The demand for office space in the central business district of Los Angeles has grown dramatically in recent years; and in the Bunker Hill section of downtown L.A. sits an architectural gem — 400 South Hope Street.
Background
Built in 1982, the 26-story building encompasses an entire city block and has more than 700,000 square feet of Class A office space. CBRE Global Investors, a worldwide leader in real estate investment management, purchased the building in 2012. The parent company, CBRE, Inc., chose to relocate its global headquarters there, and focused its sights on a unique space — the atrium-like 25th and 26th floors.
Challenge
Laid out in a tiered mezzanine configuration with huge sloped skylights, the space provided spectacular views of the L.A. area. However, the same massive skylights that made the space unique created a number of challenges. “Previous tenants told us that it wasn’t the most comfortable space,” said John Bonomo, CBRE’s Director of Operations. “First, there was massive heat gain through the skylights. Second, there was a huge issue with glare.” One previous tenant had gone so far as to use umbrellas in an effort to reduce the effect of all the direct sunlight. CBRE, however, had a great deal of experience with a product specifically designed to address the issues: 3M™ Window Film. “We’ve done a number of projects for CBRE over the years,” said Brad Campbell of Campbell Window Film. “The company understands that window film offers the easiest, no-maintenance solution for rejecting heat, blocking glare and preserving the building’s aesthetics.”
Solution
Campbell said building owners will consider shades or other mechanical applications for blocking sunlight, but they can present additional problems such as breakage and high-maintenance cleaning needs. After reviewing the options with CBRE, the team chose 3M™ Sun Control Window Film Night Vision for a variety of reasons, including reduced heat gain and glare, and a low interior reflection that helps preserve the spectacular views that make the space so enticing.
One of the project’s challenges was the mere size of the skylights. With roughly 11,000 square feet of glass, installation required the building of massive scaffolding that took a week to construct and a week to tear down. Once the scaffolding was in place, Campbell’s installers took about a week to apply the film, ultimately giving CBRE a cooler, more inhabitable space. “We’re absolutely thrilled with the way this project turned out,” Bonomo said. “We’re now headquartered in this remarkably beautiful space; and both our employees and clients can focus on the dramatic views, and all of the benefits, without fighting the heat and glare problems.” It’s not the first time Campbell and 3M Window Film have proven to be a valuable partner for CBRE. “CBRE has a huge portfolio in the Los Angeles area alone,” Campbell said. “We’ve worked with them for more than 10 years to find solutions for energy efficiency, aesthetics and sustainability, and we’ve made a big difference.”
