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COVER STORY, MAY 2005
CREATING A SENSE OF PLACE
Western architects are designing lifestyle centers that become integral parts of their surrounding communities.
Lara Fuller
The words “retail center” don’t have the same meaning that they used to. A retail center no longer refers simply to a mall or strip center. These days, particularly in the West, retail centers are an ever-evolving hybrid of both retail and lifestyle uses.
Architects are responding to the shift in demand by continuing to design centers that offer consumers something more than an average shopping experience. They are striving to create developments with a sense of character — places that offer culture, entertainment and recreation in addition to retail. Western Real Estate Business recently spoke with several prominent architectural firms to find out what constitutes the new lifestyle center.
Blurring the Lines
Years ago, a shopping center was just that: a place to go shopping. These days, shopping centers are adding many non-retail and entertainment-based tenants, making the newest centers more of a community-centric district.
“Retail is becoming less and less about just shopping and more about interaction and entertainment,” says Darin Schoolmeester, principal with Irvine, California-based McLarand Vasquez Emsiek & Partners (MVE). “More and more, the trend in retail architecture is toward the creation of both mixed-use developments and lifestyle centers. And human interaction is central to the design of both these models.”
In order to fulfill customer demand for interaction and entertainment, architects are incorporating a range of tenants and uses into their designs. “We are seeing the slow erosion of retail categories resulting from the increase of alternative anchors,” says Yann Taylor, principal with Field Paoli Architects in San Francisco. “With cross-shopping boundaries blurring and mall owners anxious to attract shoppers from across the socio-economic spectrum, we’re going to continue seeing some surprising mixes of tenants.”
Some of the concepts being integrated into the newest shopping districts include libraries, theaters, housing, community centers, museums and office space.
Patri Merker Architects, based in San Francisco, is currently designing the Museum of the City of San Francisco in the historic Old Mint at Fifth and Howard streets. Demonstrating the blend of uses, the project will feature museum space, a restaurant, bar, visitor center, museum store and other retail shops as well.
In Huntington Beach, California, Bella Terra is a new project that is designed to be not only a shopping hub, but also an entertainment center. Perkowitz + Ruth Architects designed the plan for the transformation of the existing mall into an open-air lifestyle center. The result is a center that features a movie theater and outdoor amphitheater in addition to retail, restaurants and cafes. The 975,000-square-foot project is being developed by J.H. Snyder and is scheduled to open this fall.
The Importance of Character
Lifestyle and mixed-use centers offer consumers uniqueness not only in terms of their components, but also in design. Generic strip centers and cookie-cutter malls are definitely on the way out. “The old strip center motif seen on so many of our streets has been replaced with projects, large or small, that complement their environs,” says Jeffrey Gill, principal with Irvine, California-based MCG Architecture.
As cities grow and expand, more and more people move out towards the suburbs, yet they still desire the look and feel of the intown lifestyle. “Many of the existing suburban communities developed without a downtown,” says Schoolmeester. “We see many of these communities developing mixed-use lifestyle centers to become their downtowns and create an identity and sense of place for the community. Increasingly, people want to live close to where they shop, work, dine and find entertainment. This is simply gravitational back to the traditional town center concept.”
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Victoria Gardens, designed by Altoon + Porter Architects and Field Paoli Architects, is not only a place to shop, but it also serves as a town center for Rancho Cucamonga, California. The 1.3 million-square-foot property was jointly developed by Forest City Enterprises and Lewis Retail Centers.
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Victoria Gardens, designed by Altoon + Porter Architects and Field Paoli Architects, is an example of the creation of a “downtown.” The project, which features 1.3 million square feet of retail and 20 acres of multifamily housing, was created to reflect the desires of the community in Rancho Cucamonga, California. “Consumers of today want the warmth of the old downtown with real weather, trees and sidewalks, but the convenience and freshness of a shopping district,” says James Auld, partner with Los Angeles-based Altoon + Porter. The center was designed on a basic grid pattern, though it was tweaked a bit to make it unique, in order to accommodate both pedestrians and automobiles. “We developed the concept of city blocks, which help give the project a downtown feel,” says Taylor. “The use of different architectural styles by different firms is also unique, and was a result of the decision to get away from an outdoor shopping mall feel, where architectural character tends to be more uniform.” The first phase of Victoria Gardens opened last fall, with the second phase currently underway. The project is being jointly developed by Forest City Enterprises and Lewis Retail Centers.
Because a lifestyle center is designed to serve as a hub for a community, the design and feel is very important. “Given that tenants are often the same everywhere you go, developers are relying more on architectural layout, form and expression to give their projects a memorable signature,” says Taylor. In many cases, aesthetics are just as important as the tenant lineup. The aesthetics of a center are what appeal to shoppers, draw them in and create a lasting connection. “We are seeing urban streetscapes and outdoor spaces with a more authentic character,” says Marios Savopoulos, principal with Long Beach, California-based Perkowitz + Ruth Architects. As so much of suburban development looks the same, people are looking towards their shopping destinations to provide a sense of identity for their areas.
