Mixed-use development has been one of the few bright spots in real estate in the last few years. Successful mixed-use projects are almost always located in dense urban or suburban areas, usually close to public transportation. It’s a sign of the times that the residential component tends to be rental rather than for-sale.
Due to the large scale of many mixed-use projects, Building Teams must be effective in communicating and collaborating both internally and with local government entities. For example, L.A. LIVE, the massive entertainment and lifestyle complex that has sprung up around that city’s Staples Center, can attribute much of its phenomenal success to the developer’s close collaboration with the Building Team and its partnership with the city of Los Angeles.
It’s also critical to accurately anticipate the needs of potential tenants. At the Broadway Building in Seattle, downsized office spaces cater to small-business owners who are looking to escape from the congested downtown core. In Chicago, the live/work units and street-level retail of 2000 N. Milwaukee go far to meet the needs of up-and-comers in a rapidly emerging neighborhood.
New buildings in a mixed-use project naturally must take their design cues from the vocabulary and style of the surrounding architecture. They may be hip and glossy, like L.A. LIVE, 2000 N. Milwaukee, and the Meridian at Grosvenor Station in Rockville, Md. Or they may pay their respects to the more toned-down older buildings in the neighborhood, as in the case of the Broadway Building, with its Prairie School influence. There is also a movement afoot to give architecturally significant buildings a new mixed-use identity, as is the case with The Link in Phoenix.
The takeaway: If you’re looking to develop multifamily residential, mixed-use may be the only viable way to go. “I don’t see anything getting built that isn’t mixed-use right now,” says Paul Alessandro, a partner with Hartshorne Plunkard Architecture, Chicago. If that’s the case in your market, take a look at these recent projects for inspiration.
Six Emerging Trends in Mixed-Use Development
Related Stories
Architects | Sep 15, 2016
Implicit bias: How the unconscious mind drives business decisions
Companies are tapping into the latest research in psychology and sociology to advance their diversity and inclusion efforts when it comes to hiring, promoting, compensation, and high-performance teaming, writes BD+C's David Barista.
Museums | Sep 14, 2016
Architectural model museum opens in Japan
The museum includes models from Japanese architects including Shingeru Ban, Kengo Kuma, and Riken Yamamoto.
Designers | Sep 13, 2016
5 trends propelling a new era of food halls
Food halls have not only become an economical solution for restauranteurs and chefs experiencing skyrocketing retail prices and rents in large cities, but they also tap into our increased interest in gourmet locally sourced food, writes Gensler's Toshi Kasai.
AEC Tech | Sep 6, 2016
Innovation intervention: How AEC firms are driving growth through R&D programs
AEC firms are taking a page from the tech industry, by infusing a deep commitment to innovation and disruption into their cultural DNA.
Office Buildings | Sep 2, 2016
Eight-story digital installation added as part of ESI Design’s renovation of Denver’s Wells Fargo Center
The crown jewel of a three-year makeover project, the LED columns bring the building’s lobby to life.
| Sep 1, 2016
TRANSIT GIANTS: A ranking of the nation's top transit sector design and construction firms
Skidmore, Owings & Merrill, Perkins+Will, Skanska USA, Webcor Builders, Jacobs, and STV top Building Design+Construction’s annual ranking of the nation’s largest transit sector AEC firms, as reported in the 2016 Giants 300 Report.
| Sep 1, 2016
INDUSTRIAL GIANTS: A ranking of the nation's top industrial design and construction firms
Stantec, BRPH, Fluor Corp., Walbridge, Jacobs, and AECOM top Building Design+Construction’s annual ranking of the nation’s largest industrial sector AEC firms, as reported in the 2016 Giants 300 Report.
| Sep 1, 2016
HOTEL SECTOR GIANTS: A ranking of the nation's top hotel sector design and construction firms
Gensler, HKS, Turner Construction Co., The Whiting-Turner Contracting Co., Jacobs, and JBA Consulting Engineers top Building Design+Construction’s annual ranking of the nation’s largest hotel sector AEC firms, as reported in the 2016 Giants 300 Report.
| Sep 1, 2016
CULTURAL SECTOR GIANTS: A ranking of the nation's top cultural sector design and construction firms
Gensler, Perkins+Will, PCL Construction Enterprises, Turner Construction Co., AECOM, and WSP | Parsons Brinckerhoff top Building Design+Construction’s annual ranking of the nation’s largest cultural sector AEC firms, as reported in the 2016 Giants 300 Report.
| Sep 1, 2016
COURTHOUSE GIANTS: A ranking of the nation's top courthouse design and construction firms
DLR Group, NBBJ, Hensel Phelps, Sundt Construction, AECOM, and Dewberry top Building Design+Construction’s annual ranking of the nation’s largest courthouse sector AEC firms, as reported in the 2016 Giants 300 Report.
