Office Park Oasis
On the roof deck of an underground parking garage in Los Angeles, landscape architects help create a lush, gardenesque setting.

By Mark Hinshaw

Jay Venezia

The Westside Media Center in the far western reaches of Los Angeles was a new office building during the era of the dot-com boom. After the downturn in the economy, it was largely absent of tenants. Oversupply of space in the region was compounded by the location of the site itself. Surrounded by wide arterial streets flanked by gas stations, strip malls, and used-car lots, the location was hardly a lure for upscale companies. Worse, a massive wrecking yard bordered its south side—not exactly a marketable view.

The designers, Meléndrez of Los Angeles, were assigned the task of giving the place a new image, one that could draw in tenants despite the weak market. Unfortunately, the area available for the design was mostly the roof deck of an underground parking garage located behind the building and adjacent to the wrecking yard.

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