Redefining the Office: A Creative Sanctuary for the Modern Hellscape

Read the global news, and the world is in chaos. Read the industry trades and you’ll find similar uncertainties. Yet, on an unassuming block of strip malls and dense apartment complexes in the Los Angeles Pico Robertson district, you’ll discover Birdhouse - a nexus of calm and creativity - and home to JANE.

Hidden behind a metal gate, overgrown hedges, and colourful bougainvillea, the office feels like a stumbled-upon escape from the bustling city. The white noise hum of the metropolis that filters into the courtyard is the only reminder of the outside world.

“We discovered the building at the end of 2022,” David Parker recalls when we met to discuss Birdhouse, the space JANE has called home since the Spring of 2024. “Despite needing a lot of work, it had a few intangibles, and its indoor-outdoor sensibility and architecture had so much potential. Two separate structures bookended a completely underdeveloped outdoor courtyard, each offering its unique aesthetic and function. Even in a rundown state, the possibilities were there.”

The property is adjacent to Culver City and Beverly Hills. 'Tetris-ed' between a gas station and a preschool, its understated elegance stands in contrast to its more moneyed neighbours.

The building’s community history endeared itself to the team from the outset. “It once served as a women-owned non-profit dedicated to women's health, which played a crucial role in launching the careers of 50 young behavioural health practitioners, in addition to serving the community with low-cost services,” says JANE co-founder, Nancy Nina Hwang. “It has been an art gallery and cultural research centre, which reinforced the feeling that it is a space for community and artists to come together.”

Inspired, the team got to work, determined to transform it into a multi-dimensional creative space. What David and the team achieved feels like an authentic representation of the community that many in the industry crave.

Birdhouse: A Multi-Dimensional Creative Haven

Bringing to life JANE’s founding principles of embracing shared passions and common beliefs in artistry and creativity, the team tells me Birdhouse is configured in ‘modular ways.’

“ We wanted to find a home for JANE, but we also wanted a creative space that was more than an office. The world is in a moment of incredible flux. This is a space for traditions and everything the future throws at us," says David.

From functioning as a gallery to hosting dinner parties, lectures on AI, meditation retreats, kids' art workshops, and pop-up bars, Birdhouse’s spatial purpose is one for the imagination. “By day, we can operate like a studio. All the tech and functional comforts are in the building. We can host meetings, edits, and client-facing design sessions, but they can easily be modified and returned to an open canvas.”

“Even before the remodel, something about the space felt secretive and hidden, like an escape,” David points out. “We took that feeling and ran with it, playing off some of the original Spanish influences, and we added lush plants and flowers in every possible inch of the space. Instead of adding more to the building, we stripped away. As we removed the less thoughtful architectural overlays, and the plants began to bloom and flourish with nature’s winged visitors, the space came alive.”

JANE welcomes members of the community looking for a home to experiment with new ideas. Birdhouse has been designed with artists in mind, and every Birdhouse event is designed to raise the profile of local Los Angeles voices and global ones as well.

More Than Just An Office

“The space itself is inspiring because, in many ways, it’s the opposite of how the world is moving,” David explains. “It's earthy and calm, the opposite of the traditional office – it feels more like a retreat.”

All of this is intentional. Coming out of the pandemic, with most people accustomed to the work-from-home model or returning to offices that had not evolved, JANE saw an opportunity to reimagine what an office could look like today.

"Ideally, when someone walks into our space, they find an environment that fosters ideas and inspires collaboration," says Nina. "We love technology and all the wonderful things it can do for us, but we also recognise that balance is important. Our space is designed to offer that sense of balance.”

Despite all this, Birdhouse is as utilitarian as any other modern workspace. To maintain the space's secret garden nature, much of the technology is designed to be modular and hidden so it doesn’t interfere with the natural calm of the landscape.

“Mobile workstations, including Flame and edit stations, have been designed with this crazy Mad Max sensibility and are scaled onto wheels,” reveals Nancy. “These units can appear or disappear in 15 minutes, allowing the space to be as flexible as we need. We concealed a 10-foot, full-size projector screen in a custom, handmade wooden bench.”

There are also sound and security systems that are all built to the highest standards for black-site projects. “We wanted JANE to feel earthy and alive, while still easily housing the launch of a top-secret tech product.”

This modular technology allows the space to adapt to various needs while preserving its tranquil atmosphere. There are also sound and security systems that are all built to the highest standards for black-site projects.

This is quite the achievement. And considering the heart and soul that has gone into carefully curating such an intentional space, I wonder, is there a favoured area or room? For Nancy, it might be the exterior courtyard. "It provides all the benefits of being outdoors - beautiful plants, natural sounds, and fresh air - while the floor-to-ceiling windows that run the length of the ground floor studio allow you to stay connected to the activity inside through the building.”

David, meanwhile, has a soft spot for the upstairs level of the casita. “The old wooden floors and grandfather clock give it a library-like feel: cultured, calm, focused. It’s a total escape when you need to lock in on a project and focus.”

JANE: A Home for Art, Innovation, and Collaboration

Viewing this renovation project as an opportunity to challenge the status quo of ‘What do we envision an office to look like in 2025?’ JANE is successfully leading the way, embracing a new way of thinking and creating.

“Offices were never just for ‘work’, but now there are some new opportunities,” Cole Schreiber, JANE’s creative partner, admits. “They are places to bring people together and form a community. Whether it’s a workshop on much-talked-about ethical AI practices, or a holiday boutique - we’ve found people are craving connection and want a place to come and hang out.”

Nancy and David further that notion. “We are an independent boutique, and we wanted to create an authentic space for people who want that feeling. Beyond commercials, we want this to be a place for ideas that can respond to the current environment and cast ideas for the future.”

One year into inhabiting the space, the team has hosted a smorgasbord of events: concerts, art shows, fundraisers, local small business pop-ups, creative workshops for children, and artist-led tattoo pop-ups. Most recently, the space was used for a ‘Mother's Day Titty Bar’event, hosted by Mother LA. 

As JANE continues to shape the future of creative spaces, Birdhouse stands as a testament to the power of community, innovation, and intentional design. It’s more than just a place — a living, breathing environment where ideas are nurtured, creativity thrives, and the boundaries of work, technology, and art seamlessly blur.

Find out what else JANE has been up to here​

Read more features by April Summers here​