Park 55 entrance, Santa Ana

Park 55 is a high-end office building in Santa Ana, California. The works cover the entrance and its exterior treatment, with the aim of bringing a natural materiality to the building through a biophilic approach.

The facing is Kebony Clear, installed in heavy-section boards. The modified wood is produced by impregnating a softwood with a bio-based liquid, a process that durably increases its density, dimensional stability and biological resistance.

On a building entrance, that stability matters: boards stay aligned and joints regular despite the alternation of intense daytime heat and night-time humidity typical of southern California. The material needs no finish and greys evenly on exposed faces. Design: RCH Studios. Contractor: KPRS.