Designed to foster belonging and community resilience, the new office expands the organization’s reach and ability to offer vital resources and support to arts and entertainment professionals.
National interdisciplinary design firm, HGA, announced the completion of the Western region headquarters for the Entertainment Community Fund (formerly The Actors Fund), located within the new Cicely Tyson Residential Building—part of the 180,000 square-foot Hollywood Arts Collective development. With a dedicated entrance on Schrader Boulevard just off Hollywood Boulevard, the multi-level 12,000 square-foot interior office fit-out was designed by HGA to serve as a home base for the West Coast operations of the national human services organization that fosters stability and resiliency in its mission to provide support for performing arts and entertainment professionals across all ages, abilities and facets of the industry.
The new offices anchor the residential component of the two-building Hollywood Arts Collective, a broader development initiative aimed at expanding access to affordable spaces for artists to live, work and create in the heart of Hollywood. With a new, purpose-built regional home base, the Entertainment Community Fund can now more comprehensively deliver the critical services and resources that help creative professionals stay and thrive in the local area.
“Collaborating with HGA on our new West Coast headquarters has been a transformative experience. The new space is a vibrant, functional environment that reflects our mission and will enhance our ability to offer the support our community needs,” said Keith McNutt, Executive Director of the Western Region of the Entertainment Community Fund.
A Headquarters Designed to Heal, Connect + Uplift
HGA’s design of the Entertainment Community Fund’s Western region headquarters supports the overarching mission of Hollywood Arts Collective—providing spaces for community resilience while preserving the area’s cultural and artistic legacy. The design emphasizes transparency, engagement and collaboration, offering a dynamic backdrop for the organization’s work. This ethos comes to life through glassy interior elements, a central open staircase that encourages spontaneous interactions and flexible workspaces, striking a balance of collaborative zones alongside necessary private offices and meeting rooms.
An extensive collection of the Entertainment Community Fund’s historic entertainment memorabilia celebrates the legacy of those whom the organization has supported. Curated displays throughout the office ground the space in cultural history, reinforcing a strong sense of place, with items such as orginal PT Barnum posters and playbills from performers, Edwin Booth and Buffalo Bill.
To support the Entertainment Community Fund’s wide-ranging, no-cost services, HGA designed a variety of spaces that reflect the sensitivity and complexity of clients’ needs. These include:
- Confidential offices for one-on-one services, such as mental health counseling, career coaching and housing or financial assistance
- Flexible gathering spaces for larger groups such as workshops, support groups and educational programming
- Staff and visitor amenities such as a break area, mother’s room and children’s room
- Touchdown zones and informal meeting areas to support a variety of workstyles
The new headquarters will be complemented by the Training Center, located in The Rita Moreno Arts Building currently under construction, that will provide an additional range of meeting, training, and consulting spaces.
“As a design team, it was important to us that the Entertainment Community Fund’s new headquarters reflect both the organization’s rich legacy and enduring mission. We aimed to create a space that not only honors its history but also empowers it to support generations of local artists to come,” said John Frane, AIA, LEED AP BD+C, design principal at HGA and the project’s lead. “The services and programs now housed in this permanent home are invaluable to the entertainment industry and to the diverse professionals who bring it to life. We believe the work done here will be instrumental in ensuring the arts continue to have a home in Hollywood.”
The fully-leased residential building that houses the offices was completed in August 2024. Concept Ideation for the overall design aesthetic, site planning, and program organization was envisioned by HGA, with BSB Design providing full architectural services. It provides 151 units of affordable housing for arts and entertainment professionals.
A New Arts Building on the Horizon
Part of the broader Hollywood Arts Collective project, the forthcoming Rita Moreno Arts Building is designed by HGA to support Los Angeles’s creative community by expanding access to spaces for education, creation, and exhibitions for a diverse range of arts organizations. Scheduled for completion in 2026, the arts building holds a prominent position on Hollywood Boulevard integrating with the residential component via a shared outdoor paseo. Holistically the combined buildings will support both cultural and economic development goals for Hollywood and the City of Los Angeles’s creative community.
The Arts Building is organized around a three-story atrium designed for spontaneous gathering and special events and offers dedicated gallery and exhibition spaces as well as a variety of flexible spaces to accommodate arts creation, performance and education. It will be home to the versatile Glorya Kaufman Performing Arts Theater, LA Contemporary Exhibitions (LACE); a young filmmakers program targeting underserved, emerging talent in the neighborhood; and the Entertainment Community Fund’s Rosenthal Family Foundation Training Center.
This mix of nonprofit organizations that comprise the Hollywood Arts Collective is set to serve as a dynamic hub for the arts, supporting a wide range of disciplines, audiences and community needs once the full development is complete.
In addition to John Frane, design principal, the HGA design team included Joaquin Varela Ferrer, project manager; Michael Hendron, project architect; Tracey Franklin, interior designer; Gabrielle Boykin, project manager, and Roxanne Nelson, managing principal.
Additional project partners for the Entertainment Community Fund office include AMA Consulting Engineers, mechanical, electrical and plumbing engineering as well as fire protection and technology; Luminesce Design, Inc., lighting consultant and Beckman Acoustics, acoustics consultant.
About Entertainment Community Fund
The Entertainment Community Fund, formerly The Actors Fund, is a national human services organization that addresses the unique needs of people who work in performing arts and entertainment with services focused on health and wellness, career and life, and housing. Since 1882, the Fund has sought to ensure stability, encourage resiliency and be a safety net for those who shape our country’s cultural vibrancy. Learn more at entertainmentcommunity.org.
About HGA
HGA is a national interdisciplinary design firm committed to making a positive, lasting impact for our clients and communities through research-based, holistic solutions. We believe that great design requires a sense of curiosity—forming deep insight into our clients, their contexts, and the human condition. We are a collective of more than 1,200 architects, engineers, interior designers, planners, researchers, and strategists. Our practice spans multiple markets, including healthcare, science and technology, corporate, cultural, local and federal government, and education. Visit HGA.com or follow us on LinkedIn and Instagram.
HGA Media Contact
Michelle Nelsen, Public Relations Director
mnelsen@hga.com