This project converted a
1950’s era motel into "The Manse on the Marsh", the most luxurious
assisted living facility for seniors on the Central Coast of California.
Located in downtown San Luis Obispo, the 33-unit motel was totally
integrated into a new 8,000 square foot building constructed in the
middle of the property.
Extensive common area amenities such as a living room, dining room,
kitchen, activity room, wellness center, staff offices, elevator, and
mail boxes are located on the first floor. On the second floor are 9 new
penthouse apartments which bring the total number of apartments to 43. A
sky bridge connects the NW building to the remodeled one.
The property is located in the dense downtown area, which made it
difficult to make the high-density improvements needed on this site. It
is also located in a flood zone that required the finished floor of the
new building to be one foot higher than the old building. This created a
special challenge of linking the building while maintaining
accessibility. The third challenge was integrating the "no tell motel"
appearance of the 50’s structure with the more sophisticated
architecture of the new building.
The solution to the dense infill location was to phase the remodel so
the major improvements to the existing motel would be completed before
construction of the new building began. The height differences were
solved by offsetting the doorways so a gentle sloping ramp could still
fit between the buildings and afford accessibility. The stucco was
stripped off the front of the existing building and re-framed to match
the new one. Offering to fully improve the backyard of the neighbor at
the rear of the property in exchange for sharing it with the property
solved a need for open space. The result is a beautiful rear courtyard
for both neighbors to use.
Aside from the fact that this was a great project for everyone involved,
it has also encouraged others to redevelop their properties in this
neighborhood. The entire southern portion of the downtown area is now
experiencing a revitalization that is, in large part, due to this
project.
