A 115-hectare (284-acre), 1,000-unit development located in Cockburn, a town situated 20 kilometers (12 miles) south of Perth, Australia, Harvest Lakes was developed by LandCorp, the development agency for the state of Western Australia. Designed with sustainability in mind, the project has been subject to certain building conditions and restrictions such as a minimum five-star Home Energy Rating, energy efficiency, positioning to maximize solar exposure in winter, and minimization of construction waste. At the edge of Harvest Lakes, a mixed-use village center oriented around a rail station is under development, commercial leasing is expected to begin in 2010. Currently, the community comprises a park-and-ride facility for the next-closest station, which is only a short ride away. In addition, the project links to a bicycle system that follows the freeway into Perth.
Located along the Mississippi River, West River Commons is a mixed-use project consisting of 53 rental apartments, three for-sale townhomes, and four retail tenants. A public/private project developed by the Lander Group and At Home Apartments, West River Commons opened in 2004 as a key redevelopment on a major Minneapolis, Minnesota, commercial corridor. Through its pedestrian-friendly design, the project connects with the surrounding neighborhood, and a public plaza on site serves as a community focal point.
A public/private mixed-use development featuring unique architectural details, a six-level garage, and street-level retail space in the historic art deco South Beach neighborhood of Miami Beach, Florida. The exterior of the facility is laced with a curved and gridded fiberglass trellis and irrigated planter boxes with three types of native foliage. The trellis pattern represents horizontal waves reminiscent of the nearby ocean. Various living vines are planted along the facade, enveloping the garage in tropical greenery.
A $65 million, 1,235-acre (Phase I) golf resort featuring a five-star hotel, country club, two world-class golf courses, and 50 resort homes. Homes range from 69 to 144 square meters (742 to 1,548 square feet) and are priced from $70,000 to $165,000. An additional 81 units are under construction, and work on a water park and China’s first Club Med is due to begin in 2000.
Repositioning of a 31-year-old high-rise office building in the heart of Boston’s Financial district. In the late 1980s, this building was in danger of slipping into Class B status, with a corresponding loss in value. In 1989, a three-phase, $98 million rehabilitation program was initiated that included improvements to the plaza, lobby, and building systems in addition to extensive asbestos abatement. Today, all of the renovated space (the up-grading of some of the middle floors is still in progress) has been leased at rental rates consistent with new Class A downtown office towers.
Located next to the Victoria, an 80-year-old vintage apartment building turned condominium, the Victoria Townhomes are a new addition to the prestigious Queen Anne Hill neighborhood of Seattle. Intended as a solution to the parking problem at the Victoria, the ten Victoria Townhomes were constructed atop a partially underground parking structure that provides parking for residents of both buildings. An urban infill project, the townhomes set the standards for a new design review process in Seattle and reflect the historical architecture of the neighborhood as well as the design of the original building.
A 1.2 million-square-foot Class A office tower with ground-floor retail built to the specifications of its major tenant. The building is the first project in Colgate Center, a master-planned, mixed-use community on a prime waterfront location that offers spectacular views and is well served by transit. It was designed to meet the special power, HVAC, and space planning needs of its target market-the technology-driven operations and technical support divisions of major financial services firms.
New Columbia is a HOPE VI mixed-income and mixed-use public housing project in Portland, Oregon. Developed by the Housing Authority of Portland (HAP), the $151 million master-planned neighborhood is located on an 82-acre (33-ha) site–formerly the home of the troubled Columbia Villa public housing project–and features 854 residential units including public housing, affordable rentals, seniors’ housing, and both market-rate and affordable homes for sale. New Columbia also comprises the Community Campus, a $20.2 million project anchored by a new public elementary school, a Boys & Girls Club, and a new wing and gym for a city-owned recreation center. The project incorporates a number of sustainable measures: 82 percent of building materials were recycled, a sustainable stormwater management system was installed, and three structures–the elementary school and two mixed-use buildings–achieved LEED certification. HAP, a public corporation, owns and operates the public housing units in Portland that are directly subsidized by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). The housing authority, founded in 1941, also develops and acquires its own affordable housing stock: altogether, HAP oversees 6,200 residential units and is the largest provider of affordable housing in the state of Oregon. HAP also offers HUD-funded Section 8 rent assistance and administers approximately 8,000 Section 8 vouchers, an important function of any housing authority and a critical source of revenue.
Hidden Springs is a 1,844-acre (746-hectare) master-planned community nestled in the foothills of the Boise Front, ten miles (16 kilometers) northwest of Boise, Idaho’s largest city and state capital. The project’s environmentally sensitive plan includes up to 1,034 acres (418 hectares) of potentially developable land and 810 acres (328 hectares) of protected conservation land. Two phases of residential development are currently under construction, upon completion, the community will consist of up to 1,035 homes divided into several neighborhoods. Currently, the Town Center features 8,500 square feet (790 square meters) of retail space located near the entrance to the community and includes a cafe©, a general store, a post office, a library, a preschool, an apartment, and professional offices. Hidden Springs has won several awards, including “Best Smart Growth Community” for the year 2000 by Professional Builder magazine and the National Association of Home Builders.
Located near the University of Washington’s Seattle campus, Nordheim Court provides housing for 460 students in a complex of eight, three- to five-story buildings oriented around a pond and open spaces. The 146-unit project comprises a mix of studio, one-, two-, and four-bedroom units in both townhouse and flat configurations on 2.8 acres (1.13 hectares) of land. Lorig Associates, Nordheim Court’s for-profit developer, built it in a partnership with the state-funded University of Washington and nonprofit entity Twenty-Fifth Avenue Properties LLC.
