Working wonders: three new L.A. office design projects emphasize streamlining and simplicity.

Detection Logic Fire Protection Designer: WWCOT Location: Burbank

CCREATIVE space comes in two flavors, luxurious or retro industrial. If boutique talent agencies, advertising firms, production companies or record labels can't afford a posh Beverly Hills office, they usually opt for converted factory or warehouse loft, complete with concrete floors and high ceilings. Retro had nothing to do with the case of Detection Logic Fire Protection in Burbank. The company purchased new warehouse space and wanted the front part of the building to house its offices. Since the space came on a corporate condominium basis, design firm WWCOT could do as it pleased on the inside but couldn't touch the exterior. "Because they are fire and life safety engineers, we treated them as a creative office assignment," said Rey Viquez, director of interior design at WWCOT. "It was a very simple build-out-not low budget, but simple and efficient with the budget." Except for perimeter offices, the building had no access to natural light. "The reason for the photo mural is to give the California feel of palm trees," Viquez said.

Water & Power Community Credit Union Design Firm: Rothenberg Sawasy Architects Location: Granada Hills

THE office communicates two concepts--water and power. Flooring flows like a pale blue river through the offices. Partitions between the cubicles feature rippled glass. The project required a balancing act, according to Wendell Salvador, Workplace Studio Director at Rothenberg Sawasy in Los Angeles. Not between water and power, but between generations. The Water & Power Community Credit Union's 51,000 members ranges from mature workers who appreciate the familiarity of an old-fashioned bank and a younger crowd who wanted a contemporary, clean look. "We used modem shapes and soft, familiar materials so the modem look wouldn't be too cold," said Salvador. For example, counters were designed to look like boats, a modem geometrical form. Making it of fine wood added to the boat metaphor while also referencing the solid furniture of an established bank office.

Rand Corp. Design Firm: DMJM H&N Location: Santa Monica

THE curvilinear elegance of the non-profit think tank's headquarters is remarkable. Rand asked for functionality, not aesthetics. The prime directive to designers was for offices "to facilitate both interaction and quiet individual study." In 1998, Rand selected DMJM in Los Angeles to put theory into practice. The final challenge was that Rand sold most of its land, so the HQ had to fit on an oblong 3.7-acre parcel. "If you were to walk around a single floor, it's roughly a quarter-mile track," said Iao Katagiri, director of Community Relations at Rand and author of the paper. Those interactive hallways lead to private offices, designed based on an ideal size of 10 by 14 feet. Also, the arcshaped buildings give every office access to natural light and air. All the windows open, and on higher floors some of them provide an inspiring view of the Pacific, only a block away. Katagiri describes the interior as homey but also a perfect reflection of Rand's corporate culture. "It has hardy and straight-forward furniture and decor. That reflects our non-profit status but also our approach to problem solving through research," she said.