With six stories, four of which are creative workspaces, and spread over 14,864 m2 (160,000 sf) of usable space, WE3 at Water’s Edge spans 122 m (400 ft) in length and stretches across the site’s eastern edge in Playa Vista, Calif.
SPF:architects, based in Culver City, Calif., were tasked by the client with designing around already established structures and spaces to develop a building that is as architecturally compelling as environmentally conscious.
Certified LEED Gold eligible, WE3 incorporates several construction strategies, including locally sourced materials, large, insulated windows for optimum natural light and energy use, and a perforated aluminum screen-wall that wraps the building.
The screen-wall filters daylight to provide relief from its West Coast exposure and, in turn, reduces the need for heating and cooling. Additionally, the skin extends beyond the southern and northern edges of the building to provide shade throughout the day. Balconies on each level also function
as sunshades.
Operable windows provide natural air ventilation. A rooftop sky garden and exterior staircases promote outdoor circulation and interaction.
A unique screen-wall
The screen-wall is a striking feature on WE3, created using custom-designed solid skin and perforated 1.3-mm (0.05-in.) thick aluminum wall panels.
According to architects at SPF:architects, its design is inspired by the play of light on water and designed to dematerialize, visually lightening the structure’s mass while functionally providing relief from the full brunt of sunlight.
The custom design of the panels includes exposed fasteners with connection framing, which allows individual cells to be dropped out instead of whole panel widths. Most openings are not full panel widths, and dropped panels do not align with full panels to achieve the design intent.
Additionally, the screen-wall panels are finished on both sides in 1.5 mil silver paint, which adds visual appeal from inside the building. Silver was chosen for its high solar reflectivity due to its location in a sunny, warm climate.
Another interesting feature is the roof portion of the screen-wall incorporates inserts in a low rib of the solid panels to create concealed walkways, which facilitate cleaning the roof panels.
WE3 is the third and final building on a 2.6 ha (6.5 acre) campus in the Silicon Beach development area. The development has received numerous awards, including:
- Architizer A+Awards Special Mention, Office, Mid Rise, 5-15 Floors
- Los Angeles Business Council Architectural Award, Commercial Office Building and Headquarters
- American Architecture Award, AIALA Design Award, Commercial/Mixed-Use, Merit
- Engineering-News Record California Office/Retail/Mixed-Use Project of the Year
- Engineering-News Record California Award of Merit for Safety, Golden Nugget Award, Commercial, Built, Merit
- Los Angeles Business Journal Commercial Real Estate Award, Gold
- Gold Nugget Award, Commercial, Unbuilt, Merit
- Westside Urban Forum Award, Unbuilt Office, Merit
