a collection of six historic bungalows.
Originally presented to SCB as an office tower and podium, the project has undergone a strategic repositioning. Through a series of thoughtful design refinements, SCB transformed the program into a residential development, addressing key stakeholder concerns by redistributing the site’s massing to better integrate with the surrounding neighborhoods.
The site currently consists of several abandoned structures and six deteriorated bungalows, which are recognized as contributing elements to a designated Historic District and must therefore be preserved and restored. Embracing a holistic design approach, the project reimagines these historic bungalows as integral components of a new residential community. The 33-floor tower introduces 430 new homes, including 36 units dedicated to lowincome residents.
1050 La Cienega
Client: Carmel Partners
Location: Los Angeles, CA
Size: 546,000 SF, 290 units
1050 La Cienega is a 546,000-squarefoot, 28-story, mixed-use development that utilizes Transit Oriented Community (TOC) incentives to provide solutions to the housing shortage in Los Angeles by bringing high-rise living and retail to a low-density neighborhood near mass transit. Located in the La Cienega Corridor between Wilshire and Pico Boulevards, SCB’s design of 1050 La Cienega is a contemporary nod to the neighborhood’s mission style homes and the Spanish Colonial Revival of the nearby Academy Library.
Arches of varying size wrap the façade at ground level and frame upper-level views. Venetian plaster and metal panels invite a visual call and response to the Academy Library’s contrasting white stucco and dark mullions. The material of the arches also acts as wayfinding, delineating the main entrance and the garage for 1050 La Cienega on the ground level while providing a patio perimeter for the 7,500 square feet of retail space; nearby, stepped terraces hide the on-site parking structure. An activated public plaza weaves the project into the urban fabric, while the overall curved and organic massing of the residential tower solidifies its relationship to the La Cienega Corridor.
Wilshire Courtyard
Client: Onni Group
Location: Los Angeles, CA
Size: 2.26 million SF, 2,280 units
The redevelopment of Wilshire Courtyard represents a transformative vision for a prime site in Los Angeles’ Miracle Mile district. Originally an office complex, the project underwent a re-entitlement process, transitioning from office use to a dynamic, two-tower, mixed-use destination that will introduce nearly 2,300 new residential units to the area. This transformation not only responds to evolving urban needs but also reimagines the site as a vibrant, transit-oriented hub.
In addition to the residential units, the development will introduce street-level retail and a grocery store, providing convenient amenities for residents and visitors alike. The total size of the development will be 2.26 million square feet, creating a striking new addition to the Miracle Mile. This mixed-use complex replaces two largely vacant office buildings, which will be partially demolished and renovated, while preserving a pedestrian-friendly ground level that fosters an engaging, community-oriented atmosphere.
Drawing inspiration from the nearby La Brea Tar Pits, the architectural design celebrates the site’s historical significance, incorporating the dichroic qualities of tar and the patterns formed by drying and cracking. These elements inform key design details, such as the cladding of the parking structure, the crown of the buildings, and the lobby interiors, resulting in a visually cohesive and compelling identity for the complex.
The Wilshire Courtyard redevelopment reexamines a previously underutilized office complex by creating a mixed-use community that caters to residents, workers, and visitors. The project brings together residential living, retail spaces, and public amenities in a thoughtful and sustainable manner, creating a new focal point in the heart of Los Angeles.
THE TOWERS ARE SHAPED AND POSITIONED TO CREATE A DIFFERENT AND DYNAMIC VISUAL EXPRESSION FROM VARIOUS PERSPECTIVES WITHIN THE SURROUNDING
NEIGHBORHOOD.
Hollywood and Cahuenga
Client: Onni Group
Location: Los Angeles, CA
Size: 240,000 SF
Hollywood and Cahuenga is a new Class A speculative office building in the Hollywood Boulevard Commercial and Entertainment District. The 14-story building’s approximately 30,000-square-foot floor plates with a central core are envisioned for commercial media and tech-focused tenants. At the ground level, 4,500 square feet of retail enjoys a prominent location at the corner of Cahuenga and Hollywood Boulevard, while five floors of below grade parking provides 547 spaces.
The new building bridges the scale between the larger commercial structures a block to the east and its smaller historic neighbors, especially the adjacent terra-cotta-clad Security Trust & Savings building (1920). The bold geometry complements its historic neighbor by taking massing and materials cues from the finely detailed structure; a large tenant terrace on the 7th floor continues and enhances the cornice line of the Security Trust & Savings building, while the dignified, but restrained, façade of neutral colored glass, ceramic frit and matching grey metal is softened by eased corners as a nod to the radiussed arches of its neighbor.
An open panel roof sign evokes the glamour and drama of the surrounding district and embeds the new building within its context. The non-street facing side of the sign features a large viewing screen, creating an outdoor theater for tenants within a larger landscaped outdoor amenity deck. The outdoor space is coupled with 4,500 square feet of interior tenant amenities.
