An elegant community harkening back to the golden era of art deco design. Careful attention to detail captures the romance in a price sensitive location.

The design of this 18-story apartment project began its life as an office building development.  After the design began, the developer decided the project should change to a residential use. At that point the planning and primary structure of the project had already been approved by the local authority. Going forward, these elements of the design were fixed and couldn’t change without significant costs and delays. Our challenge was to design a marketable project within this existing framework.

Throughout the project, we worked closely with the developer’s team on value engineering of the design.  Unlike many of our projects which are clad in natural stone, that wasn’t an option at this price point or with such a tall building.  Any natural stone needed to be focused on key areas that create the most value.  Primarily at the building entries and lower floor where it can be experienced.  All other areas were finished in a painted stone with patterns applied by hand.  This created an impression of quality while being affordable.

We chose a variation on the Art Deco style for the exterior character.   The strong vertical lines, layered façade, and deco details gave the finished building a feeling of quality despite the tight budget.

Once completed, the project was very successful in the market.  It sold quickly.  When visiting the completed community, I met a group of new owners and I always enjoy hearing their impressions.  They clearly enjoyed living in the community and pointed out the details they liked. As a designer, this feedback is the best of all.