10 West Walnut is a five-story, Class A creative office building located within the larger development of 100 West Walnut, in Pasadena, California. SOM created the master plan for the entire development, which transforms parking lots surrounding a large corporate headquarters into a mixed-use complex that includes offices, residences, and commercial spaces. The design of the 233,000 square-foot office building at 10 West Walnut features a repeating brick frame that highlights its structural grid and large windows with both fixed and sliding glass panels.

On the ground floor, two lobbies with vertical cores distribute circulation and allow for a variety of tenant configurations. Pocket glass walls connect the lobbies to the street, enabling pedestrians to visit the site’s indoor public space, pass through the building, or access its public plaza. With a variety of seating areas, the plaza provides space for tenants and local residents to gather, work, and socialize.

The office interiors are open concrete structures, finished to accommodate high ceilings and generous amounts of daylight. Each floor, unobstructed from north to south, features operable windows that provide cross-ventilation and views of the San Gabriel Mountains. Balconies on the upper floors capitalize on Southern California’s temperate climate.

The incorporation of efficient mechanical systems throughout the building allows the facade to be constructed with glass that has low reflectivity and high visible light transmittance. This feature, unusual for standard office environments, increases the amount of natural daylight that reaches the interior. Additionally, the building’s east-to-west orientation optimizes daylighting to minimize solar heat gain, reduce energy consumption, and improve the building’s overall performance.