REDMOND, WA
Redmond Square
ON THE BOARDS
CLIENT
Undisclosed
FEATURES
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2 block site
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Two mixed-use 6-story buildings
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Residential and commercial/retail space
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Includes a central pedestrian pathway or “woonerf”
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Adjacent to a future light rail station
Fitting a sizeable mixed-use development onto an irregular site, then maximizing its pedestrian engagement with the city—these were the challenges presented by the 3.4-acre Redmond Square.
Despite its situation along streets that don’t form a grid, we created two fairly rectangular buildings by shaping the central mews. This “fix” both maximized efficiency for building and enabled high pedestrian engagement, a city priority in view of increasingly walkable surroundings and the forthcoming adjacent Light Rail station. Access to transit is a benefit, encouraging a lower parking ratio and over 28,000 square feet of commercial space.
With pedestrian experience our focus, we designed the mews to be visible from Cleveland Street—the southern street that Redmond had designated the main street—with access to sunlight and inviting hardscapes. It is wider than required, fronting a few convertible apartment homes and residential lobbies to encourage activity and add security. Private courtyards overlook the public mews, and a building overhang partially covers a plaza for dining and community gatherings—a blurring of public and private that lends Redmond Square its unique character