Langley Retail & Residential
Multi-Family & Mixed Use Complex
Phase Zero Design
Newton, MA, USA
2022
Focusing on responding to immediate context and conveying program, the massing study removed all material. The undulations on the façade respond to the neighboring traditional stone building. The massing study’s length is a result of casing the parking requirement within to create a more pleasing view of the site for residents of the area.
In a predesign effort, a massing scheme, zoning study, and program layouts were created. Sitting in on design charrette discussions, the team created a mixed-use retail/residential complex. The basement and ground floor will be comprised of parking, retail, and restaurant space. The upper levels will be three floors of residential apartments, finishing off with a roof garden amenity at the top. This design is in the Newton town center, which will dictate decisions at the exterior at the human scale.
Depicted in the image to the left, the ground floor follows the traditional approach to mixed-use, as it is a collection of retail and restaurant spaces. These spaces bleed out to under a colonnade, which flows onto an outdoor patio. From the front street view, the outdoor patio rests between an existing building and the proposed design. In striving to create a welcoming and appealing space, a public alleyway will be designed to include lights, seating, and greenery.
The Design Package
The predesign package encompasses zoning research, schematic plan schemes, and massing study renders. The project was created as a loose exercise for the client, in exploring the feasibility of building up the site.
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