For my final regular update from the USC Village construction site, I’ve selected over 250 photos taken in December, showing every building as it approaches completion. Building 1 recently received its temporary certificate of occupancy (TCO) and is starting to power each of the other buildings as their electrical and mechanical systems come online. Building 4 is nearly complete, with TCO expected in January, and the remaining buildings should all be ready by March. Sitework is complete on the northern portion of the site and beginning to move into the central plaza and the south paseos. The final sections of the facade are also nearly complete, with the final precast wall panel and much of the hand-set brick completed in December.
The clock tower reflects in the rainwater-filled central plaza fountain basin.
Building 8 and its south courtyard from the Building 7 courtyard.
Building 7 elevator and stair towers from the courtyard, with their pinnacles now installed.
The recently-installed precast corners, cornice, and pinnacles on the Building 7 elevator penthouse.
Landscaping is nearly complete in the first area of work on the new Trousdale campus entry, viewed from Building 7’s roof.
Most of the remaining work on the new Trousdale campus entry is the reduction in size of the parking lot and addition of landscaping behind the now-USC-owned United University Church.
View to downtown Los Angeles from the Building 7 roof.
Facade, low roof, and Watt Way from the roof of Building 7.
Newly-installed precast pinnacles and trim on the Building 7 elevator penthouse.
A corner study room in Building 7 awaits its interior paint.
Precast window surrounds are installed in much larger shear wall openings at the Building 7 residential lobby, where infill framing and brick facade installation are pending.
Drywall is up in the Building 7 lobby.
A crane lifts a steel beam to the roof of Building 7, seen from the corner of Jefferson and Watt Way.
Concrete paving is complete in the Building 9 arcade along the future Trader Joe’s storefront.
Precast trim installation is in progress on the Building 9 pavilion.
Green acid wash is applied to the freshly-poured sidewalk along the east side of Building 9 on Hoover St.
Landscaping in the mandatory 10′ setback along Hoover St. at Building 1.
The corridor of the new DPS offices in Building 9 is ready for flooring.
The community room on the corner of Building 1 is complete and features two smaller meeting rooms and a dedicated restroom.
The double arched entries to the Building 1 community room along Hoover & 30th St.
Building 1 facade above the community room entrance.
With the sidewalk and setback landscaping complete, Hoover St. awaits its new street trees along Building 1.
View out a side entrance to a future retail space next to Trader Joe’s in Building 9.
Formwork is in place for concrete paving to be poured around the trees in the Building 4 dining hall courtyard.
Pyrus Kawakamii trees in front of the Building 4 west facade at the dining hall courtyard.
Viewed across Jefferson Boulevard, the monthly site-wide safety meeting for December featured Coach Helton, the Trojan Knights, and the Victory Bell to rally the workers to finish the project strong.
A future restaurant space in Building 8 along the central plaza.
Building 8 courtyard from a study room on level 5, where plaster is complete and the curtain wall installation is in progress.
Precast facade outside a study room on Building 8 level 5.
A four-story section of solid precast facade with no brick on the Building 8 breezeway.
Precast facade from the Building 8 low roof.
Building 8 level 5 facade, the Caruso Catholic Center, and downtown Los Angeles.
A view to the new Trousdale campus entry from the Building 8 low roof.
View to the Shrine Auditorium from the Building 8 low roof.
View of the Caruso Catholic Center to downtown Los Angeles from the Building 8 low roof.
A kitchen peninsula wall is framed out at a uniquely-designed unit in Building 8.
Flooring installation is in progress following the first coat o f paint in a Building 8 residential unit.
Viewed through a Building 8, level 2 window, a crane installs precast trim on the Building 9 pavilion.
Building 9 and its pavilion from Building 8.
Building 9 pavilion precast installation progress from Building 8.
Central plaza from Building 8, through a view that will soon be dominated by a large feature tree in the central plaza.
The Building 4 clock tower and the central plaza from Building 8.
