A Window on Modern Medical Offices

The San Fernando Valley has a new generation of medical office space, as exemplified by the Ventana Medical Plaza. Located on a 2.37-acre site near the northwest corner of Ventura Boulevard and Lindley Avenue in Tarzana, Ventana Medical Plaza houses the largest and most integrated cancer treatment center in the San Fernando Valley, with more than half of its floor area dedicated to radiology, oncology and surgical centers. The Ventana features a contemporary look highlighted by a 60-foot tall curved glass entrance and a windows-riddled facade from which the project took its name. Artist Sage Vaughn painted a massive mural along the edifice’s western elevation. The project was created by Encino-headquartered TriStar Realty Group and its architectural partner, Neo & Associates, a San Marino-based studio headed by Eddie Osuch. TriStar invested $50 million into the four-story, 112,000-square-foot facility at 18131 Ventura Blvd., which opened in 2016. “It took five years to get Ventana to get all the way through its approvals,” Osuch said. “There was a lot going against it but the brothers (TriStar principals Danny and Robin Kashani) kept going from their end and modified the design.” Market scarcity As the first medical facility built in Tarzana in over 20 years, six tenants snapped up the office space, including Breastlink Women’s Imaging Center, Liberty Pacific Advanced Imaging and FMG Obstetrics & Gynecology. The development includes ground-floor restaurant, pharmacy and an 824-stall garage with valet parking and car wash. According to an online real estate database maintained by CoStar Group, TriStar purchased the site in 2008 and broke ground in the first quarter of 2013. The medical development has been referred to as “the gateway to Tarzana” because of the building’s establishment at a an entry point from Encino. TriStar has been happy with Osuch’s work. Osuch said the siblings behind the firm have been supportive. “They’re very particular with their taste but once you get used to your taste, (they encourage creativity),” Osuch said. “They’ll tell me, ‘Eddie, this is not Eddie enough, go back and make it more Eddie.’” “Eddie is a very dedicated architect who pours everything he has into his designs,” Robin Kashani said. “He is always over-the-top with his designs and the buildings are intended as statement pieces for our portfolio. We have been working with him for more than 10 years and he continues to out-do himself on each project setting it apart from others.” Osuch’s other work for TriStar includes a shipping center-to-retail conversion in Laverne with a Dollar Tree and Crunch Fitness; and a Corona del Mar house. Firm commitment Osuch formed Neo & Associates in 2014. Comprised of three people, with the occasional addition of a consulting architect, the boutique firm, which recently won the Business Journal’s Gold Award for Best Office Project for their work on TriStar’s 10,000-square-foot West Hills Medical Center, has kept busy with a mix of commercial and residential projects. Located at 23115 Sherman Place, the West Hills medical plaza also came with challenges. The structure required a zoning adminstrator’s interpretation for the use and other city of Los Angeles entitlements. Neo & Associates Project Manager Katherine Bast has worked on a roster of projects for Osuch, including residential projects in Glendora, Malibu and Pasadena. While relatively new to the company, she calls Osuch an incredible boss. “He is very hardworking, patient and cares a lot about his clients and employees,” she said, adding that she enjoys the creativity, style and mirth Osuch infuses into his work. “Eddie has great people skills and will work round-the-clock to get a project done.” The USC graduate tackles interior and exterior design for the firm. “I also help with marketing and making sure our city submittals run smoothly,” Bast said. Osuch, a USC School of Architecture graduate, has been creating 3D architecture images since 1997. He has mentored interns from Woodbury University in Burbank and has taught design and lighting at Long Beach City College. At Neo, Osuch has undertaken such assignments as Northrop Grumman Corp.’s El Segundo offices, a meeting and reception area for Boeing Co. in Huntington Beach, and Oryxe Energy International‘s headquarters in Irvine. Entertainment clients have included the 488 Building at Universal Studios in Universal City, which Osuch worked on as part of a team that created offices atop a parking structure. “They’re huge, each floor is 60,000 square feet,” Osuch said. Two years after working on that project, Osuch coincidentally found himself based at the Comcast Corp.-owned entertainment complex as an architectural contractor working on a “Terminator” ride for Universal Japan. “It was a little surreal,” Osuch said, confirming that he eventually informed the company and joked with them that they could blame him for any structural flaws. Neo’s future Valley endeavors include Park Point, an Encino project at 17017 Ventura Blvd. just submitted to L.A.’s Planning Department and additional ground-up medical offices adjacent to Ventana that will total an additional 18,000 square feet.