843 N Spring Street is the first building in Los Angeles to utilize a cross-laminated timber (CLT) floor system. The 5-story, 125,000 SF building employs a hybrid structural system comprised of a wide flange steel frame overlaid by CLT panels. Our team utilized a cross-laminated timber (CLT) floor system, a first for Los Angeles, CA, as well as reuse of the existing below grade structural elements.
The project’s design focus was on preserving existing concrete wherever possible, requiring detailed integration of the old and new structures. To meet the city’s parking requirements without undergoing extensive demolition and excavation for an additional parking level, we worked within the existing below-grade structure by utilizing an afforded reduction due to the adjacent metro stop and additional bike parking. Ingenious engineering solutions included encapsulating existing gravity columns and footings in additional concrete and locally chipping away basement walls to integrate new columns to ensure more uniform distribution at the foundation.
Every detail of this building was carefully thought through, whether it be the: linear recessed lighting banks running continuously across the floor plates, the concealed conduit and distribution systems that were buried in the concrete topping for future tenant uses, the dramatic 15’ CLT cantilevered balconies or the lush landscaping and floating staircases within the interior atrium inspired by the Oneonta Gorge. The detail of this building ensures that it will be one of the most vibrant and architecturally significant office buildings that Los Angeles has seen for many years to come.
Photo Credit: Jeremy Bittermann / JBSA