The Bluffs – Playa Vista

Photographer Credit: Courtesy OFFICEUNTITLED

Architecture Firm Credit: OFFICEUNTITLED / RELM STUDIO

See Full Credit List Below

TOUR DETAILS

The Bluffs Repositioning reimagines an underperforming suburban office campus through a series of strategic interventions that leverage existing site assets and identify opportunities for impact.

The design team addressed two key objectives: the lobby experience and transforming a required fire lane turnaround into a robust social common without disrupting fire access. Programmable space was organized around intertwining viewsheds, with dining and co-working nodes anchoring a new campus identity without compromising life safety access.

The design transforms the two main lobbies into dynamic work lounges and shared amenity spaces, incorporating custom millwork, upgraded finishes, and refined FF&E concepts to create a warm and sophisticated hospitality driven atmosphere.

The previous hermetic campus was envisioned as a demonstrably outdoor-oriented environment, its edge conditions dissolved through a coordinated design language that blurs the threshold between indoor and outdoor. A biophilic backdrop of canopy trees, hanging plants, and lush native pollinator gardens provides both visual continuity and ecological grounding across two office buildings and an above-grade parking structure, transforming what was formerly residual infrastructure into the campus’s social and spatial heart.

TOUR HOSTS

Christianne Jordan, Associate AIA, Principal, OFFICEUNTITLED

A skilled, dedicated, and thoughtful team leader, Christianne Jordan has over 10 years of experience managing and supporting award winning projects. Leading with a hands-on approach, she prioritizes design excellence, high building performance, and human-centered results. Christianne’s experience encompasses a variety of typologies and scales, from large master plans to small adaptive re-use projects. Prioritizing sustainability, Christianne was part of the team who completed the first net-zero commercial project in down-town San Diego and currently leads the AIA 2030 Commitment team at OFFICEUNTITLED. Actively engaged in the AEC industry, she has spoken at the NetZero Conference and Façade Tectonics. Christianne holds a Bachelor of Architecture from the College of Design at Iowa State University.

David Christensen, Associate Design Principal at RELM

David brings a foundation in both architecture and regional planning to his work. He believes successful open space is inextricably linked to programming—a conviction that shapes his design ethos of creating dynamic, playful environments that prompt social interaction across all seasons, scales and contexts.

At RELM, David engages with staff in conceptualizing and manifesting each project, mentoring designers to think critically and creatively. His project work spans institutional, residential, and mixed-use contexts, with a strong focus on West LA: key projects include California Natural Resources Headquarters, Habitat at 3401 South La Cienega, Courthouse Commons North Block, Jefferson Creative Campus, The Runway, and The Bluffs. Across this range, David expertly realizes owner and developer intent by elevating the role of emotional connection in building community and brand identity. He excels at designing for edges—navigating constrictive frontages, transit patterns, and diverse user needs to create unexpected pathways to wonder.

Prior to joining RELM, David worked at James Corner Field Operations and SWA, contributing to celebrated urban parks across the country, including Tongva Park, Navy Pier, and Fresh Kills.

TOUR MEETING SPOT

Central Courtyard in Front of Parking Garage – 12121 & 12181 Bluff Creek Drive Playa Vista, CA 90094

LEARNING OBJECTIVES

1. Programming and Analysis (Life Safety) Activate existing life safety infrastructure — transforming a required fire lane turnaround into a pedestrian-friendly courtyard that becomes the campus’s social heart.
2. Programming and Analysis (Adaptive Reuse) Employ tactical design interventions to reduce the incongruence of piecemeal past renovations, resolving them into a cohesive, singular campus language from edge to edge.
3. Programming and Analysis (Programming) Reimagine a hermetic campus by blending indoor and outdoor activation — literally and visually — through prioritized viewsheds, a coordinated design language, and deliberately blurred edges.
4. Practice Management: (Value Engineering) Achieving meaningful and high-quality design impact within defined budget constraints, accomplished through strategic restraint in select areas of intervention.

PARKING

Parking Garage on site available, $20, may be validated

FULL CREDIT LIST (Architects, Builders, Engineers, etc.)

General Contractor: Turner Construction
Landscape Architect: RELM Studio
Interior Architect: OFFICEUNTITLED
Structural Engineer: Kurt Fisher Structural Engineering
MEP engineer: AMA Group
Lighting Engineer: Oculus Light Studio
Art & Signage: SPMD