Project Data:

Completion Date:     8/1/2022

Square Footage:      174000

Building Use:           Residential

Project Description:

Originally designed by AC Martin and Associates in 1967, this Class B building was commissioned by the General Telephone Company of California, the largest independent telephone company in the United States during the days of the Bell System, to serve as the headquarters for the southern region. The designer was commissioned to re-purpose this ocean-view building as market rate housing.

The design pays homage to the building’s mid-century architectural history and introduces renewed vibrancy with contemporary touches. The original building felt insular with an impenetrable facade and dark windows, so the renovation sought to reverse this relationship with the urban fabric and to invite views and connectivity. The addition of a gray vertical frame over the entry accentuates the building’s presence on Ocean Boulevard. To capitalize on the views and to allow more natural lighting, the designer doubled all existing windows in size and cut slots in the concrete bulkhead to make them larger. The outdated rooftop mechanical equipment was removed and two new stories were added to give the building an iconic appearance, furthering the identity of our project within a burgeoning downtown.

By drastically changing the floor plans and changing the massing of the building, carving outdoor balconies and terraces from the facade of the building, the designer was able to create voluminous, varied, and light-filled units that each have access to the outdoors. The new residential units will have exposed concrete walls in the corridors, tall ceilings and many with balconies with either ocean or city views. Overall, lower units feel connected to the street while upper units are connected to views. Utilizing the tall ground floor that was originally designed for retail, the designer created double height lofts with mezzanines and floor to ceiling windows. On the top floors, inbound town home units feature interior atriums, created by carving openings in the roof and allowing for interior bedrooms to have direct access to natural light and ventilation. Above the fourth floor, residents have unobstructed views southward over the waterfront, Queen Mary, and Catalina Island beyond, and northward towards downtown Los Angeles and San Gabriel Mountain range beyond. By strengthening part of the parking structure roof, the designer was able to add an expansive ground floor amenity deck that features a pool deck and spa, community rooms, and a barbecue area for residents.

Framework for Design Excellence

Design for Integration

The design pays homage to the building’s mid-century architectural design and introduces renewed vibrancy with contemporary touches. The original building felt insular with an impenetrable façade with small, fixed windows and dark glass. The renovation sought to reverse this relationship with the neighborhood by creating larger openings, operable windows, and transparent glass to enhance views and connectivity. The addition of a gray vertical frame over the entry accentuates the building’s “front door” and presence on Ocean Boulevard. To capitalize on the views and to allow more natural lighting and ventilation, all existing windows were doubled in size by cutting openings through the concrete bulkhead. The original outdated rooftop mechanical equipment was removed, allowing new two-story townhomes to define an iconic rooftop presence in the downtown skyline.

Design for Well-being

Adaptively reusing underutilized office buildings allows for unique opportunities that contribute to occupant well-being like taller ceilings, abundant glazing with operable windows, and many with balconies or terraces taking in surrounding views. The building interior is divided by an offset central corridor, resulting in both north and south-facing units with varied depths. The deeper units were modified to provide south-facing outdoor terraces that also serve to shade the glass façade to control solar heat gain. North-facing units bring glazed openings to the building perimeter along Ocean Blvd., integrating the building with the existing urban fabric, while the east and west facades have minimal punched openings to minimize glare. Balconies were provided at north-facing corners that offer unique views down Victory Park, a linear green that runs parallel to Ocean Boulevard downtown.

Overall, units at the lower floors feel a part of the street while upper-level units have a stronger connection to views. Repurposing a tall ground floor originally designed for retail, allowed the opportunity for ground floor lofts with mezzanines and floor-to-ceiling glazing. On the top floors, rooftop townhouse units have super porches to shade outdoor terraces and provide expansive views, with large operable openings for natural ventilation opportunities. Inboard townhome units feature second-level interior atriums, created by carving openings in the roof and allowing bedrooms to have direct access to natural light and promoting a natural stack effect through the unit. Above the fourth floor, residents have unobstructed views southward over the waterfront, Queen Mary, and Catalina Island beyond, and northward towards downtown Los Angeles and the San Gabriel Mountain range beyond. By strengthening part of the parking structure roof, an expansive ground floor amenity deck that features a pool deck and spa, a community room, a dog wash station, and a barbecue area for residents was created. The remaining roof has been transformed into a Zen Garden by incorporating lightweight aggregate and shallow drought-tolerant planting.

Design for Resources

Minimizing the overall quantity of material used in a building, particularly high-embodied-carbon materials such as concrete, steel, and petrochemical-based insulation products, can significantly reduce the carbon footprint of a project. By re-using the existing building for a new purpose, the project results in 69% lowered embodied carbon and 3.19M Kg CO2e emissions avoided, as well as over 26 million pounds diverted from the waste stream. With the declining demand for office space, this building serves as a model for adaptive reuse and provides much-needed housing in the amenity-rich downtown core.

Design for Economy

The conversion of office to housing allowed the developer to maximize views, particularly on the upper floors, an attribute that would have been lost if the building was demolished and a five-story development put in its place, and rebuilding a new high-rise structure for housing would have proven cost prohibitive. Another incentive for adaptive reuse was the reduced project duration, the time from land acquisition to the opening date was reduced by twelve months through streamlined entitlement processes and reduced on-site construction activities. With thousands of new units that have been completed downtown in the last few years, 200 Ocean is commanding the highest rents per square foot due to the higher ceilings, expansive glazing, and access to outdoor views. This dense development is also directly across the street from the recently completed Billie Jean King Library and revitalized Lincoln Park, established in 1880, and the city’s oldest park. Residents can now enjoy the 4-acre green providing “eyes on the park” to ensure its success.

Firm Name:              Studio One Eleven

Completion Date:     8/1/2022

Square Footage:      174000

Building Use:           Residential

Location:                 Long Beach, CA

Design Architect:
Studio One Eleven

Associate Architect or Firm:
N/A

Landscape Architect:
MARK TESSIER LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTS

Owner / Developer:
200 Ocean Blvd., LLC

Engineer:
Geotechnical Engineer: GEOCON WEST, INC.

Structural Engineer: JOHN LABIB + ASSOCIATES

Civil Engineer: KPFF

Mechanical: DONALD F. DICKERSON ASSOCIATES, INC.

Plumbing: DONALD F. DICKERSON ASSOCIATES, INC.

Electrical: DONALD F. DICKERSON ASSOCIATES, INC.

General Contractor:
GEORGE C. HOPKINS CONSTRUCTION CO.

Consultant:
Pool Consultant: JONES & MADHAVAN

Code Consultant: YOUNG HUSBAND CONSULTING

Acoustical Consultant: ASSSOCIATES IN ACOUSTICS, INC.

Fire Plan Check: LONG BEACH FIRE DEPARTMENT

Vertical Circulation: LERCH BATES, INC.

Lighting Design Consultant: OCULUS LIGHT STUDIO

Planning Bureau: CITY OF LONG BEACH

Building and Safety Bureau: CITY OF LONG BEACH

Photographer:
Paul Turang