Rendering vs. Reality: Brick and Machine offices in Downtown Culver City

Across the street from the Kirk Douglas Theatre in Downtown Culver City, Clarett West Development and DLJ Real Estate Capital Partners have completed work on The Brick and The Machine, the media hub's latest office complex.

Located at the northeast corner of Washington Boulevard and Delmas Terrace, the mixed-use project replaced a surface parking lot with a three- and four-story building featuring 90,000 square feet of rentable space - including interior offices, ground-floor commercial space, and a landscaped roof terrace. Parking for 250 vehicles sits in a subterranean garage below the building.

Abramson Architects designed The Brick and The Machine, which takes its name from its exterior finishes.

"The Brick features a dynamic shift between large, building-scale window openings and a finely textured, human-scale materiality," reads a description from a project landing page on the Abramson Architects website. "The exterior façade is a contemporary interpretation of the historic brick landmarks in the area. The Machine features a series of movable exterior screens that offer glare and temperature control."

Although the project was conceived of more than four years ago, the design of The Brick and The Machine includes many features which have become must haves in the pandemic era, says Timan Khoubian, managing director with DLJ Real Estate Capital Partners, which built the project in partnership with Prudential Global Investment Management. Operable panels that provide natural ventilation and lighting, while a usable rooftop deck and courtyard provide additional open-air workspace.

"The goal was to create a jewel box building with ample indoor-outdoor space, which today is all the more important given tenants’ focus on health and wellness," said Khoubian.

The past five years have seen the arrival of numerous tech and media giants in Culver City, including Apple, Amazon, and HBO parent company WarnerMedia. Khoubian expects that similar types of firms, who both want and can afford these types of spaces, will be the eventual occupant of the building.

DLJ and Clarett West, which previously developed the El Centro and Eastown apartment complexes near the Pantages Theatre in Hollywood, are not alone in bringing more offices to Culver City. LPC West and Clarion Partners recently announced plans to build a similar office complex on a property located just east of The Brick and The Machine.

• Brick and Machine (Urbanize LA)