East Village Creative Office

East Village Creative Offices is an innovative office environment in an adaptive reuse building located in downtown Long Beach’s East Village Arts District. The secure 19,000 square foot office complex features 8 units and includes 22 on-site parking spaces. A variety of outdoor open spaces, including a shared courtyard, landscaped pedestrian paseo, and enhanced streetscape plantings encourage interaction between tenants. The project sought to create an environment that attracts the creative class and to significantly raise the design and quality standards on adaptive reuse projects in downtown Long Beach.

This project involved tenant improvements for one two-story 2,100 square foot unit within the complex. The program included a reception area, a multi-purpose conference area, private and open offices, kitchenette, restroom, and storage. The tenant, JLOOP (jloop.com), is an award–winning creative technology and development firm that specializes in creating memorable online experiences, primarily in the mobile space.

Designing this space became a laboratory for us to explore transformational design strategies integrated with fairly straight-forward functional requirements while incorporating modern technologies, resources and materials that meet high-performance green tenant standards.

Sustainable design practices were incorporated throughout. Through adaptive reuse, the original building shell was preserved and enhanced. New materials and building systems embrace green building practices. Drought tolerant landscaping reduces the heat island affect and alternative modes of transportation such as biking, transit, and walking are encouraged. The development was the first to comply with the City Green Building Policy. This project was certified LEED Gold for Commercial Interiors.

When designing and specifying for this space, our goals were to:

• Re-use the existing building shell structure and material finishes to extend the lifespan and long-term serviceability of local building stock.
• Reduce construction and demolition debris by using existing building systems and recycling construction materials.
• Reduce operational costs by incorporating green building materials, equipment and fixtures.
• Promote sustainability education through a graphics program in the space.

Incorporated into our design were the following:

• USGBC LEED building efficiency criteria including Water Use Reduction, Fundamental Commissioning of Building Energy Systems & Optimize Energy Performance – Lighting/Controls Power Low-flow plumbing fixtures.
• Automated lighting controls with switches and occupancy sensors.
• Manual override timer (off hours).
• Energy-Star appliances and equipment.
• Optimize energy performance – HVAC
• Passive controls supplement the mechanical system including operating windows on both levels, an operable skylight and ceiling fan.
• USGBC LEED materials criteria including Storage and Collection of Recyclables, Building Reuse – Maintain Interior Nonstructural Components, Certified Wood, Composite Wood and Agrifiber Products
• Wheatboard and bamboo plywood finishes.
• Greenguard certified carpet and furnishings.