A corner bedroom in Building 8 features views of Buildings 4 & 6 and Watt Way.
Buildings 7 & 8 from the Building 8 south courtyard.
Building 8 south courtyard trellis, Building 7 courtyard and the Building 4 clock tower.
Facade detail at a hand-set brick wall at Building 7.
Building 8 south courtyard, which is ready for planter waterproofing.
A closer look at the brick diaper pattern between the windows on a hand-set brick wall.
Building 4 and the central plaza from the Building 7 residential entry.
Building 4 and the central plaza from the Building 7 roof.
Work progresses on the final stretch of sidewalk extension on the south side of Jefferson, seen from the Building 7 roof.
Kaufman Dance Center, with the completed sidewalk along Jefferson Blvd., from the Building 7 roof.
Most of the remaining work at the new Trousdale campus entry is a reduction in the size of the parking lot behind the United University Church, which USC now owns.
Workers pressure wash the west facade of Building 6.
Future paseo between Building 6 and a future academic building on the current site of the site offices, which will be demolished in April to make way for a landscaped entry to the village.
Work continues on precast trim installation on the Building 9 pavilion at the parking entry, seen from the Building 8 roof.
Mockups of cobble pavers that will be used with planted joints near tree wells along Watt Way and in the dining hall courtyard.
Precast trim installation on the Building 9 pavilion, from behind the parking ramp.
Arched precast tracery at the pavilion will mask louvers blowing exhaust from the parking garage.
Entry arch and the arcade in Building 9, at the corner of the future Target.
Completed landscaping in the setback in front of Building 1.
The Building 1 boiler room, where heating for the entire village is generated.
The Building 1 chiller room, which powers air conditioning for the entire village site.
Corridor in the completed Building 1.
Completed paving near the residential entrance to Building 9.
Demolition is completed for the new sidewalk along McClintock St. at the Building 4 service yard.
Building 4 west facade.
Wood veneer columns and trim is installed in the Building 4 dining hall.
Tile flooring is installed in the dining hall.
Tile flooring in the dining hall.
A wood accent wall is installed in the Building 4 lobby, where the opening will house a TV.
Wood millwork at the Building 4 lobby customer service desk.
Concrete paving is poured in the Building 4 dining hall courtyard.
Formwork and rebar for the concrete paving in the dining hall courtyard.
Concrete pour in the Building 4 dining hall courtyard.
Building 1 community room entrance, with a temporary address sign allowing the building to receive its TCO.
Green acid wash applies a textured finish to the new paving in the dining hall courtyard.
Completed concrete paving east of Building 9 along Hoover St. awaits installation of brick bands.
Completed precast trim installation at the Building 9 pavilion.
Framing is in progress for brick and plaster infill around the precast trim in the Building 9 pavilion.
Workers caulk the precast joints in the Building 4 clock tower.
Fine grading is in progress in the central plaza in front of Building 8.
The remaining brick is installed at the corner between the dining hall and Building 4.
With concrete installation complete in the dining hall courtyard, trees are removed from their boxes and root barriers are installed.
Formwork is in progress for paving between Buildings 4 & 6.
Pyrus Kawakamii trees frame a view of the dining hall facade from the Building 4 lower courtyard.
The dining hall facade is complete in the Building 4 lower courtyard.
Completed brick and precast facade on the dining hall in the lower courtyard in Building 4.
Completed paving along Building 9 in the north portion of the site.
PArkking spaces designated for the Building 1 community room are painted on the paving north of Building 9 to accommodate Building 1’s TCO.
Holes are dug for the trees along Hoover St. in front of Building 1.
The service entry between Buildings 1 & 9 is complete except for the site fence & gates.
Building 9 south courtyard walkway.
A flowering plant in the Building south courtyard.
Walkway in the Building 9 south courtyard.
Brick pavers are installed along Hoover St. at Building 9.
Completed precast installation at the Building 9 pavilion, which still needs infill brick to be installed.
