In the heart of Playa Vista

With big businesses like YouTube, Microsoft and Facebook nearby, Playa Vista in Los Angeles has become an epicentre for tech, and in the heart of this area is Runway. Runway is an attractive residential neighbourhood with everything you could want in terms of restaurants, cafés, shops and culture. But it took a big push for the neighbourhood to get an outside area where both residents and visitors would want to spend time together.

Lack of caring meeting places

Behind the project of transforming Runway’s outside spaces was DJM, a multidisciplinary team consisting of real estate experts who aim to shape local communities and create innovative real estate solutions. They always try to dig deep into the character of the places they work with in order to create something unique. Everything is designed based on how people live, and with the intention of creating a community.

DJM found that the lack of good meeting places was one of Runway’s main issues. Cars and traffic dominated the outside area. It just wasn’t a place where people would spend time, instead they would quickly hurry by.

“There was no real public gathering space anywhere. We wanted to create a space that is integrated into the neighbourhood and something that the community of Playa Vista would be proud of,” says Chad Cress, Creative Director at DJM.