Virginia House Residences

Project Strategy

Occupying a half city block on 38th Street and Atlantic Avenue in Virginia Beach, VA, and overlooking the Atlantic Ocean, the Virginia House has been a landmark in Virginia Beach since it's development in 1965. Originally built as luxury apartments, the building converted to a cooperative in 1970. With 13 floors and 72 units, the residents in this building enjoy the luxury of 'beachfront living'.

While many of the individual units had seen major, and many improvements over the last 60 years, the lobby remained dated as it had seen one upgrade in that same amount of time. The 'wood look' linoleum installed over the original terrazzo was over 30 years old, and many of the other finishes were aged beyond that. It was time these residents were provided with an updated common area that aligned with the living conditions they were accustomed to.

We specified a light 'sand' LVP color to brighten up the lobby, due to poor interior lighting and the lack of natural light. We specified and installed a matching porcelain tile in the laundry room which was separated from the main lobby with an interior walkway to the back entrance.

The results were extraordinary and a complete transformation from what was existing.

Single Source Interior Contractor Award Strategy

Occupying a half city block on 38th Street and Atlantic Avenue in Virginia Beach, VA, and overlooking the Atlantic Ocean, the Virginia House has been a landmark in Virginia Beach since it\'s development in 1965. Originally built as luxury apartments, the building converted to a cooperative in 1970. With 13 floors and 72 units, the residents in this building enjoy the luxury of \'beachfront living\'.

While many of the individual units had seen major, and many improvements over the last 60 years, the lobby remained dated as it had seen one upgrade in that same amount of time. The \'wood look\' sheet vinyl installed over the original terrazzo was over 30 years old, and many of the other finishes were aged beyond that. It was time these residents were provided with an updated common area that aligned with the living conditions they were accustomed to.

Although it\'s likely the residents would have been delighted with any update, we thought meticulously about the design and detail in what we presented and executed on. The primary factors and considerations driving our design concept included, but were not limited to: the layout, furniture, flooring, walls, lighting, and practical use of the space.

The layout and practical use of the space was the first consideration. A floor to ceiling marble wall installed over cinder block greeted residents and guests as soon as they stepped foot in the lobby. Many residents wanted to keep this wall in place due to the privacy it provided in the sitting area, while other residents wanted to take it out completely as they felt it made the space feel \'chopped up\'. Our team proposed the solution of demoing the top half of this wall, capping the cinder block with the demoed marble panels. After the demo and polishing of the marble was completed, we installed a solid 10\' piece of natural oak on the opposite side of the wall. This solution opened the space, maintained some privacy, and added additional bar height lobby seating.

After the layout was decided and confirmed, we started with finish selections. The existing \'wood look\' sheet vinyl was a complete failure. Partly due to the age but more so due to subfloor conditions. The original concrete terrazzo was a sound and suitable substrate, however, there was high moisture content in the slab which was evident with the condition of the existing sheet vinyl. After demo of the vinyl, we mechanically prepared the terrazzo substrate in preparation for a 2-part 100% solid moisture control system. After the mitigation was completed, we primed and self-leveled the subfloor prior to the installation of new resilient flooring. Our team specified and installed a lighter wood look LVP due to the poor lighting and lack of natural light. And we selected a white Millworks base to compliment the marble walls that remained in part of the lobby. The flooring selection is what the rest of the design was built around.

We neutralized the walls with a lighter option that worked well with the specified flooring. The residents\' mailboxes are in plain sight and unfortunately a focal point of the lobby. Our recommendation was to move those out of sight, but unfortunately USPS determined that was not feasible. Instead of moving them, we installed faux wood paneling around the mailboxes to provide an updated look compared to what was existing. The faux wood complimented the flooring and the solid oak table. Ultimately, the lighting was replaced with LEDs along with a stunning fixture in the center of the space.

With the lighter flooring and paint finishes, we opted to bring in some color with the furniture and decor. The blue tones and varying textures selected were specified to continue with the beach feel, and also provide a sense of serenity when residents and guests entered the space. This lobby is now an oasis for the residents, and truly provides them the luxury of \'beachfront living\'.