octavia boulevard

Bigness
The primary advantages of a large parcel are the possibility of a grand gesture, the ability to consolidate parking and the freedom to devise building types without the iron clad restrictions of the standard 25 foot lot. The disadvantages of a large parcel are the tendency to create a project; a standardized solution that is both out of scale and out of character with its surroundings. 

Genuine Diversity
In our collective discussions concerning Parcel P, we struggled to find a solution that was less cosmetic and more genuine in its diversity. At some point, it dawned on us that perhaps the most genuine approach to diversifying the site was to actually break it up into smaller parcels with each of the parcels having a different architect designing to the specifics of a particular program and place; a recreation in spirit, not form of the surrounding organically grown neighborhood.

The Central Mews
The solution that evolved from these lively conversations was centered on a single grand gesture: a central mews that stretches from Laguna on the west and terraces downhill,  through the center of the site, to Octavia on the east. The mews pierces both the Laguna and the Octavia buildings truly linking the site both visually and physically from end to end.  It is intended to be both a common green and a pedestrian spine.