Johnson Fain to convert former Sunkist Headquarters into mixed-use development

In 2014, the iconic Westcoast company Sunkist Growers, Inc. left its headquarters in Sherman Oaks, California, and ventured north to make Valencia its new home. Since 1893, Sunkist has been a household name throughout the United States, known for its fresh, sweet-and-tangy citrus fruit products. In the 1950s the fruits were popularized as Christmas treats and later in the 1970s and ’80s the new soda collection was the star of several commercials promoted by The Beach Boys.

Regardless of how you affiliate with the brand, the historic 8.3-acre campus, formerly known as Sunkist Headquarters will be transformed into the new Citrus Commons: a mixed-use property, amongst a new park spanning from Riverside Drive to the Los Angeles River. Architecture-interior design-planning firm Johnson Fain is the force behind this major shift to maintain the original bones of the Sunkist Headquarters office building, which will also incorporate new structures on the campus.

Back in February, the Los Angeles City Council praised the new Citrus Commons project because it is, as Sherman Oaks neighborhood chair, Jeffrey Kalban stated, “an outstanding example of a developer [IMT Residential] and community working together for a very special and exceptional project.” Three new residential buildings and a new parking garage will surround the pre-existing Brutalist Sunkist Headquarters to comprise the Citrus Commons development. The Headquarters was originally designed in 1971 by AC Martin and Associates.

The 126, 674 square-feet of prime office real estate will be upgraded into a creative Class A working environment. t. Along with the upgraded office building, 249 luxury units will occupy part of the three new residential buildings with 27,000-square-feet of community-serving commercial space. Adjacent to the wood and concrete mixed-use buildings will be a low-rise parking garage for up to 1,095 cars. Amongst the project, 165,000-square-feet of space is expected to weave through the project, which comprises open spaces, gardens and a plaza.

The three new buildings at Citrus Commons will tie with the already visually heavy Brutalist design of the former Sunkist Headquarters building by incorporating a great amount of concrete and great geometric forms throughout. Johnson Fain is also mindful of the agricultural landscapes surrounding the campus, so there will also be touches of timber added to the new structures. To take the local connection a step further, Johnson Fain was inspired by the local barns and farms and will design the new parking garage with timber lath cladding. These uneven horizontal strips of timber on the facade of the parking garage will add an interesting textural element to the already embedded wooden squares visible on the new Citrus Commons buildings.

In the intermediate space of new and old buildings there will be a diverse landscape, rich with gardens that will offer prime outdoor gathering spots along the historic Sunkist central atrium. Johnson Fain is taking steps to design the Citrus Commons to be as warm and inviting as it can be to the local communities. . With these indoor and outdoor advances the new development will fulfill the playful Sunkist slogan “Good Vibrations.”