Retail is Looking Up
In order to give a lifestyle development character, and to counteract the look and feel of sprawl, many of the newest centers incorporate a large amount of vertical stacking. “We are seeing more retail being developed at the ground level of multiple mixed-use buildings with residential or office space above,” says Schoolmeester. “The multiple buildings together create a village or district within a city.”
Adds Savopoulos, “Clustering and more vertical stacking of uses is a trend yielding greater synergy amongst tenants and uses.”
Bel Mare’ in Newport Beach, California, is one project that is being designed both vertically and horizontally. Bel Mare’ is a multi-level destination village created by MCG Architecture. The 56,000-square-foot center is located on a narrow strip of land on the Newport Bay. By building up, the center takes advantage of its unique location. “It’s a blend of multi-level retail and restaurants with outdoor pedestrian viewing areas that takes advantage of the site by tucking a parking structure into its substructure, lessening the illusion that Southern California is all about the automobile,” says Gill. The project is being developed through a joint venture of Red Mountain Group and Allied Retail Partners.
Another important design component to the new lifestyle centers, whether stacked or not, is green space. Many old malls and strip centers lack greenery, seeming more like a concrete city surrounded by sprawling parking lots. “Although slow in coming, green architecture is making a push into the retail sector as we encourage ways for our designs to be more environmentally friendly,” says Gill.
One of MCG Architecture’s projects, Sierra Vista Mall, developed by LandValue Management, is a project that was designed with the environment in mind. The 750,000-square-foot center, located in California’s San Joaquin Valley, has been transformed from an enclosed mall to an open-air center. “The existing mall is being exposed to the environment as the apex of a new pedestrian avenue filled with restaurants and specialty retail and end-capped with a multi-screen cinema,” says Gill. “This is a great example of taking what we have learned in the creation of our urban/suburban environs, and ramping it up to the next level by considering the public and environmental impact on this development.”
Cars vs. Convenience
Many developments today are being designed around pedestrians, not cars. Most of the new projects aren’t surrounded by acres of parking. Instead, the developments incorporate parking decks that are less obtrusive or even located underground. Some of the new lifestyle developments even center around public transportation, which is reminiscent of city living. “There’s a stronger value in social spaces and intimate environments today,” says Savopoulos. “The creation of walkable communities builds on this trend as well. Transportation-oriented destinations are beacons for Generation Xers and Ys.” Because of the value placed on ease and convenience, light rail and other transportation systems have become increasingly important.
In Hollywood, California, MVE is designing a 1.2 million-square-foot project that is focused not only on shopping, but on transportation as well. The development is designed around an existing MTA subway station, which connects the central business district of Los Angeles with the Hollywood studios. The center, which is being developed by Legacy Partners and Gatehouse Capital, will feature 350 apartments, 144 condos, a gourmet market and other retail tenants. Live theaters, cinemas, restaurants and clubs are located nearby, giving consumers the option of living car-free.
Patri Merker recently designed a project in San Jose, California, that is centered around a main street pedestrian/auto link from a new light-rail transit station. The 170,000-square-foot mixed-use center, being developed by WorldCo, will feature retail and 424 residential units. The incorporation of public transportation into lifestyle developments is crucial in providing consumers what they often want above all else: convenience.
Location, Location, Location
While general ideas and concepts remain the same throughout all lifestyle developments, different areas lend themselves to different designs and features. “Design is now more responsive to particular characteristics of a region and its culture,” says Savopoulos. “Architects and designers have to perform more in-depth research to find the essence of the place. It is more likely to be sensitive to context.”
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Capitol Square Mall Town Center in San Jose, California, was designed by Patri Merker Architects.
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Since the success of these projects hinges on the ability to attract consumers, understanding the consumer is a critical part of forming the design. For example, in Southern California, Hollywood is more influential on residents than in other areas. “I would argue that the entertainment industry continues to have a bigger influence on Southern California retail environments than on those in Northern California and elsewhere in the western states,” says Field Paoli’s Taylor. Without a thorough understanding of the tastes and preferences of local consumers, lifestyle and mixed-use centers are less likely to be successful.
In addition to knowing the customer, architects are also taking notice of the weather. “Climate, location, geography and context are big factors of architectural expression in public buildings, including town centers and shopping areas,” says Auld. Areas with little rain and more moderate climates will see the development of more outdoor-oriented, open-air centers. Developments with outdoor components are also found in cooler climates, but with less open space.
Whether a project is located in a city or in its suburbs also makes a difference. In urban areas, stacked and clustered developments are more likely to be found. “Generally, the urban infill projects tend to be high density,” says Schoolmeester. “Retail tenants may accept two-story stores, subterranean parking and lower parking ratios.” Many of the urban developments are also made of different materials, including concrete and steel.
“In large urban areas like San Francisco or Oakland, we are seeing a rise in the industrial aesthetic, creating a new use from an existing industrial architectural fabric,” say Dana Merker and Piero Patri, principals with Patri Merker.
No matter the region, however, the biggest focus for architects and designers is on quality. The lifestyle projects being developed in the West are designed to endure as lasting fixtures in the community. “There’s an attention to detail beyond what was practiced even 5 years ago,” says Savopoulos. “The market is extremely competitive and the guests’ expectations are quite a bit higher than before.”
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