Formwork and rebar for site concrete between Buildings 4 & 6.
Crews begin to pour concrete paving between Buildings 4 & 6.
Formwork for concrete paving south of Building 4.
Future fitness center in Building 6.
Future fitness center in Building 6. Fitness center work will begin once the building TCO is received in February.
More future fitness center space in Building 6.
Another future fitness center space in Building 6, along Jefferson Blvd.
Completed landscape and hardscape along the south side of Building 1.
The first two street trees (Australian Willows) have been delivered for 30th St. in front of Building 1.
Corner of Building 1 from the future site of Building 2.
A small landscaped area anchors the southwest corner of Building 1.
Completed paving west of Building 1.
The first few trees have been planted west of Building 9.
Building 9 from the future site of Building 2.
Building 9 from the future site of Building 3.
Fromwork for the new sidewalk along McClintock St. in front of Building 4.
Service yard on the corner of Building 4, where the site fence installation is pending.
An egress stair still needs to be poured along the new paving around the dining hall courtyard.
Completed west facade of the dining hall.
The ceiling and walls are completed in the dining hall.
View out to the Building 4 lower courtyard from the dining hall.
Plaster installation is in porgress on the back side of the precast gable in the breezeway leading to the dining hall entrance in the Building 4 lower courtyard.
Proposed residential courtyard seating awaits review in the construction site office.
Formwork for more concrete paving south of Building 1.
Building 9 and the pavilion from the central plaza.
The central plaza fountain, which is waiting for its precast surround and granite tile basin, and Building 4.
Building 4 from the central plaza.
Nearly-complete sidewalk east of Building 9 along Hoover St.
The Building 9 pavilion and Watt Way from the Building 9 roof.
Plaster courtyard facade and downtown Los Angeles from the Building 9 roof.
Workers install cables across the Building 9 north courtyard, which will hold suspended lighting.
Building 1 roof from the Building 9 roof.
The new Fire Station No. 15 and downtown Los Angeles from the Building 9 roof.
Future Building 2 site, Building 1, and the surrounding community from the Building 9 roof.
Building 4 clock tower from the Building 9 roof.
View down Watt Way from the Building 9 roof.
Building 9 south courtyard from the roof.
Lounge area in the Building 9 lobby.
Building 9 residential lobby.
Barrel-vaulted ceiling and the arched storefront over the main entry in the Building 9 lobby.
The first few chandeliers have been delivered for the Building 4 dining hall.
Concrete pour in progress between Buildings 4 & 6.
A crane lifts the final precast concrete wall panel at USC Village into place, on level 5 of the manlift bay.
The final precast wall panel is installed on Building 7. Precast trim elements remain outstanding for several site structures and at the last remaining concrete shear walls with hand set brick.
Five London Plane trees have been delivered for installation est of Building 1 on Hoover St.
Light cables have been installed in the Building 4 courtyard, seen from the roof.
Buildings 7 & 8 and the central plaza from tier 2 of the clock tower above Building 4.
Building 9 pavilion and the central plaza from the second tier of the Building 3 clock tower.
View west from the second tier of the clock tower, above Building 4.
Courtyard facade of Building 4 and view to Webb Tower and Fluor Tower from the second tier of the clock tower.
View south from the clock tower over Building 4.
View north to Building 9 from tier 2 of the clock tower.
Precast tracery in tier 2 of the clock tower, which is roughly 30′ tall.
Completed sitework west of Building 9 from the Building 4 roof.
View north from the Building 4 roof.
Completed common space in an 8-bed residential unit in Building 4.
Carpet flooring in a completed bedroom in Building 4.
A completed faculty unity kitchen in Building 4.
Faculty unit living and dining room area in Building 4.
Study room on level 4 of the clock tower in Building 4, where the ceiling needs to be installed still.
Corridor out to the upper courtyard in Building 4.
Study room looking out to the courtyard in Building 4.
