Long Beach Apartments Win City’s First LEED-NC Silver
Green features at the 223-unit community include a reflective cool roof, energy-efficient lighting and low-flow water fixtures.
Long Beach, Calif.—The Current, a 17-story luxury high-rise rental tower, has become the first residential building in Long Beach to be awarded LEED-NC Silver Certification, as well as the first project to achieve LEED-ND Gold in the city. The property was developed by Anderson Pacific LLC, Ledcor Properties and QUALICO, and is managed by Alliance Residential Co.
The Current, which is at 707 E. Ocean Blvd. in Long Beach, has a Walk Score of 92. Its location puts it near the beach and public transportation, as well as a variety of retail and entertainment options. “The development was designed to take full advantage of surrounding amenities by offering greater mobility options through the provision of substantial bicycle parking, improvements to sidewalks and intersections, and new bus shelters,” noted Aaron Welch of Raimi + Associates, who specializes in working with developers and communities to implement multi-building, neighborhood-scale sustainability efforts.
The 223-unit community includes various energy-efficient design elements, including heat absorption minimization from the sun and energy-efficient lighting systems. Water conservation with low-flow plumbing fixtures provides 30 percent more water efficiency than a standard system; there’s a highly reflective “cool roof” surfacing; and the property has underground parking and electric charging spaces.
More than 50 percent of the materials used to construct The Current contained recycled content and were manufactured regionally or salvaged, to lessen greenhouse gas emissions. Moreover, about 80 percent of all construction waste was recycled, rather than sent to a landfill.
The Current was also designed created to take advantage of natural ventilation from the ocean breeze, so operable windows and an ECODUCT system were added throughout to direct ocean air directly into each unit. The need for electric light is minimized by occupancy sensors and large glazed windows to take advantage of natural daylighting in all common areas and residences.
The property offers studios, one- and two-bedrooms and penthouse units ranging from 692 to 1,441 square feet. Common amenities include a skyline terrace with lounge area, outdoor entertaining/dining space, rooftop pool, fire pit lounge, designer community kitchen, a fully-equipped bike tune-up center, pet spa, fitness center and an outdoor resident entertainment plaza.
