Ironwood Design Group’s Post

Creating moments of unexpected delight in parking structures can range from elaborate design elements to simple and cost-effective accents that can be added to new or existing facilities. The key is thinking outside of the box and looking for opportunities where we aren’t used to finding them. We looked at 6 ways that parking has delivered the unexpected! https://ow.ly/P1Nr50RexJZ

https://lnkd.in/es_vjMrg Granite Bay Graphic Design undertook a comprehensive wayfinding overhaul for a bustling campus, transforming a chaotic signage system into a clear and intuitive experience. Recognizing the importance of effective navigation, the design team conducted thorough site surveys and user experience studies to identify pain points and opportunities for improvement. Armed with these insights, they developed a robust wayfinding system that integrated seamlessly with the campus architecture. The new signage system featured a consistent visual language, clear and concise messaging, and a hierarchical structure that guided visitors and students effortlessly through the campus landscape. At the time Granite Bay Graphic Design entered the picture, Quinnipiac University’s architects had designed a unique structure for a new dormitory high atop York Hill in Hamden, Connecticut. We were asked to develop a strategy to help students (and especially other visitors) easily navigate the new building which has several floors and very long corridors. Working closely with the university and its architects, we developed a color-based system and assigned a letter to each section (nicknamed “pods”). This system was integrated into interior and exterior wayfinding. On the inside, everything used the color system, from large signs near every elevator showing the visitor’s current location in relation to the rest of the structure along with directional arrows pointing to room number locations as well as the location of other elevators. In theory a person visiting several people could easily get from one student to another regardless of each student’s location. For the exterior, we used the same color system as a background and designed large circular letters, each with a “crown” to go atop the tall brick towers outside of each section. This wayfinding solution is easily viewable from almost anywhere in the expansive parking lot.

Rethinking what 120 dwelling units per acre looks like! Resharing my thoughts about #courtyardhousing and #microunits something you have been considering? A key design approach component is utilizing shallow building main body and wings which allows enough space for an interior-lot courtyard, units that have ample natural light, and all orient onto the courtyard. The plan is efficient with no long, shared corridors. Site location: Santa Maria, CA-Downtown Site size: 80' x 72' Number of units: 20 Density: 120 du/acre Unit sizes: 219-390 sf Parking spaces: 5 Bike Parking: 20 bike lockers, 2 surface space Number of units:

Today is a tale of the power of the sink to shift the the housing landscape. Yes, a small basin and faucet made this Opportunity Zone project for the missing middle in West Oakland possible. The intent was to create affordable yet well designed spaces for teachers, essential service workers and maybe a few architects 😊 Hitting the density to make this work was going to require some maneuvering. The underlying density was 16 units, and we ended up with 65 studios. This was accomplished by building 13 townhomes, where each townhome was allowed 5 bedrooms. Each bedroom was designed with an en-suite bathroom and (this was the trick) an in bedroom sink. The sink the allowed for the creation of a mini-kitchen. The project was parked for 13 townhomes (1 space per unit) with some reduction due to proximity to transit and bicycle parking. This allowed further on grade density without needing to go to a podium, which also helped with cost. This was the second deployment of a modularized design we’ve used for several sites. The first you may have seen on the AIA Design Tour earlier this year. Ultimately these projects have been highly successful in creating affordable rents and a profitable project for the developer.

Me likey peanut butter and chocolate!! :) As we look to solve the housing crisis, it's time we rethink what "density" looks like and means for our communities! #density #design #microunits #housing #housingcrisis #housingforall

Form-based zoning vs density-based zoning

These four projects are examples of facade design done well — and with both beauty and efficiency in mind.

Advantages of Small Lot Mixed-Use Design 📐 Small lot mixed-use buildings can present opportunities for the end-user and can parallel a city’s development goals. If you consider the Near Southside neighborhood in Fort Worth, the area provides numerous examples of this type of design. The two-story mixed-use building (photo) is a terrific example of a smaller lot. The building is just over 8,700 SF and we designed it to include Dr. Tillman's dental practice on the first floor and boutique apartments on the second floor.   If you’re not familiar with mixed-use design, these types of buildings feature a business (retail, medical, professional) on the ground floor and apartments on the second floor. The rental income from the apartment units can assist the owner in paying for their building. Small mixed-use lots have their challenges, including building orientation, pedestrian/vehicle movement, tenant requirements, and code interpretations - to name a few. Despite some of the challenges, the smaller lot parameters still allow for design diversity. Are there any advantages to working with smaller mixed-use lots? One major advantage of this type of development is ownership by a small business. In other words, they can be tailored to the growing housing demand while accommodating smaller business entities.   Curious if a smaller lot can work for you? Considered a mixed-use building? We would be happy to sit down with you and answer any questions about this type of design. #architect #mixedusedesign #development #fortworth #dfw

