Next-door to NPR West in Culver City, biotech firm Nantworks has broken ground on a new office building that will serve as an expansion of its headquarters.

Located at 9919 W. Jefferson Boulevard, the three-story, 62,000-square-foot building will feature corporate offices as well as labs and space for research and development.  The project will also include a new rooftop amenity deck, and a separate five-story parking garage with space for up to 294 vehicles.

Santa Monica-based architecture firm Tichenor & Thorp is designing the Nantworks expansion, with direction from Gruen Associates.  The contemporary low-rise structure will feature exterior finishes such as perforated metal, cement plaster, and glass.

A timeline and budget for the project are currently unclear.

NantWorks is the umbrella organization for a series of biotech endeavors led by Dr. Patrick Soon-Schiong, a physician who has become one of Los Angeles' wealthiest residents.  The South Africa native, who already owns a minority stake in the NBA's Lakers, reached a $500-million deal in February to buy the Los Angeles Times, and has since announced plans to relocate the newspaper's offices to El Segundo.