View to the completed east facade of the dining hall from the Building 4 courtyard breezeway.
Building 4 lower courtyard and dining hall.
Facade work continues above the dining hall entry in the Building 4 lower courtyard.
Completed (pending final landscaping) lower courtyard in Building 4.
A completed elevator lobby and residential corridor in Building 4.
Residential corridor in Building 4.
Residential lobby in Building 4.
Lounge area in the Building 4 residential lobby.
Study room in the Building 4 residential lobby.
Study room in the Building 4 lobby, with storefront windows out to the lower courtyard.
Entrance 5 to the main campus, at McClintock St. will finally be completed once new entry markers and the widened sidewalk on Jefferson are installed.
The precast cornice is placed on the guard house in front of Building 4.
Concrete paving progress between Buildings 4 & 6.
An extension of the Building 9 level 1 slab is poured into the central plaza, forming the base for the brick paving there.
Crews assemble scaffolding over the entrance to the parking structure, to install brick infill between the precast trim pieces on the pavilion.
Building 8 north facade and the pavilion.
A large corner bedroom in Building 9.
Building 6 from the central plaza.
Future Starbucks in the space under the south courtyard in Building 8.
Future Starbucks in Building 8.
The planter waterproofing is complete in the Building 8 south courtyard.
Building 7 and the clock tower form Building 8.
View down the paseo between Buildings 7 & 8.
View to the central plaza from the paseo between Buildings 7 & 8.
Building 8 south courtyard trellis, which is pending installation of precast column covers.
A study room in Building 8.
A study room in Building 8.
A corner bedroom with a view to Building 7 in Building 8.
The first in-place unit in Building 8 demonstrates the finished product for a kitchen and living space.
Waterproofing is complete in the Building 8 north courtyard.
Interior of the recently-enclosed Building 7 manlift bay, where work will now progress rapidly so that the interior can catch up with the rest of the building.
Building 7 courtyard.
The Building 7 courtyard features a large open space that will contain 9 freestanding trees; however, the previously-selected majestic Marina Strawberry trees will be replaced with small Laurus Nobilis trees.
Building 7 courtyard.
Central plaza from the Building 7 roof.
Kaufman Dance Center from the Building 7 roof with the street improvements along Jefferson Blvd. complete.
View to the new Trousdale campus entry from the Building 7 roof.
Grading is complete in front pf Building 8, where a 120″ box Quercus Agrifolia tree will be installed later this month.
Pressure washing the new sidewalk between Buildings 4 & 6.
The remaining space between Buildings 4 & 6 will contain planters with Marina Strawberry trees and more concrete.
The retaining walls between Building 4 and its guardhouse will be clad with brick and precast concrete.
Work continues around the Building 4 guardhouse and along McClintock St. as the building prepares for its TCO.
Completed paving west of Building 9.
Australian Willow trees wait to be planted along 30th St. north of Building 1.
Looking down Hoover St. from the corner of Building 1.
The new pedestrian lights are operational along the new sidewalk along Hoover St. in front of Building 1.
Completed precast and brick facade around the dining hall courtyard.
The dining hall courtyard awaits the installation of brick bands.
The dining hall courtyard is ready for brick paving.
Rain fills the future landscaping areas in the Building 4 lower courtyard.
The Building 4 lower courtyard can be used as an extension of the indoor dining hall space for special events via four sets of double doors in the storefront.
Completed concrete paving along the Building 4 arcade.
Site paving will progress to and around Building 6 next, as it approaches its February TCO date.
A view to the fitness center entry from Building 4’s arcade.
Puddles fill the central plaza after a rainstorm.
Building 8 reflects in the rainwater-filled central plaza fountain.
Building 9 reflects in the rain-filled central plaza fountain.
Building 4 reflects in the central plaza fountain.
Carpet flooring begins to be installed in the Building 9 residential corridors.
A nearly-complete bedroom in Building 9.
