COVER STORY, MAY 2007

CREATIVE COMPOSITION
Western architects design retail with purpose and polish.
Lara Fuller

Successful architectural projects usually strike a good balance between form and function. As cities in the West continue to grow and space becomes sparse, this balance is more important than ever. Consumers are looking for retail centers that are easily accessible but also an attractive addition to their community. In addition, as environmental issues become increasingly significant, sustainable design has become a necessity in many cases. Western Real Estate Business recently spoke with several architecture firms to find out more details on the current trends and what the future holds for retail design.

Form & Function

Urban infill is a term that has been used often in recent years. As there are fewer and fewer options when it comes to space for new development, many cities are redeveloping existing land and buildings within the urban core. Naturally, because of the limited space, the design of infill space is extremely important. Architects must be keenly aware of space and parking issues and often must work within strict guidelines. It is also important to make retail stores and centers easily accessible and to design them to complement surrounding buildings.

“Urban infill is about providing a dynamic, convenient, yet still affordable pedestrian experience,” says Leo Mendez, principal and retail market sector leader with DFD CornoyerHedrick in Phoenix. “This brings a vitality to the urban fabric that keeps people around the area after 5 p.m.”

Architects are continually looking at new methods and designs in order to best fulfill these requirements. “The current design trend is ‘building forward,’ where buildings are brought up to the street with parking in the interior of the site,” says Mark Marvelli, principal of design with Rauschenbach Marvelli Becker Architects in Sacramento, California. “This puts storefronts and aesthetics up to the street in a more urban fashion. Mixed-use projects that incorporate ground-floor retail and upper-floor residential are also making inroads into current trends.”

Few projects are purely retail anymore, particularly in urban areas where the combination of multiple uses is more economical. “Within urban centers, we are seeing a stronger need for mixed-use elements combined with parking decks to create an integrated urban retail project,” says Jeffrey Gill, vice president and principal with MCG Architecture in Irvine, California. “The complexities of these designs require a thorough understanding of how the various components interact and move through a complicated circulation system and respond to privacy and identity/accessibility issues.”

In downtown Flagstaff, Arizona, DFD CornoyerHedrick is currently handling the design of an urban mixed-use project, Aspen Place at the Sawmill, which, when completed in late 2008, will feature 155,000 square feet of retail space and 290 residential units. The project presented a unique challenge to the firm in that the land was formerly occupied by a sawmill but was also located near the heart of downtown Flagstaff. The architects wanted to incorporate both the history of the site and the architecture of the surrounding structures into the design. “The architectural vernacular is an interpretive style of regional Flagstaff,” says Mendez. “The city officials felt strongly that the design of this project be one that could exist only in Flagstaff. Our design is a contemporary interpretation of key regional, historical architectural styles and building materials.”

Urban to Suburban

ABQ Uptown

The desire for attractive buildings that are also fully functional is not just an urban concept. Many consumers in suburbia desire a similar feel to their retail centers as well. Pedestrian-friendly centers are becoming increasingly popular in the suburbs of western cities as architects cater to the residents’ need to feel more connected to their community.

“There is a desire for more pedestrian-oriented environments and more density,” says Steve Perich, president of Dekker Perich Sabatini in Albuquerque. “There is also more attention to addressing the entire sensory experience of the consumer, inviting people to linger as opposed to the old approach of letting them drive right up to the door and zip in and out.”

Even though people might leave a city for the suburbs, they still want to live amongst structures that help provide a sense of place. “There are many times when urban architecture provides the inspiration for suburban design solutions, especially in the case of newer communities that — from a purely architectural perspective — don’t always provide the historical context from which we can borrow,” says Mendez.

Adds Gill, “Many of our suburban areas are taking on a more urban appearance, albeit at a lesser scale as we become more concerned about the need for open space and land consumption. Whereas the multi-story building was taboo for many years in a suburban center, many clients now request multi-story elements as a way to respond to the community’s needs for more commercial activities within a retail center. The height variances within these projects are more visually stimulating by breaking up the mass, which is a far cry from the multi-story centers of the past.”

MCG Architecture's design of the 720,000-square-foot Sierra Vista Mall in Clovis, California, created a neighborhood community center within an urban-like retail environment.

The 720,000-square-foot Sierra Vista Mall, a recently completed MCG Architecture project in Clovis, California, incorporates multi-story buildings along with other elements borrowed from more urban design. “This is an excellent example of creating a neighborhood community center within a retail environment,” says Gill. “As a destination place for this city, our challenge was to create a unique setting for community gatherings, yet also respond to the needs for a new tenant mix. A portion of the existing mall was carved out to create a new plaza as the apex to the public parking, a new mall entry, entry to a major tenant and access to the new lifestyle district. By opening up the mall, we provide more natural light and landscape space to allow natural light to penetrate more wall space, and a main plaza acts as the termination to an entertainment and restaurant village that also encourages use for public displays and activities.”

ABQ Uptown in Albuquerque was designed by Dekker Perich Sabatini.

