NBCUniversal Campus is a vibrant workplace environment designed to attract and retain top talent while supporting evolving ways of working. Through close collaboration across a multidisciplinary team, the project redefines the modern studio lot—drawing inspiration from Southern California’s ecological and cultural landscapes to restore a distinct sense of place and reinvigorate campus identity. The resulting landscape is intentionally environmentally resilient, integrating drought-tolerant and regionally adapted planting, fire-conscious strategies, and enhanced thermal comfort through a generous mature tree canopy that cools outdoor spaces and supports year-round use.
Dissolving traditional boundaries between indoors and outdoors, the project weaves gardens and green spaces throughout the workplace. These immersive environments encourage employees to leave their desks and fosters creativity and innovation through chance encounters, informal collaboration, and shared experiences in nature.
The campus framework is organized around the Paseo, a central pedestrian corridor that links the entire studio lot into a cohesive and walkable environment. This connective spine anchors a new central commons and campus green—the social heart of the workplace—designed to support daily gathering as well as large-scale events, celebrations, performances, and weekly farmers markets.
Gently sloping from a chaparral hillside toward the Los Angeles River, the Paseo unfolds through a sequence of episodic gardens that trace a regional ecological transect. Along the way, digitally connected garden workspaces, conference pavilions, outdoor dining terraces, and flexible gathering spaces create a rich progression of landscape character, fostering collaboration while providing climate-responsive comfort throughout the year.
From Mediterranean terraces to a stone pine bosque—where movable seating is tucked among monumental 40,000-pound boulders—the landscape transitions into lush dining terraces beneath mature live oaks and the delicate veil of One Universal. A sculpted succulent border garden frames the arrival commons, offering a welcoming threshold for visitors and guests. Further along, a riparian grove supports collaborative outdoor work in open-air pavilions nested within a soft, grassy, water-infused landscape.
Since opening, the campus has become a powerful catalyst for strengthening NBCUniversal’s creative community. On-site attendance has increased by approximately 10%—a clear indicator of renewed workplace engagement.
Sustainability performance extends beyond LEED Platinum certification. The campus landscape functions as an environmentally resilient system, prioritizing drought-tolerant, regionally adapted plant communities that reduce irrigation demand while reinforcing a distinctly Southern California identity. Fire-conscious planting strategies and an expanded mature tree canopy further enhance long-term durability and thermal comfort, enabling outdoor work and gathering throughout the year.
Two bespoke on-site water treatment facilities process thousands of gallons of wastewater daily for reuse as landscape irrigation. Coordinated with the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power, the system supports an emerging model for shared recycled-water infrastructure serving large media and industrial sites. As the landscape matures and water demand decreases, excess filtered water is exported into the broader network—extending the project’s impact beyond the campus and contributing to a more resilient regional water future.
Team:
Owners Rep: Aurora Development
Design Architect: LEVER Architecture
Executive Architect: House & Robertson Architects
Landscape Architecture, Open Space Master Plan: Field Operations
Lighting Design: HLB Lighting
Signage & Wayfinding: EGG Office
Civil Engineer: Langan Engineering
Structural Engineer: Miyamoto & Englekirk (Office Building and Arrival Commons Rooftops)
Sustainability Consulting: Atelier 10
General Contractor: Hathaway Dinwiddie Construction Company
Landscape Contractors: American Landscape Incorporated, Pierre Landscape
Photographer: Caitlin Atkinson, Ema Peter
Materials Used:
Fixed Benches & Tables: Custom
Moveable Furniture Vendors: Kettal
Fermob
Grand Rapids Chair Company
Drainage/Erosion Duratrench Trench Drains
Fences/Gates/Walls: Custom;Omega II Fence Systems
Irrigation
Hyrdopoint
Rainbird
Water Management/Amenities: Forms & Surfaces Receptacles
Soils: Earthworks Soil Amendments
Hardscape: QCP; Stepstone Pavers
Lighting: Bega; Valmont
