Urban design is a crucial practice as we work to develop sustainable
ways to live on our finite planet. Invited by a developer most often
associated with shopping centers to redevelop a 9 acre site in
Kirkland, Washington, PLACE completed plans for a dynamic and diverse
new urban neighborhood. Anchored by two new office towers that bring
almost 400,000 sf of new lease space, the development of this site
would create a mixed use community: a thoughtful blend of housing,
retail, large and small office spaces with a variety of recreation
opportunities to keep the place active day and night. The office
towers will create a signature mark for the neighborhood while
buffering the site from busy adjacent streets. Green roofs, smart
energy infrastructure choices and rainwater collection will link
the project ecologically to the larger region while arterials through
the site will weave it into the existing community and skyline. A
mix of natural elements, sustainable building solutions and modern
architecture will create a rich new urban experience where gleaming,
high-tech office towers look out over green roofs and walking
streets, in a mix of diverse housing, recreation, retail and
employments opportunities.