1. ELEGANT LANDSCAPING MARKS CONTEMPORARY lifestyle IN DOWNTOWN Los angeles
The name Sofia may bring to mind the capital of Bulgaria, but the Sofia Los Angeles is much closer to home. Located close to the Staples Center, the two-building, six-story property has 600 market-rate one- and two-bedroom apartments designed by Togawa Smith Martin Architects. Roof deck plantings were designed by landscape architect TGP, Inc. Seating niches enclose 600 lightweight planters of multi-trunk king palms and fire pit lounges and barbecue grills. Also on the team for developer Holland Partners: Englekirk (SE), Hall & Foreman (CE), LDI Mechanical (ME), John R. Hanzlik & Associates (electrical engineer), and Holland Construction (GC).
2. HISTORIC OFFICE TOWER TURNED INTO MIXED-USE RESIDENTIAL enterprise
In downtown Dallas, the six-story Mayflower office building—listed on the National Register of Historic Places—has been converted into 215 apartments and 14,000 sf of ground-floor retail. Merriman Anderson Architects (designer), Aguirre Roden (MEP), and Andres Construction (GC/prime contractor) completed the $56 million complex (now known as 411 Akard) for HRI Properties, New Orleans, La. The city provided $10 million in tax increment financing and a $1 million grant for supplying workforce housing.
3. CHICAGO SUBURB HOSTS new transit-oriented RENTAL COMMUNITY
Architects at Schwarz Lewis Design Group teamed up with McHugh Construction on the 75-unit Residences of Wilmette, a transit-oriented rental community a block from a Metra commuter line to downtown Chicago. One-, two-, and three-bedroom apartments ranging in size from 650 to 1,550 sf feature Bosch appliances and Grohe plumbing fixtures. The property has 6,200 sf of retail space, a Luxor One package-delivery system, and a steam room with chromotherapy (color therapy). M&R Development joint ventured with Globe Corporation on the enterprise. RMK Management Corp. is the property manager.
4. HOUSTON GETS ITS FIRST MICRO-UNIT residences
The first micro-units to hit the Houston market are currently being occupied at Surge Homes’ Parc at Midtown. The 450-sf micros—one-bedroom, one-bath condominiums—are in addition to two-bedroom, two-bath flats, penthouses, two-story “Sky Townhomes” (a Surge brand), and three-story townhomes. Cisneros Design Studio was the architect. Sarah Ciesla was the interior designer. Parc at Midtown was a finalist in the NAHB Best Condominium Community category.
5. HIGH CEILINGS OPEN UP SPACE IN TENNESSEE APARTMENT venue
Emblem is a new 361-unit luxury property in Franklin, Tenn., 20 miles south of Nashville. Architecture firm Meeks + Partners designed one- and two-bedroom apartments ranging in size from 617 sf to 1,209 with open-floor plans and 11-foot ceilings. The four-story complex has a fitness center, resort-style pool, outdoor grilling stations and fire pits, internet café, coffee bar, and a culinary kitchen in the social lounge.
6. SARASOTA MIXED-USE property HAS ROOMS FOR OVERNIGHT GUESTS
Sarasota, Fla., is the site of the DeSota, a 180-unit residential center with 15,000 sf of retail, developed by Hunt Companies, Inc., and advisory firm Carter. The 10-story tower, designed by Hoyt Architects and constructed by Core Construction, provides one-, two-, and three-bedroom flats, a lap pool, dog walk space, bike repair, storage room for kayaks, outlets for electric cars, and valet dry cleaning. Residents can rent a hospitality unit for overnight guests.
Related Stories
Adaptive Reuse | Jul 10, 2023
California updates building code for adaptive reuse of office, retail structures for housing
The California Building Standards Commission recently voted to make it easier to convert commercial properties to residential use. The commission adopted provisions of the International Existing Building Code (IEBC) that allow developers more flexibility for adaptive reuse of retail and office structures.
Mixed-Use | Jun 29, 2023
Massive work-live-play development opens in LA's new Cumulus District
VOX at Cumulus, a 14-acre work-live-play development in Los Angeles, offers 910 housing units and 100,000 sf of retail space anchored by a Whole Foods outlet. VOX, one of the largest mixed-use communities to open in the Los Angeles area, features apartments and townhomes with more than one dozen floorplans.
Multifamily Housing | Jun 29, 2023
5 ways to rethink the future of multifamily development and design
The Gensler Research Institute’s investigation into the residential experience indicates a need for fresh perspectives on residential design and development, challenging norms, and raising the bar.
Office Buildings | Jun 28, 2023
When office-to-residential conversion works
The cost and design challenges involved with office-to-residential conversions can be daunting; designers need to devise creative uses to fully utilize the space.
Multifamily Housing | Jun 28, 2023
Sutton Tower, an 80-story multifamily development, completes construction in Manhattan’s Midtown East
In Manhattan’s Midtown East, the construction of Sutton Tower, an 80-story residential building, has been completed. Located in the Sutton Place neighborhood, the tower offers 120 for-sale residences, with the first move-ins scheduled for this summer. The project was designed by Thomas Juul-Hansen and developed by Gamma Real Estate and JVP Management. Lendlease, the general contractor, started construction in 2018.
Affordable Housing | Jun 27, 2023
Racial bias concerns prompt lawmakers to ask HUD to ban biometric surveillance, including facial recognition
Two members of the U.S. House of Representative have asked the Department of Housing and Urban Development to end the use of biometric technology, including facial recognition, for surveillance purposes in public housing.
Apartments | Jun 27, 2023
Average U.S. apartment rent reached all-time high in May, at $1,716
Multifamily rents continued to increase through the first half of 2023, despite challenges for the sector and continuing economic uncertainty. But job growth has remained robust and new households keep forming, creating apartment demand and ongoing rent growth. The average U.S. apartment rent reached an all-time high of $1,716 in May.
Apartments | Jun 27, 2023
Dallas high-rise multifamily tower is first in state to receive WELL Gold certification
HALL Arts Residences, 28-story luxury residential high-rise in the Dallas Arts District, recently became the first high-rise multifamily tower in Texas to receive WELL Gold Certification, a designation issued by the International WELL Building Institute. The HKS-designed condominium tower was designed with numerous wellness details.
Multifamily Housing | Jun 19, 2023
Adaptive reuse: 5 benefits of office-to-residential conversions
FitzGerald completed renovations on Millennium on LaSalle, a 14-story building in the heart of Chicago’s Loop. Originally built in 1902, the former office building now comprises 211 apartment units and marks LaSalle Street’s first complete office-to-residential conversion.
