MLK + PCH: Affordable Housing as Urban Stewardship

In Long Beach, California, MLK + PCH is a mixed-use residential development serving seniors, people formerly experiencing homelessness, and veterans. Designed by Studio One Eleven, the building replaces a former garage and a vacant lot, converting a residual site into a development spanning more than 7,000 m2. The design is rooted in the neighborhood, drawing on its history and unique identity.

MLK + PCH: Architecture informed by context

The project’s name reflects its physical address: Martin Luther King Jr. Avenue (MLK) is a significant cultural axis for the local African American community, while the Pacific Coast Highway (PCH) is one of the city’s primary thoroughfares. The building occupies the physical and symbolic intersection of these two corridors.

Drawing inspiration from Streamline Moderne, the design references the formal language of Long Beach City College and Long Beach Polytechnic High School, two landmark institutions central to the neighborhood’s identity. The project reinterprets this language through metal panels, fiber-cement cladding, and a façade articulated by folding and recessed surfaces that evoke the dynamic geometries of 1930s modernism.

The massing is also calibrated to the surrounding fabric. Along the PCH frontage, the profile is higher to establish the building’s presence; to the north, the volume steps down, respecting the scale of the single-family homes in the adjacent neighborhood.

The façade also serves as a canvas for public art, contributing to the vibrant artistic tradition of Martin Luther King Jr. Avenue. Three large-scale murals by local artists pay tribute to the neighborhood’s cultural history and daily life, featuring the iconic VIP Records, a former local landmark.

Design-led sustainability is a core priority. The development integrates a rooftop solar thermal system for hot water and modular phytoremediation for on-site water management – both strategies that contributed to the project gaining LEED Gold certification.

A model for intergenerational community living

The design promotes a residential model rooted in community and mutual support. Across its four floors, the building houses 67 residential units for seniors, including 34 for formerly homeless residents, integrated with spaces designed to encourage social interaction. These include a residents’ lobby, a lounge, a teaching kitchen, a bicycle repair shop, case-management offices, and a community garden.

Common areas prioritize mobility and autonomy. Handrails in corridors, built-in seating on every floor, illuminated elevator signage, and bathrooms equipped with grab bars and lowered countertops all support aging in place.

The street-level floor houses the Do Good Daniel’s Family Corporation, a nonprofit occupying approximately 325 m2 that provides counseling, housing support, and vocational training for at-risk youth and families. Co-locating the nonprofit with senior housing fosters intergenerational engagement and meaningful opportunities for social connection.

By combining residential units, services, and shared spaces, MLK + PCH offers a supportive housing model that integrates urban scale, inclusion, and community stewardship, demonstrating how architecture can respond to both neighborhood history and the needs of local residents.

>>> Discover wagnisWEST Cohousing: A “City Within a City”