Bixby Knolls Gets First Ground-Up Office in Decades

The mid-century office buildings in Long Beach’s Bixby Knolls neighborhood have become a popular destination for creative companies. Now, the emerging creative corridor is seeing its first group-up project in 30 years. Studio One Eleven is designing the 100,000 square foot mid-century-inspired office campus, which tech firm Laserfiche will occupy as its headquarters. Developed by Urbana Development, the building will deliver in 2021.

The property will be an ode to the surrounding mid-century design, including a building across the street designed by Ed Killingsworth. “This corridor was initially established in the 50s and 60s,” Michael Bohn, a senior principal at Studio One Eleven, tells GlobeSt.com. “The buildings are timeless, and the tenants love the modernism that is designed throughout the building. We were inspired by a number of mid-century office buildings that are located within the neighborhood, and quite frankly what has been attracting a lot of these creative firms to come here.”

The creative corridor has emerged in recent years, thanks in large part to the unique style of buildings and redevelopment activity in the area that has helped to attract smaller creative companies. This ground-up development project is really part of the growing market. “This is a culmination because all of the smaller older buildings have filled up. This is the first brand new structure in almost 30 years for this corridor,” says Bohn. While the corridor is currently filled with smaller firms, including graphic designers, production companies and web-based designers, Bohn says that they work with large international clients.

In addition to using the existing architecture as a guide, Studio One Eleven has also been inspired by the location. “It is located right offer the 405 freeway with 500,000 motorists that drive-by every day,” says Bohn. “We thought this was a great opportunity to create a great graphic billboard for the company, but also an announcement to the city that significant tech companies are growing in Long Beach. So, we wanted something very iconic from the freeway.”

The building will feature a campus set-up with outdoor workspaces, collaborative work environments, a LEED Gold exterior and a WELL Gold interior, to promote a healthy work environment. Studio One Eleven has also pushed the building’s elevator core to the western edge to create truly open and flexible floor plates, all to promote collaboration. The building will be a way for the firm to both attract and retain talent. And, that is what the Long Beach hub has become. “It is more than a tech hub; it is a creative hub,” says Bohn. “What is really drawing people is here location, affordable rents and the beautiful older buildings that are very unique.”