Boston Consulting Group finds a unique location for its Los Angeles headquarters

When Boston Consulting Group (BCG) looked to plant its West Coast headquarters in Los Angeles, an ideal space wasn’t on the market. In fact, it didn’t exist.

"They wanted something out of the box,” said Tony Morales, JLL International Director. “The building they described was an industrial building. Clearly that didn't exist downtown (in Los Angeles).”

The firm envisioned an industrial building in the amenities-rich center of downtown Los Angeles. As one of the world's leading management consultancies, BCG hoped to have an office that might indicate the company’s prestige while also providing a comfortable, creative atmosphere for the firm’s clients and employees.

“We wanted to bring them in with an amazing view,” said Fara Lundin, Administrative Services Manager at BCG. “We wanted to have great amenities in the building as well as in downtown. We wanted it to have a really high-class feel while still being welcoming and inviting.”

The firm had many ideas for their ideal office — open space with natural light, lush greenery and easy access to the open air. With that crystal-clear vision, BCG turned to JLL and quickly set out on a no-compromises mission to achieve their goals.

After presenting numerous developers with the challenge of finding and redeveloping a 50,000 square-foot space in the heart of downtown Los Angeles, JLL eventually found a fit in Commonwealth Partners, who shared BCG’s vision of transfiguring a traditional office space into a modern, vibrant and creative work center.

The final proposal was as out-of-the-box as BCG’s original vision — two floors of industrial-like shell space at the top of a high-rise.

“The space that we chose was very unique,” said Darren Eades, JLL Executive Vice President. “It really wasn't even on the market. Essentially, we built a building on top of a high-rise building.”

The top floor had been built into the infrastructure of the building, acting as nothing more than a repository for unwanted HVAC equipment. The second floor had been an active office in the 1950s but was windowless. So, needless to say, there was work to be done to transition the old-fashioned atmosphere into BCG’s vision.

After extensive creative development, the space soon boasted 60-foot floor-to-ceiling windows, an open-air terrace, mezzanine space, and a skylight — the first ever skylight on a high-rise in downtown Los Angeles.

“You get off the elevators, and it almost looks like a painting,” said Melissa Maddox, Senior Offices Services Assistant.

BCG’s new space is a unique example of the new developments occurring throughout the changing offices of downtown Los Angeles, marking an emphasis on creativity, comfort and collaboration.

“Our brand is very prestigious in a lot of ways,” Lundin said. “We only have the brightest, hardest working people as part of our firm. Giving (our employees) a space that's more comfortable was really important.”