Dear Friends …
You know a great neighborhood when you experience one, it has an energy and identity all on its own. It is about creating a place where people want to spend time, connect with one another, and feel a part of something that is bigger than a bunch of buildings and addresses. Developing a sense of place takes time, energy, and intentionality. One good spark is all it takes to get people invested in their communities and the spaces they create.
Mixed-use multifamily developments can be a powerful part of that transformation. These developments with uses at street level are essential to activating the streetscape in neighborhoods and developing “places” for their residents and visitors.
Imagine bringing 60 or 100 new residences to a neighborhood, with a coffee shop, restaurant, small grocery store, or other local businesses at street level. Suddenly, there are more reasons for people to walk down the street, meet a neighbor for coffee, grab dinner close to home, or simply spend more time in their community.
While we can easily calculate square footage, unit counts, and construction costs, a true sense of place is harder to measure. It takes a certain level of intention to create shared spaces that support a neighborhood. Spaces that encourage people to stay and enjoy themselves rather than move through and do it on a human scale. Placemaking projects like multifamily lay a foundation for these neighborhoods. That is where long-term growth potential lives.
ODA Architecture always advocates for mixed-use infill projects. Great placemaking isn’t just about designing buildings. It’s about creating neighborhoods where people want to live, work, gather, and return to for years to come.
TAKING SHAPE
5500 North Tryon Charlotte, North Carolina
An exciting new project at 5500 North Tryon will combine co-working office space with climate-controlled storage. The 55,000-square-foot, mixed-use project sits prominently between North Tryon Street and the Old Concord Road Blue Line station. Its exterior uses varied metal panel profiles for a striking, cost-effective look fitting the industrial surroundings.
Owner: Red Partners | Civil: Melvin Engineering | PME: Wilde Engineering | Contractor: Metrolina Builders
Technology Drive Storage Johnston County, North Carolina
Located alongside I-40 in Johnston County, this four-story climate-controlled self-storage facility is ideally located and accessible for members of the community. The overall design considers this proximity and visibility, and makes the massing, proportions, and materiality focal rather than ornamentation to achieve an aesthetic that is respectful and reserved.
Owner: JDA | Civil: Seamon Whiteside | Structural: O’Donnell & Naccarato | PME: Wave Engineering Contractor: Metrolina Builders
Hilton Garden Inn Charlotte, North Carolina
We’re excited to celebrate the opening of the Hilton Garden Inn Steele Creek in Charlotte, North Carolina. This 6-story, 124-guestroom features a rooftop restaurant, bar, and terrace, offering guests a front-row seat to watch air traffic in and out of Charlotte Douglas International Airport.
Owner: Maya Hotels | Civil: Isaacs Group | Structural: Wescott Structures | PME: Saber Engineering Contractor: Hendrick Construction
GOING UP
La Grace Fountain Inn, South Carolina
La Grace, Sri Aurobindo Integral Life Center is making great progress in construction. Nestled in the rolling foothills of upstate South Carolina, in 300 acres of tranquil wooded pine land, the Center is a refuge from everyday life and a nature-based paradise. People visit the La Grace Center for many reasons, but mostly they come to reconnect with nature and restore their inner being.
Owner: La Grace | Civil: Seamon Whiteside | Structural: Taylor & Viola | PME: Wave Engineering Contractor: JM Cope