🏗️🎉 Vienna Market's Grand Finale: Construction Wraps, but the Controversy is Just Beginning! 🏠🛍️ 🚧 Breaking Ground, Stirring Debate: Vienna Market, the architectural spectacle rising above Maple Avenue, is on the cusp of completion. But as the dust settles, a whirlwind of controversy sweeps through the final stages, unveiling design twists that promise to spark community discussions. 📢 "Practically Completed" - Yet a Storm Brews: The buzz around Vienna Market is undeniable as construction 'practically' concludes. With 44 condominium townhomes and 8,200 sq. ft. of retail space, it's a transformative addition to Maple Avenue. But, wait – what's brewing in the last-minute design tweaks? 🏠👥 Residences Sold Out: NV Homes and Northfield Construction, the dynamic duo behind Vienna Market, announce that all residences are sold out. A testament to the project's allure or a hint at the controversy to come? Share your thoughts! 🔨 Design Dilemmas and Architectural Drama: Tonight, Vienna Market returns to the Vienna Board of Architectural Review for a curtain call. Design alterations, façade tweaks, and changes to the 'corner park' are in the spotlight. Will these adjustments enhance or detract from Vienna's newest landmark? 🏛️ Theatrics at the Review: The drama unfolds with changes related to building façades, corner parks, and additional alterations triggered by Dominion Power's requests. Metal canopies, the removal of columns, and unexpected design shifts – is Vienna Market rewriting the script of architectural approval? 🤔💬 Community Weighs In: Vienna, your voice matters! What are your thoughts on Vienna Market's controversial twists? Are these changes a necessary evolution, or should the original vision stand strong? Join the conversation! 📍 Location Matters: Vienna Market's strategic Maple Avenue position fuels debate. As construction nears completion, the battle over design nuances adds a layer of complexity. Will Vienna's skyline embrace these changes, or will controversy reshape its architectural future? . . . 🌆 #ViennaMarketFinale #ArchitecturalDrama #ControversyUnveiled #MapleAvenueEvolution

We are proud to share a recent post from Dublin Civic Trust, highlighting the exceptional architectural design of our School Yard property in Dublin 1. I-RES completed development of 61 new apartments at The School Yard, Ireland’s first LEED Gold Standard property, in 2022. We remain committed to providing residents with high-quality properties with strong sustainability credentials, in attractive locations. “Tucked behind the great London plane trees of Dublin’s North Circular Road is arguably the best-finished apartment building erected in Dublin city centre in the past decade. The School Yard development of 61 apartments, built by I-RES as an extension of its existing Baker’s Yard apartment scheme behind, is an excellent model of high-density urban housing slotted into an historic neighbourhood. Designed by Crawford Architecture, Sligo, the building is a rare, beautiful response to the mature location with confident use of yellow stock brick dressed with bronzed aluminium – and critically, nothing else. This strict palette is the core of its architectural success, ditching the usual retail ‘plinth’ of stone and clumsy proprietary façade panels associated with new builds. The brindle brick gives a quieter, durable expression that evokes the 1830s yellow brick houses along this stretch of the North Circular Road. The bands of ground floor ‘rustication’ are a brilliant device for animating the street while neatly accommodating shops and entrances. At roof level, the building is properly topped with a bronze crown that is part of the language of the building, not apart from it in the manner of Dublin’s usually ham fisted ‘top-up’ storeys. Contrary to media and political hype about the planning system, this development was turned around in planning in eight months flat, precisely because it was well designed. Dublin City Council planners were reasonable, and there was no need for SHD, ABP appeal or judicial review. The system worked. This is the comfortable scale and contextual architecture that should be prescribed in Dublin city, infilling brownfield sites and providing quality homes. The School Yard demonstrates what can be done and what must be sought."