Architects Put Their Mark on Wilshire Blvd.
It’s a good thing architects don’t have turf like youth gangs: The established architects along Wilshire Boulevard would have a bit of enforcing on their hands with McLarand, Vasquez & Partners Inc.
Formerly known as Carl McLarand Associates Inc., the Costa Mesa-based firm is designing more than 1.5 million square feet of space on Los Angeles’ most famous street, from Hancock Park west to Beverly Hills.
To founder and president Carl McLarand, all this activity is gratifying and more than a little frightening.
“The additional 1.5 million square feet of space--on top of nearly 21 million square feet available for lease in Los Angeles--places tremendous pressure on the architect as well as the client,” he said in an interview. “The ultimate success or failure of the project will reflect not only on the developer but also on the architect who proudly boasts his name on Wilshire site signs.”
‘World-Class Caliber
Of course, the biggest site sign would have to be on the massive Wilshire Courtyard development under construction at Masselin Avenue and Wilshire Boulevard. The J. H. Snyder Co. development is modestly described by McLarand as a “building of world-class caliber” with a projected construction cost well below others of comparable size in the area. California Federal Savings, joint-venture developer of the project with the Snyder firm, is committed to leasing 530,000 square feet of space in Wilshire Courtyard, a move that in McLarand’s opinion will cause other developers to view the development as a model.
With the name change, the McLarand firm also appointed new partners: Ernesto M. Vasquez, director of design; Arthur C. Eckner, director of commercial facilities, and David Smith, project architect.
“The design of lobbies and other public spaces is important in today’s highly competitive office leasing market,” Vasquez explained. “We pay particular attention to designing attractive buildings that are economical to build and operate.”
From east to west, the firm’s designs on Wilshire Boulevard are: a 70,000-square-foot building at Muirfield Road in Hancock Park, the Wilshire Courtyard, a three-story office building for Paul Amir at Carson Road in Beverly Hills, the Wilshire-Clark Office Center for Wilshire/Robertson Development Co. at Clark Drive in Beverly Hills, and another three-story building at Swall Drive for Liberty Service Corp. Columbia Savings & Loan will be a tenant in the Swall Drive building.
Like many architectural firms, McLarand started out designing residential projects. It was fortunate to be in place during the housing recovery of the late 1970s. Since its formation 11 years ago, the firm has designed more than $3 billion in residential projects in the Southland, including MountainGate in Brentwood, Belcourt in Newport Beach and Villa Marina East in Marina del Rey.
In 1979, the firm organized its commercial division. It is currently designing more than 4 million square feet of office space in Los Angeles, San Diego and Orange counties--including the five Wilshire Boulevard projects, McLarand said. With a staff of more than 65, the firm is among the five largest in Orange County, Vasquez said.
Recently, Lowe Development Co. chose McLarand, Vasquez & Partners to design nearly 1 million square feet of office space in the Warner Ranch area of the west San Fernando Valley.
Other Commissions
The design firm also garnered a commission to design a 350,000-square-foot office building for Harry L. Summers Inc. in San Diego’s Golden Triangle area. Another commission is for a luxury resort development on Maui for Kapalua Land Co.
McLarand, a 1963 graduate of USC’s School of Architecture, formed the firm after serving as senior designer and associate at Albert C. Martin Associates.
Vasquez, a 1973 graduate of the architecture department at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, joined the firm in 1976. Eckner, holder of a bachelor’s degree in architecture from Lawrence Institute of Technology near Detroit, joined the firm in 1979. Smith, a 1972 architectural graduate of the University of Arizona, joined in 1977.
