COVER STORY, JANUARY 2006

DESIGN OF THE TIMES
Architectural trends possess more than just the picturesque, they reflect enduring functional and spatial real estate needs.
Kevin James

Trends, whether in fashion, music, hairstyling or home decorating, are often inconsequential fads that leave little more than mild amusement and occasional embarrassment in their wake when we review old photo albums. Hair lengths rise and fall; skirt lengths go up and down and are, in turn, replaced by low-rise jeans. Popular music swings from the localized skiffle bands of the 1950s to the heavy artistry of modern-day bards and back again. When it comes to the field of architectural design, however, trends are long-lasting, far-reaching and of great consequence to all of society. Unlike the passing fancies of popular culture, architectural design trends determine the look and functionality of our physical environments for decades, and directly impact the way in which we live.

As the twentieth century transitioned into the twenty-first, some clear trends began emerging in the architectural community that have already transformed the way we live, interact, entertain and work. Chief among these design trends are the emergence of hybrid, mixed-use communities and the growing importance of environmentally conscious design in our built environments. The emergence of clear architectural design trends is often difficult to recognize, as the design and construction of major building projects is a lengthy process. However, as we enter the second half of this decade, these design trends have clearly taken hold throughout the architectural community and are already transforming the way our physical environments look and function.

Mixed-use projects are just that — projects that incorporate multiple users into the design. A common mix is retail with residential, often in a multi-level building with retail at the street level and residents living above in apartments or condominiums. These projects began to emerge in the late twentieth century, as cities sought to reinvigorate their downtown cores with urban professionals who chose to live close to work in the vibrant energy that a city provides. New Urbanism is the catchphrase that describes this trend, which continues to grow in popularity in our large metropolises, as well as in suburbia. Indeed, we are beginning to see a “re-villaging” of America in some of our larger metropolises — places like Los Angeles, San Diego, New York and Miami — as well as in their surrounding suburban communities.

While not a return to the classic agrarian village of our distant past, this “re-villaging” is the emergence of soaring vertical mixed-use projects amid the urban vastness, providing people the opportunity to enjoy comfortable residential life amid a thriving, eclectic urban core. The urban village of the twenty-first century takes the next step in mixed-use design by integrating retail, office and residential units within a single, self-contained community.

Clocking in at more than 2.8 million square feet, Time Warner Center overlooking Central Park in New York is a prime example of the vertical village. This soaring colossus sits at the crossroads of Midtown Manhattan, Central Park and the Upper West Side, and includes an impressive array of real estate uses — a headquarters for media giant Time Warner, luxury condominiums, a Mandarin Oriental hotel, a vertical shopping mall, two Lincoln Center jazz theaters and the biggest Whole Foods store in the country. It is no exaggeration to state that residents of Time Warner Center could spend their entire lives comfortably within the development, if they choose.

In addition to Time Warner Center, vertical villages are springing up throughout America's cities. In Los Angeles, the Hollywood Marketplace at Sunset & Vine features four floors of hip residential space atop a vibrant mix of retail, while the Wilshire at Western, an adaptive reuse project, will convert the existing 22-story, 340,000-square-foot former Getty Oil office building into 260 apartment units and 29,000 square feet of retail, located in the heart of Koreatown. In Chicago, San Diego, Miami and San Francisco, vertical villages are being planned, built and opened.

A complement to the mixed-use projects that are beginning to dominate our built environments is a greater awareness of, and reliance upon, environmentally conscious design. Green design integrates architecture, technology and natural systems. It makes a positive contribution to the community, improves comfort for building occupants and reduces environmental impacts through strategies such as the reuse of existing structures, connection to transit systems, low-impact site development, energy and water conservation, use of sustainable or renewable construction materials, and design that improves indoor air quality.

Modern architectural designs now commonly integrate extensive skylights with electrical lighting sensors that automatically adjust the amount of electrical light supplied depending upon the amount of light generated through the skylight, while advanced roofing materials and insulation allow buildings to warm and cool more rapidly. Over time, these systems save massive amounts of electricity, reduce the overall cost of the building's operation and have a healthy impact upon our environment.    

  The Lake View Terrace Branch of the City of Los Angeles Public Library System is a good example of green design. The site's storm water runoff was reduced by 25 percent with landscaping features that include a series of radial bioswales for efficient rainwater infiltration. More than 75 percent of construction waste was diverted from landfills to local recycling facilities, and the library's energy performance is more than 40 percent more efficient than California standards. Night venting takes advantage of its exterior insulated, high-mass CMU shell. Approximately 80 percent of the public spaces are naturally ventilated via mechanically interlocked windows controlled by sophisticated energy management systems. A building-integrated photovoltaic system shades the entry and roofs the community room while providing 15 percent of the building's energy. The design provides nearly 100 percent shading for glare-free daylight during operating hours.

The emergence of mixed-use and environmentally conscious design trends are having major impacts upon our built environments, an impact that will be felt more strongly as these trends take hold and expand throughout our communities. The result will be more efficient, vibrant and friendly communities that integrate the various functions of our life into thriving urban villages. Within these villages our commercial and personal goals can be pursued in a more harmonious fashion, in projects that are less demanding and damaging to our environment.

Kevin James is a principal with MCG Architecture.

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