The Lydian | Oakland, CA

Near Lake Merritt, Oakland's Lake Merritt Station Area Plan set out a future of more homes and active streets around the neighborhood's transit hub. On 13th Street, Holland took up that call, envisioning a building where residents could live, work and gather without leaving home.

The program asked a great deal of one site: 15,000 square feet of ground-floor retail, more than 260 dwelling units and an unusually rich set of shared spaces, all delivered in Type IIIA and IA construction. BDE Architecture partnered with the client to stack those uses so each found its place, layering amenities from the ground floor to the roof and wrapping the building in metal panels, fireclay wall tile, brick veneer and stucco.

Completed in 2021, The Lydian gives residents a first-floor brew-cade with a bar, table games and ample seating, a neighboring session and sound room for music enthusiasts, and a sizable co-working space. Upstairs are a fitness center, yoga studio, dog run, courtyard and roof deck, where a deluxe-sized clubroom with a custom fire feature opens to a multi-use lawn for gatherings and lawn games.

Address: 238 13th St, Oakland, CA 94612

Client: Holland

Number of Units: 261

Construction Type: IIIA / IA

Year Completed: 2021

Multi-story modern building with colorful panels, street level retail shops, and parked cars at dusk.

Modern multi-story apartment building with mixed gray, white, and blue exterior, large windows, and ground-floor retail spaces. Street view at dusk with cars and traffic signals.

Aerial view of a modern multi-story building with a rooftop playground, surrounded by older buildings and cityscape including water body and high-rise buildings in the background.