Seabridge Marina

Architects often look to the history of an area for inspiration and contextual cues. The problem in the case of Seabridge Marina, a spot earmarked to become a 135-acre mixed-use community, was that its neighbors were mostly nondescript tract houses built in the 1960s and 1970s.

“There’s nothing terrible about it,” says Ken Nilmeier, principal and director of land planning for MVE & Partners. But the aesthetic certainly didn’t warrant reproduction. Instead, he says, planners took the opportunity to create a distinct identity for an “underwhelmed and under-utilized existing neighborhood.”

The new housing mix includes single-family detached homes, townhomes, and single-level condos, as well as live/work units (which were new to the city of Oxnard). The 695 residential units and 180,000 square feet of retail space connect seamlessly with bordering neighborhoods via connective streets and waterways. Centered around a marina and featuring extensive public spaces, this vibrant destination brings new life to the entire region.

CATEGORY: Community with mixed housing types
ENTRANT/ARCHITECT/LAND PLANNER: MVE & Partners, Irvine, Calif.
BUILDER/DEVELOPER: D.R. Horton, Oxnard, Calif.
LANDSCAPE ARCHITECT: MJS Design Group, Newport Beach, Calif.
INTERIOR DESIGNER: Hayes Martin Associates, Newport Beach