Warner Bros. Second Century Burbank Studios by OJB Landscape Architecture
Built in 2023 / 2025 Built Landscapes / 2025 Campuses and Corporate / 2025 Entries / California / USA /
ojb.com
The landscape at this Burbank studio exemplifies sustainability and wellness through its robust biophilic design. The campus features diverse outdoor spaces that foster a connection to nature, restoring mind and spirit. Achieving WELL Platinum certification, the design includes varied workspaces, such as lush roof terraces for outdoor working areas. A free address policy empowers employees to choose when, how, and where they work. This project prioritizes wellness for both people and place, setting a benchmark in sustainable landscape architecture.
The two tower composition, an extension of an adjacent California studio lot, is designed as a workplace to foster a similar creative expression. Early concepts devoted little space to landscape due to an underground parking garage that supports the 800,000 SF workplace. The design solution locates nearly all of the landscape on structure, utilizing foam and imported soil to reduce weight while allowing for dynamic landforms that align with the design’s movement and aesthetic goals.
Situated within an 11-acre site in Burbank, California, this legacy Hollywood studio center introduces a striking new presence on the skyline between the iconic Hollywood Hills and San Gabriel Mountains. Lush landscape on the ground plane and in building terraces create a three-dimensional composition that mediates the area between the hillside and the roadway.
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The landscape character of the San Gabriel Mountains is seamlessly infused throughout the site, offering views of rolling terrain and lushly planted terraces that climb the facades, creating an immersive experience. Topographical softscape elements and a regionally appropriate planting palette, inspired by the native landscape, help mitigate the 20-foot grade change across the site and allow for vegetated low points to capture stormwater runoff. Courtyards and roof terraces surround the offices, integrating the indoor work environment with a lush outdoor realm. Social spaces, outdoor workspaces, flexible event areas, and a garden walk are woven throughout the landscape, inviting interaction and fostering a strong sense of community and social health. Custom furnishings, including wood benches, help delineate active gathering zones.
Universally accessible walking paths with varied light conditions connect to a larger campus system, encouraging physical activity and comfortable sun exposure throughout the year. The site is easily accessible by vehicle and bicycle, and pedestrian paths create a pleasant circulation between the office buildings, outdoor amenities and the studio lots. Ample shade, provided by mature-sized trees, reduces localized temperatures and encourages walking, even in hotter months. Shade can reduce localized temperatures by 15-20 degrees.
Seasonality and color are emphasized in the ornamental plantings, which offer a variety of textures and rich colors year-round. The design fosters biodiversity, with a significant portion of the plant palette selected for its habitat value. Trees and vegetation provide essential shelter and food sources for local wildlife, enhancing the site’s ecological richness. This biodiversity-focused approach supports the broader ecosystem while creating a landscape that is both functional and aesthetically vibrant.
The project incorporates natural materials like wood and decomposed granite for an organic feel, while concrete paving and pavers are selected with colors and finishes that complement the surrounding palette.
• Project typology:
Workplace and corporate creative campus
• All landscape architecture offices involved in the design of landscape:
OJB Landscape Architecture
• All architecture offices involved in the design:
Gehry Partners LLP – Architect
• Other credits:
Englekirk – Structural Engineer
Psomas – Civil Engineer
Arc Engineering – MEP/FP Engineer
KGM Architectural Lighting – Lighting Designers
ZC Sustainability – LEED & Sustainability
Sweeney & Associates, Irrigation Design
HKA Vertical Transportation Consulting _Elevator Consultant
Lerch Bates Inc.- Façade Access Consultant
Simpson Gumpertz & Heger – Fire/Life Safety Consultant
Newson Brown –Acoustics LLC – Acoustic Consultant
Finish Hardware Technology – Hardware Consultant
• Location of the project
Burbank, California, USA
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