SB Architects to design Fort Lauderdale’s FATVillage mixed-use destination

SB Architects has recently unveiled its latest mixed-use project, FATVillage, which will build upon the existing FATVillage Arts District in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. 

The FATVillage Arts District is a collection of warehouses that have been converted into art galleries, studios, performance spaces, and businesses, while the new FATVillage mixed-use project will create apartments (including 94 affordable housing units), offices, retail, restaurants, and a 145-key hotel west of Flagler Village.

The five-acre project will feature buildings with a varying rhythm in their elevation and a variance in signage, windows, and building facades to make the pedestrian-oriented destination an exciting place to explore. FATVillage will include different types of industrial aesthetics and an array of finishes and materials to add texture, from brick to weathered metal. The goal is to create a place where guests feel as if they are in a special, singular part of Fort Lauderdale that arose by a combination of influences and with the passage of time.

“We envisioned FATVillage as a place where things can spur without having a static foothold,” said Miguel Campo Rodriguez, Associate Senior Designer, SB Architects, in a release. “We kept the relationship with guests open and welcoming, with many storefronts including garage doors and elements that open onto restaurants; gallery spaces encouraging people to linger; and retail components with accessible and artisan offerings. Murals will change periodically, giving local artists the opportunity to showcase their work and attracting visitors with a fresh look and vibe.”

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A Co-Lab Building will combine co-working elements with those of an art gallery and will be attached to three of the warehouses that SB Architects is repurposing. The Co-Lab Building will become a generative space for office incubators and local artists with a design that reinforces the creative spirit of the site and support of independent businesses.