- Adaptive re-use of an underperforming Class B office building into market rate residential units in a transit-oriented and burgeoning community
- Sustainable materials and drought resistant landscaping
- 106 units including studios, one-bedroom, two-bedrooms, ground floor double-height lofts, and top level townhomes
- Ground floor amenity, community space and pool deck
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. Studio One Eleven was commissioned to repurpose this oceanview building as market rate housing.
Name: 200 West Ocean
Client: XX
Location: Long Beach, CA
Address: 200 W. Ocean Boulevard, Long Beach, CA 90802
Completion: October 2022
Lot Size: 22,828 sf (0.52 acres) – 95% of lot is built
Square Footage: 203,177 (including parking) / 126,556 (Residential only)
Studio One Eleven’s 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, Studio One Eleven 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 The outdated rooftop mechanical equipment was removed and two new stories were added to give the building an iconic appearance, furthering the identity of 200 Ocean within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, Studio One Eleven 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, Studio One Eleven created double height lofts with mezzanines and floor to ceiling windows. On the top floors, inbound townhome 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, Studio One Eleven 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.
Minimizing the overall quantity of material used in a building, especially high-embodied-carbon materials such as concrete, steel, and petrochemical-based insulation products, can significantly reduce the overall embodied carbon 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 26M lbs diverted from the waste stream.
