The Owner wished to develop a site adjacent to their existing resort hotel, only to find that almost the entire property was comprised of uncompacted fill, subject to liquifaction during a seismic event.  The project required the study of alternate designs to minimize the cost and construction impacts of the poor soil.  A narrow, 11-story configuration was determined to provide the highest room count with the lowest foundation requirements.  The building is designed to stand even if the entire site washed out into the bay.

The CIty of Long Beach also refused to let a prototype hotel stand in such a prominent location, so the exterior received a complete redesign, angling windows and walls to maximize views, an entry trellis, a custom lobby and pool, and even a helicopter launch pad on the roof.