Has this project been seen before, and does anyone have information on it?
From Ankrom Moisan Associated Architects
http://www.amaa.com/portfolio/projec...dvcnk9b3RiIzE1
King-Parks – Portland , Oregon
Services Employed: Architectural Design, Graphic Design, Interior Design
CLIENT: Tom Walsh & Company
CLIENT GOAL: Design a mixed-use housing project that will attract young creative services workers and serve as a community gateway and catalyst for positive change in a gritty urban neighborhood.
DESIGN RESPONSE: The site plan includes two mixed-use buildings with ground floor retail and market rate loft housing above; a stand alone retail pavilion, a public plaza and sixteen affordable row houses. The retail faces Martin Luther King Boulevard, the neighborhood’s main street, creating an active pedestrian edge. The two mixed-use buildings anchor the corners of the project along the north and south ends of the site. The loft units are designed to provide access to natural light from two sides, one public and the other facing a private outdoor space. The lofts range from 700 to 1200 square, making them affordable for young buyers, but they feel larger due to an open plan, interesting, sculptural spaces, high ceilings and floor to ceiling windows that provide abundant natural light. The middle retail/restaurant building is set up as a gathering place in the center of the development, with a plaza that allows outdoor seating and a playful adjacent green space for visitors, residents and families to gather.
The affordable row houses are oriented along the north, west and south edges of the site. Each unit is provided with a front entry stoop along with a more private outdoor deck space. All row-house units are linked together in groups of four and have access to a commons area. Unit plans were designed to be flexible and accommodate singles, roommates or families. Options for bunk beds and shared bathrooms are provided to respond to ever changing households and even larger families if needed.
Simple materials were used in the mixed-use and retail buildings, with sealed concrete block along the main street providing privacy and sound attenuation, balanced by large expanses of glass capturing north and south light and heavy timber structural elements. Affordable housing units are wood frame with wood siding.
Sustainable design strategies that are being explored include stormwater collection, permeable pavers, operable windows, shading devices on glazing and recycled wood timbers.