The Grand by Gehry - Luxury Residential

A Vertical City: The Grand by Gehry is not merely a residence; it is Related Companies' flagship Los Angeles development and a skyline-defining architectural icon. The Challenge: To define the soul of this structure during its critical pre-opening phase. In a competitive luxury market, amenities are standard; community is the differentiator. My mandate was to create a "live-in experiential lifestyle" that felt less like an apartment complex and more like a private members' club.

YEAR

2022 – 2023

ROLE

Director of Lifestyle & Experience

(In-House)

SERVICES

Pre-Opening Strategy
Community Development
Brand Partnerships

Point of View

The "Clubification" of Residential: My approach moved beyond the traditional "landlord-tenant" dynamic to build a "club-member" relationship, shifting the focus from basic amenities to a shared sense of identity.

Hyper-Local Integration: We anchored the building within its neighborhood by forging strategic partnerships with The Broad and LA Opera, giving residents exclusive access to the cultural arts corridor they lived above.

Curated Culture: Deployed a dedicated budget to execute a programming calendar that rivaled high-end social clubs, seeking a specific spike in resident engagement and satisfaction. This included the signature "Bread & Wine" dinner series—hosted both on-property for intimate community building and off-site at San Laurel by José Andrés (The Conrad), integrating residents into the broader luxury ecosystem of The Grand LA.

Strategic Communications: Identified a critical gap in resident communication and launched "Elevated," the building’s first dedicated monthly newsletter. This served as a curated "source of happenings within our four walls as well as the rest of our neighborhood," bridging the gap between luxury residents and the local cultural ecosystem.

The Results

Leasing Velocity: Transformed the residential experience by building a tangible aliveness and buzz throughout the building. By curating a private members' club atmosphere, we provided a distinct competitive advantage that allowed the leasing team to sell a lived experience rather than just square footage.

Brand Identity: Successfully positioned The Grand not just as a place to sleep, but as the primary social anchor of Grand Avenue. Through high-level partnerships and the launch of the Elevated newsletter, we built a brand soul that matched the caliber of Gehry’s architecture. This distinct identity ensured the asset stood out against the landscape of traditional high-rise apartment towers in DTLA, establishing it as the definitive "Flagship" of the Related California portfolio.

Strategic Evolution: Following the successful stabilization of the asset, the relationship evolved from in-house leadership to a long-term strategic advisory through my placemaking studio, Art of Club. This partnership focuses on the 2025/2026 ongoing resident engagement & programming strategy.

Credits

Photography: The curation of images featured were captured by a team of incredible creative partners commissioned during my tenure.

Jojo Korsh • Interiors by Peter Valli for Related CA • Rendering Exterior by JORG for Related CA

Copyright Notice: All photography and trademarks are the property of Related Companies and affiliates. These assets are displayed here solely to represent professional tenure and work performed during the stated period.

Status: Employed (2022–2023)

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