Echo Glen Apartments

Oakland, California

The owner of this historic eighteen-unit apartment building requested complete demolition and replacement of six balconies which fronted the street as well as a redesign of the front yard area to enhance the “curb appeal” of the building in order to attract new tenants. The building’s spanish mission style elements are enhanced by archways built under the new replacement balconies and the addition of a gateway arch, patio and grand stair which ground the structure and connect it to the street, creating a welcoming character to the building entrance which is setback from the street. Warm colors and the use of traditional Mexican tile details embedded in the stucco exterior and exposed wood corbels bring a sense of warmth to the building, inspiring the existing tenants to place vines, plants and decorations on their balconies which were previously used for storage.