Dekker Perich Sabatini recently handled a project that incorporates both pedestrian-friendly and urban elements. ABQ Uptown in Albuquerque is a 230,000-square-foot retail center that also features 200 housing units. The stores are linked by wide sidewalks, and decorative fountains are located throughout the development. “Even in suburban locations there is a desire to create more pedestrian-friendly retail, with shade, decorative paving, seating, etc.,” says Perich. The retail portion of the center opened late last year, and the housing component is scheduled for completion in early 2008. Tenants at the center include Pottery Barn, Williams-Sonoma, Coldwater Creek, Borders Books & Music, Ann Taylor Loft and Elephant Bar. “It is a mixed-use project with a lifestyle center retail component,” says Perich. “It is a pedestrian-oriented environment with high-touch, high-quality materials.”

Sustainable Design

As open space continues to be developed into neighborhoods and shopping centers, many architects are designing projects that lessen the impact on the environment. Green space and the use of environmentally friendly building products are becoming increasingly important factors to residents in many communities across the West. “Sustainable building design has now become a part of the cultural mindset of our newer clients,” says Mendez.

In many cases, architects are designing projects that reuse materials and incorporate open space. The increase of natural light within buildings to reduce energy costs is also becoming more common. “Sustainable architecture is beginning to see a foothold in private sector work,” says Gill. “Cities and clients are considering the reuse of materials, environmentally conscious design and energy savings as important factors in the approval of projects. The trend for LEED certification or meeting better energy and environmental standards as a way to be more environmentally sensitive to our surroundings is working its way into retail projects. This often means more green space, which is a benefit to local communities as they continue to look to retail for the incorporation of public amenities. Interiors of buildings are utilizing more natural light to reduce the consumption of energy, and plazas have taken on a more ‘green’ appearance to respond to environmental and community needs for decent outdoor space. Even the idea of turf block parking fields rather than asphalt is being considered as we respond to issues surrounding ground penetration of water run off.”

Sustainable design has become such an important factor for many retail developers that cost doesn’t necessarily play a huge role. As consumers and clients continue to demand projects that are a better fit for the environment, many developers have come to realize that sustainable design makes more sense. “The commitment to create better environments seems to be the driving factor rather than cutting back to keep costs low,” says Gill.

And for some, sustainable design is actually more cost efficient. While it might cost more to build upfront, the long-term benefits of sustainable design are numerous. “We seek to use sustainable materials that will have beneficial lifecycle costs,” says Mendez. “Moreover, whenever possible, we utilize regional materials, enabling us to be contextual and cost effective.”

On the Way Out

As modern, smartly designed projects become the norm in many western cities, there are several trends that seem to be gone for good. The enclosed regional mall is a shopping center of the past; many are being converted into lifestyle-type centers.

“In terms of building types, the enclosed regional mall has diminished,” says Mendez. “The amount of land necessary to support projects of that size is excessive and department store consolidations have caused a shift in the way retail developers strategically lease their centers.”

Even the typical power center that is found all across the West is no longer as popular as it once was. “The trend of big box developments without individual shop space tenants is waning,” says Marvelli. “Several years ago, projects minimized shop space tenants due to concerns of property management as it related to turnover of tenants. Now, in order to promote pedestrian activity, the multi-tenant shop buildings with tenants in the 1,200-square-foot range are increasing significantly.”

One of the biggest changes seen across the country, and particularly in the West, is the incorporation of pedestrian-friendly centers. Fewer and fewer centers are being designed with a large, paved parking lot serving multiple stores. Rather, centers are broken up with green space and walkways. “We’ve seen a trend away from the big parking lot in front of the freestanding store,” says Perich. “This is in response to pressure from neighborhood groups and municipal planning departments. This has led to the more pedestrian-oriented developments and transit-oriented projects. The developers and owners that refuse to accept this change in societal preference and are still trying to obtain approvals for the big boxes with large parking lots are facing a lot of resistance.”

Transit-oriented developments are also replacing the need for large parking lots and regional malls. Many centers are being developed around public transportation hubs, benefiting both consumers and the environment.

One project that is demonstrative of the shift in preference from the mall to the lifestyle center is Lincoln Crossing in Lincoln, California. Rauschenbach Marvelli Becker Architects is designing the center, which will feature 320,000 square feet of retail space. Tenants at the center, expected to open this year, include Target, T.J. Maxx, Ross Dress For Less, Staples, PetsMart, Starbucks Coffee, Panera Bread and Holiday Inn Express. “The project has significant pedestrian-oriented amenities,” says Marvelli. “The design clusters building to more of a village feel, and the architecture breaks down the building masses to a pedestrian-friendly scale.”

As for the future of retail architecture, the demands of both space and environment will be the biggest factors for many architects. Shopping centers are now expected to offer more of an experience, as opposed to being places simply to purchase goods and services. “I think the thought of different types of retail centers based on tenant mix are melding into one shopping experience,” says Gill. “The big box power center is being integrated into the unique opportunities found in lifestyle districts. Malls are incorporating tenants previously found in power centers, and markets can now be found in a lifestyle center. The idea of a better environment that encourages multiple uses and community spirit is more important than previously experienced.”


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