Buildings 7 & 8 from the central plaza.
Buildings 4 & 6 from the central plaza.
A corner kitchen and living space in Building 6.
Waterproofing is complete in the Building 6 courtyards, which await concrete paving.
The stair in the Building 6 courtyard breezeway provides direct access from level 3.
The ends of most residential corridors feature window seats, this one along Jefferson Boulevard in Building 6.
Lighting is now on in Building 6, with the light over this kitchen sink and in the living room clearly visible.
A corner bedroom in Building 6 with a view to the Kaufman Dance Center.
A kitchen and living space in Building 6 with all of the lights on.
The east courtyard in Building 6 is ready for concrete paving and landscaping.
A living space with a view to the central plaza in Building 6.
Another kitchen and living space in Building 6.
Work has begun on the new entry markers and widened sidewalks at the McClintock campus entry.
An overview of the MClintock entry marker project from the second floor of the old Bank of America building, where the site office’s kitchen is located.
With the precast cornice completed, brick can be installed next on the guardhouse.
Building 4 reflects in the rainwater-filled central plaza fountain basin. A video version is currently featured on the main page of this site.
Under the bridge, Building 4 features a classroom space for guest speakers and other events.
A bedroom in Building 9 with a view to the courtyard.
Building 8 reflects in the central plaza fountain, which is filled with rainwater from a recent storm.
Mulch installation is in progress in the Building 9 courtyards, where light cable installation is complete.
Brick paving is in progress east of Building 9, where the first new pedestrian light is also installed.
Building 1 from the service entrance for the Building 9 loading dock.
The first London Plane tree is installed on Hoover St. along Building 1. These are the only deciduous trees on the USC Village project and will run the entire length of Hoover St.
New gates have been added to the perimeter construction fences to provide emergency access to the now-complete Building 1.
Fencing divides the completed Building 1 from Building 9, which will take three more months to reach its TCO date.
The nearly-complete vegan station in the dining hall.
The “specialty of the day” station in the dining hall.
The desert and beverage station in the dining hall.
The first of fourteen chandeliers is installed in the dining hall.
Dining hall, with the first chandelier installed and two more staged to be hung.
A stained glass inlay layer is beginning to be applied to the large dining hall windows.
One of two private dining rooms in the dining hall, this one with a view out to the dining hall courtyard and McClintock St.
These decorative wood screens will fill each archway on either side of the dining hall.
A full view of the dining hall, looking east.
A full view of the dining hall, looking west.
The “just in time” and salad station in the dining hall.
Natural light fills the Building 4 lobby in the afternoon through the continuous south-facing storefront windows.
The nearly-complete lounge area in the Building 4 residential lobby.
Desert plantings fill two quarter circles as the centerpiece of the new Trousdale campus entry at Jefferson Boulevard, where work should complete in the next few months.
7 replies on “USC Village Construction – December 2016”
NOOOO I am so sad that this will be you last regular update 🙁
Pouring one out for your last update Nick, it’s been a pleasure!!
2 questions:
– Is there an additional long pointy piece that goes on top of the clock tower spire?
– You mentioned future buildings 2 and 3, is there a timeline for those to get built out?
The tower is pretty much complete at this point, other than the lighting. As it is, it’s basically 90 ft tall of empty steel above the roof 🙂
The current plan is that USC will see how the current village works (in terms of programming, operations, etc.) for a couple of years before building out Buildings 2 & 3 (north part of the site), and Building 5 (current site office/former Bank of America) is intended to have a matching building across McClintock, so it would probably be built along with that next phase. That being said, the development agreement for the entire specific plan (including the current sites of Cardinal Gardens and Century Apartments) only lasts until 2030, so expect a lot more action in this area over the next decade. I’d also expect some timing influence from this being the proposed site of the media village for the 2024 Olympics if LA wins that bid.
