Heritage Garden Affordable Senior Housing for Formerly Homeless And Veterans, Long Beach, California
The Heritage Garden Affordable Senior Housing for Formerly Homeless And Veterans, Long Beach, Calif., turned two underutilized commercial lots into a new home for senior living.
The location was chosen because it sits along The Los Angeles Metro Public Transportation A Line, providing transportation options for residents.
Affordable senior living design
The 35,100-square-foot community comprises 67 affordable senior housing units, including 34 for formerly homeless seniors, alongside services on the ground floor.
The project team, including Studio One Eleven (Long Beach, Calif.), the architecture firm on the project, and Dyelot Interiors (Long Beach), which handled the interior design, took inspiration from local Art Deco and modernist architecture in the community to deliver the new senior living community.
For example, vertical flutes and beveled insets on the building’s facade reference architectural details found on nearby buildings in the neighborhood. A subdued color palette, including browns and whites, used for both the exterior and interior construction, serves as a neutral canvas to highlight vibrant public art on the exterior of the building.
Community gardens provide residents with opportunities to socialize and stay active while nurturing shared green spaces. Inside, the community room hosts regular events, creating creating a vibrant hub for interaction.
Sustainable building and landscape strategies
Opened in 2024, the project achieved U.S. Green Building Council LEED Gold certification. Strategies include rooftop solar panels to reduce reliance on traditional energy sources and material choices including the building’s metal paneling and fiber cement back siding, which as locally sourced to minimize the project’s carbon footprint.
Reflective roofing materials help mitigate heat absorption, enhancing overall energy efficiency and sustainability. Additionally, the landscape design incorporates low-water-demand plants and efficient irrigation systems, significantly reducing water consumption.
Heritage Garden Affordable Senior Housing for Formerly Homeless And Veterans, Long Beach, California: Photo Tour
Heritage Garden Affordable Senior Housing for Formerly Homeless And Veterans project details
Location: Long Beach, Calif.
Completion date: 2024
Owner/developer: Mercy Housing
Total building area: 35,100 sq. ft.
Total construction cost: $25.5 million
Cost/sq. ft.: $335
Architect: Studio One Eleven
Interior designer: Dyelot Interiors
General contractor: United Building Company
Engineer: Englekirk Structural Engineers (structural)
Builder: United Building Company
Art consultant: Sumako
Art/pictures: Roshi and Andrea James (mural)
Carpet/flooring: Mohawk (residential units, hallways, offices), Ceramic Technics (common areas, restrooms floors and walls), Bedrosians (breakroom backsplash)
Ceiling/wall systems: GP Toughrock
Doors/locks/hardware: Cookson (coiling door at garage), Bradley, Door Components Inc., Falcon, H.B. Ives, Schlage, Trulite, Von Duprin (common areas door hardware), Bradley, Cal-Royal, Falcon, H.B. Ives, Schlage (unit door hardware), Arcadia (storefront door hardware)
Lighting: AFX Pendants, Tech Lighting sconces, Elite LED (lighting recessed can lights), WAC Lighting (exterior sconces), SPI Lighting (arts accent lights), Ligman Lighting (exterior general lighting), B-K Lighting (decorative exterior lighting), LGI Technologies (exterior LED tape lighting)
Signage/wayfinding: Z-Products Inc
Surfaces—solid/other: Wilsonart (common areas), Staron (residential units)
Project details are provided by the design team and not vetted by Environments for Aging.
