2025 Commercial Design Award: Nadel by Standard Architecture

Author:Abigail Stone

In 2020, we bestowed the award for residential design on Standard Architecture for their work reimagining a 1920s-era Spanish-style Bel Air house for the modern era as something timeless, understated and inspiring. Now they are once again walking away with top honors for their work designing the Culver City offices of Nadel, a 70-year-old national branding company, that proves they are just as adept at activating their vision in the commercial arena. “Businesses should feel just as comfortable as homes,” says Silvia Kuhle, one of the firm’s partners.

“The client hired us as part of their efforts to reinvigorate the company with the design of their new headquarters,” she explains. “They wanted a welcoming, inclusive and forward-thinking place that would showcase their core beliefs.” These included: client services, innovation, sustainability, community engage- ment and employee development. Figuring out how to translate these lofty ideals into a concrete, physical design was Standard Architecture’s initial hurdle. “But once we dug down with the client and really understood the feeling that they were trying to impart to their customers, we knew that success would pivot on creating a welcoming experience,” Kuhle shares.

The structure they had to work with did not seem promising. The aging ’70s-era, tilt-up concrete warehouse was located in an industrial park. It had no usable exterior space and there were few windows. To achieve Standard Architecture’s vision—they imagined a healthy environment that showcased ample daylight, multiple connections to the outdoors and natural materials—would take some work.

They transformed the formerly negligible front yard into a series of compelling private courtyards that help blur the line between the interior of the building and its environment. That’s underscored by the use of drought-tolerant native landscaping, created with the help of David Laforga Landscape Architecture, and simple wood furniture. They swapped utilitarian fencing for graphic white powder-coated perforated aluminum screens. Spanning the length of the building, the screens serve as both a veil and an invitation. They installed large windows that flood the formerly dark interior with light, reshaping it into an uplifting two-story space. Pale woods confirm that inspiring feeling while also connecting the inside with the exterior. “We really wanted to create a welcoming and inclusive space and we definitely feel we achieved our goals,” Kuhle notes. “The clients thought so too. They told us: ‘Now it feels like a spa.’”