Thank you for taking the time to do all of this. I have always been fascinated with the project, and I find it extremely interesting and also educational as I learned more about the USC Village. These updates were always appreciated as it gave a unique perspective that the average passerby would never get a chance to experience.
Thanks, Akivan! I think we share a similar interest in this project; it’s awesome that you’ll (hopefully) get to live in/experience the finished product as well. It’s been an awesome experience documenting its evolution and many of the interesting angles and perspectives that most people will never get to see.
Thanks Nick for your monthly updates. And I really wish it wouldn’t end with this one. Congrats on graduating. I was reading your bio and realized we took a similar path at USC. I am, too, both in Viterbi studying CS, and Thornton, studying composition.
Not complaining here, but I am not quite happy with some of the architectural decisions in the final projects. Comparing the renderings on UV website and the actual buildings, I noticed a lot of details, ornamentation, subtleties and varieties in design have not made their way into the final project (it includes the missing spire on the clock tower), resulting in a repetitive fenestration. Also I am not a great fan of precast concrete used in place of actual stone. They look fake and oddly yellow in sunlight. I wish they have kept the same Romanesque style in the interior as well.
I was checking out the two red-brick Georgian residential colleges currently being built at Yale (Design of Robert A.M Stern). There is a great attention to the building materials and design of the complex (both interior and exterior) to make it look original. I wish USC had done the same.
Nonetheless, UV will be a great addition to university park campus , and I am excited for the opening of UV next fall.
NOOOO I am so sad that this will be you last regular update 🙁
Thank you for all the updates of Village. FO John
Pouring one out for your last update Nick, it’s been a pleasure!!
2 questions:
– Is there an additional long pointy piece that goes on top of the clock tower spire?
– You mentioned future buildings 2 and 3, is there a timeline for those to get built out?
Thanks and congrats on graduating!!
The tower is pretty much complete at this point, other than the lighting. As it is, it’s basically 90 ft tall of empty steel above the roof 🙂
The current plan is that USC will see how the current village works (in terms of programming, operations, etc.) for a couple of years before building out Buildings 2 & 3 (north part of the site), and Building 5 (current site office/former Bank of America) is intended to have a matching building across McClintock, so it would probably be built along with that next phase. That being said, the development agreement for the entire specific plan (including the current sites of Cardinal Gardens and Century Apartments) only lasts until 2030, so expect a lot more action in this area over the next decade. I’d also expect some timing influence from this being the proposed site of the media village for the 2024 Olympics if LA wins that bid.
Nick,
Thank you for taking the time to do all of this. I have always been fascinated with the project, and I find it extremely interesting and also educational as I learned more about the USC Village. These updates were always appreciated as it gave a unique perspective that the average passerby would never get a chance to experience.
Best,
Akivan
Thanks, Akivan! I think we share a similar interest in this project; it’s awesome that you’ll (hopefully) get to live in/experience the finished product as well. It’s been an awesome experience documenting its evolution and many of the interesting angles and perspectives that most people will never get to see.
Thanks Nick for your monthly updates. And I really wish it wouldn’t end with this one. Congrats on graduating. I was reading your bio and realized we took a similar path at USC. I am, too, both in Viterbi studying CS, and Thornton, studying composition.
Not complaining here, but I am not quite happy with some of the architectural decisions in the final projects. Comparing the renderings on UV website and the actual buildings, I noticed a lot of details, ornamentation, subtleties and varieties in design have not made their way into the final project (it includes the missing spire on the clock tower), resulting in a repetitive fenestration. Also I am not a great fan of precast concrete used in place of actual stone. They look fake and oddly yellow in sunlight. I wish they have kept the same Romanesque style in the interior as well.
I was checking out the two red-brick Georgian residential colleges currently being built at Yale (Design of Robert A.M Stern). There is a great attention to the building materials and design of the complex (both interior and exterior) to make it look original. I wish USC had done the same.
Nonetheless, UV will be a great addition to university park campus , and I am excited for the opening of UV next fall.