Photo by Brad Wheeler/Layton Construction

The Now

West Hollywood, Calif.

Award of Merit

Submitted by: Layton Construction

Owner: United Property Management Services

Lead Design Firm: Mithun Inc.

General Contractor: Layton Construction

At the base of the Hollywood Hills on a wedge-shaped lot at Sunset and La Cienega, crews had to slowly make their way through dense rock before construction could begin on this three-story, 60,207-sq-ft mixed-use office building. To make space for a three-story underground garage, a 15-month excavation process through challenging geological conditions was supported by reinforced shoring and geotechnical monitoring that ensured safety on neighboring sites.

The site also has a zero lot line, with the structure going up within inches of adjacent properties. That also translated into no laydown area, so every trade operation needed a permit to borrow sidewalk, street or airspace.…