urban mix

Uncommon

(Mixed Use) | 120,000 SF | Fort Collins, CO | Completed: 2018

Uncommon, a mixed-use, multi-family development was completed in 2018 in downtown Fort Collins, Colorado. The site was previously a restaurant and parking lot, that was redeveloped to include 2 levels of underground parking, retail on the ground floor and 5 levels of apartment housing above, catered to students and young urban professionals.

The project involved development of an entire city block near the historic Old Town district in Fort Collins, which required adherence to the City's Urban Planning codes and building standards, and went through several rounds of comments, feedback, and revisions during design, ultimately arriving at a design that was agreeable to the City, the developer client, and the residents of Fort Collins.

Special attention was paid to the height, massing and architectural scale of the new development, to provide a comfortable experience at pedestrian level and step back and/or provide relief at the higher levels. A series of internal courtyards with open air and green spaces/amenities were included on the retail rooftop at the second level, to make the larger upper levels read as distinct buildings, instead of one large massive one.

Part of the site is dedicated to open space for the residents and passers-by, providing a "paseo" from the main thoroughfare to the extensive pedestrian-friendly alley system located behind the building. As part of the overall design, planters, bicycle racks, shade structures, festoon string lighting on poles, and bench seating were included as amenities on site.