As part of Emeryville’s continued revitalization efforts, this underutilized 4.5 acre site was viewed as a key mixed-use development site for town house residential and neighborhood retail. The goal was to blend 102 three-story townhouse units with over 30,000 square feet of retail space while providing the required parking and public spaces to make this site a viable and exciting place to live and work.

Collaborating closely with the developer and architect, Callander Associates created a sense of place in some challenging spaces. Meeting the parking demands required underground parking with residential units above. This podium design required careful consideration of vertical grade changes at the street frontages and access to the units. Cascading garden plantings lead from street level to esplanades designed with a mixture of paving materials and strategic planter locations to provide layers of interest while being sensitive to the podium design. Strong pedestrian corridors were developed between the residential and retail properties with generous plaza spaces providing vibrant outdoor seating areas.