The Essex is a 478,570 square foot high rise which features has two buildings: a 20-story structure facing the lake to the east, and an eight-story structure to tie the complex into the lower scale residential neighborhood to the west. Adjacent to Lake Merritt in downtown Oakland, The Essex sets a new standard for gracious living in Oakland and ranks with highest quality apartment houses in the San Francisco Bay Area, winning the highly-coveted 2002 Gold Nugget Award in the “Best Apartment Project — Five Stories or More.” The project consists of approximately 270 units of market rate and sits on top of three levels of structured parking, and contains amenities for the residents including a garden terrace. The gently curved facade oriented towards the lake follows the curvature of the lake and roadway, and also continues a familiar vocabulary among buildings on the lake, including the nearby Kaiser Center.

Signet provided special inspection and materials testing services including earthwork, reinforced concrete, structural masonry, structural steel welding, high-strength bolting, non-destructive testing, and fireproofing.