Camden Main & Jamboree: Take Two
A Redevelopment Case Study
As anyone in our industry can attest to, starting a new project is exciting, so many possibilities, big ideas, innovative concepts all on the verge of become reality. Sometimes lightning strikes twice and you get another opportunity to design a great project. That is the case in our project spotlight for Main & Jamboree in Irvine, California.
In 2003, Faulkner Design Group began work with Legacy Partners on Main & Jamboree, an upscale multifamily community in Irvine, CA. Here is an excerpt from some early correspondence about the project’s concept:
The area is a hub for the well-traveled, educated and a resident with a sophisticated taste. The overall objective of the project in terms of the interior and exterior design is to give a memorable experience through bold color and texture.
By its completion in 2007, the community had been purchased by Camden Realty Trust and Camden Main & Jamboree was well on its way to full occupancy of its studio, one-, two-bedroom apartments. The design was infused with an eastern flair, attracting worldly residents looking for modern, upscale design.
Original Watercolor Rendering
The entry rotunda directed residents and guests through leasing to a lobby lounge featuring a soothing waterwall. Beyond the elevator lobby, residents could make use of a cyber lounge. Now known as co-working space, this wi-fi enabled room was an entirely new concept in 2007 and allowed residents a space to connect via technology and socially. Another burgeoning concept not common yet in multifamily communities was the private yoga room and Camden Main and Jamboree features a large one adjacent the fitness area.
Original Entrance Rotunda
Original Entrance Lobby
Original Leasing Lobby
Among the most popular of the original amenity spaces at the community is the resident clubhouse. With sleek billiard tables and a dual-sided fireplace, this area was and continues to be a hub of activity. The space is complemented with a hospitality kitchen and view to the pool deck. Rounding out the amenity spaces is the media room. A favorite among residents, this room featured top-tier audio visual technology of the times including surround sound, a large projection screen, elevated stepped platform lounge seating. In 2008, this culmination of spaces garnered recognition in NAHB’s Pillars of the Industry Awards program as a finalist in the Best Clubhouse category.
Fast forward to 2020 and the sophistication of the original design needs revitalization, and Camden invites FDG to walk the property, beginning the redevelopment of the community.
“We were honored to be invited back to work on Main & Jamboree. It was amazing how intact the original design was, but it was definitely time to refresh the amenity spaces,” said Stacy Peters, one of the original designers on the project. “We knew immediately that we wanted to take better advantage of the natural light and elevate the functionality to accommodate modern leasing operations and the change in resident expectations that have developed over the past two decades.”
We addressed some exterior modifications, including creating a more prominent entrance. It was easily overlooked, significantly recessed into the front façade of the street level mixed-use retail and residential property. A few distinguishing touches, including relocating the main entry directly adjacent to future resident parking, creating an enclosed vestibule shielding the neighboring restaurant’s undesirable service exit from view, and applying a new modern exterior paint scheme with decorative lighting, signage, and plantings, have transformed the arrival experience with a simplified, inviting elegance.
Updated Exterior Colors and Entrance
Enclosed Vestibule
The entry rotunda stayed fixed with the structural columns, however cladding them with polished porcelain tile provided contrast to the lighter crisp white finishes found throughout the redesign. A custom integrated floor-to-ceiling light fixture delineates the leasing area from the lobby lounge and along the wall and across the ceiling and creates a unique art installation. The entire lobby has been transformed with light, bringing a vitality to the space that welcomes residents with enthusiasm.
Among the most challenging aspects of the project was relocating the dual-sided fireplace to the exterior wall adjacent to the pool deck. Once the structural studies were confirmed, our team proceeded to open this space with a variety of seating options while the fireplace became a focal point rather accommodating both indoor and outdoor lounge areas, than the originally dividing the indoor clubroom.
“Overall, finishes were selected to brighten the space, layering subdued materials and bold furnishings to add texture and contrast as focal points, said Taylor Knisley, Senior Project Manager. “Custom light fixtures bring ambiance to the amenity spaces with artistic sophistication that resonated with our redevelopment concept.”
What is remarkable about this project, in addition to the amazing transformation of the spaces, is how much our project delivery has changed in 15 years. As Camden Main & Jamboree was wrapping in 2007, we were just beginning to integrate building information modeling (BIM) into our design process with the use of Revit. Since then, the increased clarity of our drawings and our ability to convey our designs efficiently have allowed us to focus on innovative solutions that maximize a project’s budget.
“The chance to go back and redesign this project was such a rewarding experience for our firm,” said Adrienne Faulkner. “Knowing so much about these spaces and the history of the project gave us an amazing opportunity to mentor our project team, guiding them through the challenges of a redevelopment.”
Project Teams: New and Original
From Left to Right: Taylor Knisley, Christine Hamilton, Stacy Peters, and Adrienne Faulkner
“Main and Jamboree looks fabulous! The finish product far exceeds the renderings, and every detail looks amazing,”
-Angelia McLendon, Design Development Manager at Camden Property Trust.
