Movin' On Up or All Dressed Up with No Place to Go?

The L.A. Times recently commented on the ultra-posh Century project in downtown Century City, noting that construction has finally been completed and that pricing has been reduced by as much as twenty-five percent on the building's 140 deluxe units. No surprise there.

However, as a huge proponent of urban stack development in L.A., I am continually baffled that developers still seem behind the eight ball when it comes to the basics. Designing full service buildings that feature aesthetic details that turn dwellings of this caliber into 'homes' instead of glorified Cracker Jack boxes, seems to elude even the savviest of real estate developers here in Los Angeles.

Case in point, the oblong architectural design of The Century translates into a noticeable curvature to the interior walls of the units, leading to a myriad of troubles for interior designers and their clients. Try sticking a King-size bed against a concave wall and see how much space is left in the room for side tables, dressers, and wall-mounted televisions.

The W Hollywood Residences are another classic example of wasted space and ill-fated design that fails to maximize the square footage of the units. Due to the nature of the concrete construction, the building abounds with dense pillars found smack-dab in the middle of living rooms and bedrooms, leaving even the most creative of urban nesters scratching their heads in search of design solutions.

At an area record of $2,700 per square foot at The Century, the units should be flawless; a shining example of perfectly flowing Feng Shui and a slam dunk case study for even the clumsiest student of interior design. The curved walls at The Century are an obvious challenge, but I've yet to see any new high-rise development in Los Angeles that is entirely on point. Oddly, the luxury developments seem to have some of the most fatal imperfections. There is always something missing, some consideration made after the fact, or some sheepishly camouflaged character flaw that somehow went unnoted while finer thought was being given to the particular hue of the velvet ropes to be found at the valet stand.

No matter what caliber of amenity or service offered in these buildings, if Los Angeles truly aspires to become the next Big Apple, developers have got to stop putting on their skirts before the pantyhose. If the underpinnings are missing or fail to adhere to the principle that form must follow function, anyone who desires a full service lifestyle and can afford $2,700 a square foot will simply move to a well-designed Bel Air estate with their butler in tow.



By the way, I sell Real Estate in Los Angeles, so don't hesitate to contact me for any questions regarding the market here in Urban L.A.!