Program

The 4.3 Acer site has an irregular terrain, where it drops over 30’ along the long diagonal access from South West to North East. Street Access front three streets (Sixth, Seventh, and Circle Drive). The city demanded not to end the Seventh street form the west side of the property, and link it to the Sixth street. The Client desired the maximum number of residential units of two to three bedroom each. The density max is 36 pre acre. The city demanded a mix use to include retail and warehouses. The program included city demand for parking per units, where the client was inclined to use sub-tauranin parking. The Client has procured other Architects with a result of less than 100 residential units and high retaining walls to flatten the land that resulted in extraordinary grading cost and parking structures. The Client needed a new master plan with massing model to restart negotiating with the City. Master Plan must take city demands and topography of site in consideration, and doesn’t result in to high cost.

Design Approach

Design took the approach of carefully studying the topography plan to establish three pad, where the maximum contour line projects. The Pads where at 650’ and 645’ elevations. Thus limiting the retain walls and grading excavation and fill to a very low count relative to project of the same size. The preliminary count for cut and fill fall less than 4000 CY. Also, it studied how can the exiting topography of the land could be utilized for the purpose of vehicle road and drainage. The success is by looking at the given topography instead of working in opposition of it, where other architects failed. The highlight of such approach was in the Main Building where the road itself created an exterior ramp to a three point of entry in the proposed garage (residential and retail vs warehouse drop of). Thus, create an opportunity for more parking stalls and segregation between occupancies housed by the same building. After resolving the Main Building, the remaining Building fall into place. The design also took in consideration the urban pedestrian and vehicle movement linking the entry points together and creating an urban life through the retain store at the center of the property with privet street parking for stop and shop. The design also took in consideration the warehouse truck movement, where such now if given a different access than the remaining urban life to load trucks. In preliminary review with city, the design faced a great success s a master plan and gain city staff and official support.