Text Only Version of Presentation

Location

• Metro Station
• Carroll Avenue
• Cedar Street
• Blair Road
• 4th Street
• Takoma Theater
• 4th Street retail
   
• Project Site
  • Blair Road
  • Square 3187
    • Lots 805, 809, & 829
• At the intersection of Blair Road and Cedar Street
• Adjoining the Metro Station
• Current use: auto related, vacant lots

Urban Design Approach

• Sensitivity to context is required to successfully introduce new development into an established neighborhood – particularly within an historic district. New building should respond to the existing neighborhood urban patterns, styles of architecture, characteristic building materials, history, and culture as well as the development’s own internal requirements.

• The design of the Takoma Metro condominiums is firmly based in the urban context of the neighborhood. A fundamental goal of the project has been “strengthening the identity of the area’s commercial district as a vibrant ‘town center’ for residents of the surrounding neighborhood.” (Draft Takoma Central District Plan).

We were guided by these urban design principles:

• Create interesting traditional streetscapes – the massing of buildings, the way they meet the sidewalk, the uses found on the ground floor, landscaping, architectural design – all affect the appearance of our streets and our experience as pedestrians. The design of streetscapes is a key element in reinforcing the town center and making transitions to surrounding residential neighborhoods.
• Reflect on history – the charm of historic Takoma is a key ingredient of community character.
• Provide links to the existing neighborhood – a good urban building will connect physically to sidewalks, streets, bike paths, Metro, and other uses; but also connect visually to the existing town center architecture.

We have used a ‘contextual’ urban design approach, designing the building from “the outside–in” to ensure that the public aspect of the development – the streetscape – contributes to the revitalization goals for the Takoma town center.

Context

• Responding to context is not merely using the architectural style of the building next door (particularly in Takoma!). It involves understanding the way in which a neighborhood has grown, how individual architectural and development decisions have been made, and how to build today to reinforce a neighborhood’s strengths.

• Three aspects of context are important in Takoma:

  • Historical

  • Physical

  • Cultural

Historical Context

• From its origins as a railroad and streetcar suburb, Takoma Park, on both sides of the District-line, has developed an eclectic way. Shingle, Stick and Queen Anne styles of the late nineteenth century were joined in the first decades of the twentieth century by relatively plain brick commercial structures on the ‘town center’ streets near the rail station, and by bungalows and other more modest styles of architecture in residential areas. Sometimes the changes were due to replacement and new construction, sometimes from additions to existing structures.
• The resulting urban environment is a common pattern of growth found in many ‘Main Street” communities. Less dense residential neighborhoods including historically interesting frame structures surround a more dense mixed-use center of masonry commercial buildings built over time in a variety of styles, apartments, and the occasional institutional building.
• In the case of Takoma, the Metro has replaced the streetcar, reinforcing the logic of the pattern of growth, and creating pedestrian traffic. Today, we call this “transit-oriented development,” and developers and planners are trying to recreate it from scratch in communities across the nation.
  

Photos:

• Turn of the century Town Center. Note precedent for a west-of-the-tracks bike path.
• 1925 Town Center streetscape, Cedar Street

The Cedar Street Underpass

• The construction of the Cedar Street underpass in 1912 had a significant impact on the Takoma streetscape, and contributed to the diversity and unique character of the town center architecture.
• Cedar Street buildings that survived the underpass construction (essentially, the lowering of the street) found their ‘ground floor’ was now a full level below the original first floor of the building. Regardless of the materials of the original building, the new ground floors were built in brick, to the sidewalk, and used for retail purposes. This can still be seen along Cedar Street.

Photos:

• Takoma Hall, 317 Cedar Street, just east of the railroad track, before construction of the Cedar Street underpass

• Takoma Hall after construction of the Cedar Street underpass.
• Looking west on Cedar Street, after underpass construction.
• Mattingly’s Drugstore Building, with second story porch. (photo missing)

• Mattingly’s Drugstore before the underpass.
• Bigelow Roofing Company on Cedar Street. Front porches once reached by a few steps from the sidewalk became second-story porches.

Physical Context

There are three distinct patterns of development in the Takoma neighborhood:
Residential neighborhoods, characterized by single family detached homes of frame construction, set back from the street and surrounded by landscaping.
Transitional areas, between the single family residential neighborhoods and the commercial town center, along the railroad tracks. These areas feature masonry, multi-story apartment buildings with modest landscaped setbacks.
The town center commercial area, built to the sidewalk, masonry construction, with retail uses at the street.

Photos:

• Residential Neighborhoods
• Single family detached homes, set back from the street and surrounded by landscaping.
• Residential Neighborhoods
• Characteristic materials: clapboard, shingles, stucco, low stone walls with raised joints.
• Transitional Areas
  • Masonry, multi-story apartment buildings with modest landscaped setbacks, courtyards.
• Town Center
  • Takoma Theater, 4th Street

  • Carroll Street

  • Commercial structures, built to the sidewalk, masonry construction, eclectic architecture, retail uses.
  • Carroll Street urban pattern, commercial extensions of residential structures.

Cultural Context

In a word… Diversity

Project Summary -- Site

Existing Conditions

Photos:

• Blair Road frontage
• Existing Building, Cedar Street

Site Approach (schematic of site)

Site Plan (drawing)

Mattingly’s Corner detail (drawing)

Blair Road detail (drawing)

Courtyard detail (drawing)

Rooftop garden above garage

• increases City biomass, increasing oxygen, reducing CO2
• absorbs heat
• retains and filters storm water

Circulation (drawing)

Historic views

Photos:

• Mattingly’s Drugstore
• Looking north on 4th Street

Cedar Street elevation (drawing)

• Residential entrance
• Retail with residential above

East elevation (drawing)

• Residential
• Retail

Blair Road elevation (drawing)

• Individual entrances to Blair Road homes
• Stair access to upper level units
• Garage entrance

Project Summary

• 45 units residential condominiums
  • Mostly 2 level units with 2 bedrooms plus den
  • 1325+ sf average size
• 1200 sf retail
  • Located on Cedar Street at Metro underpass
• Zoning: C2A
  • Lot area: 28,907 sf
  • Allowable development: 72,267 sf @ 2.5 FAR
  • Project size: 65,164 sf
• Parking:
  • 1 space for 2 units required
  • 1 space per unit provided in garage
• Height
  • Zoning height limit: 50’
  • Project height: 4 stories, approx. 47’

Project Plans

• Garage level (drawing)
• First Floor (drawing)
• Second Floor (drawing)
• Third Floor (drawing)
• Fourth Floor (drawing)
• Typical Unit Plans page 1(drawings)
• Typical Unit Plans page 2 (drawings)