Pub. 2 2019 Directory

34 NORTHERN NEVADA ARCHITECTECTURE .19 | 2019 | www.aiann.org Citation Design Award OMMERCIAL — 777 CENTER STREET DEVELOPMENT STATEMENT OF DESIGN APPROACH 777 is a mixed-use development in the heart of the Midtown area of Reno. Midtown is a thriving district of shops, restaurants and bars that have sprung up organically. It is an eclectic area that has a poor visual and pedestrian environment. The existing building at 777 Center Street was an ugly conglomeration of a 1960s two-story CMU box and two subsequent wood framed additions. The existing structure went from property line to property line on all four sides, with only a few gold junipers as streetscape embellishment. Although ugly, the building housed Maytan Music for over 50 years and many Reno locals had music lessons in the “rabbit warren” upper level or purchased their first musical instruments on the main floor. The concept for 777 is a response to what is missing in the Midtown area: public space and landscaping. The concept provided a tree-lined boulevard along Cheney and created a new south-facing courtyard and upper deck area. This created the much needed public space that gives back to the Midtown area. PROJECT DESCRIPTION It is no small decision for a developer to give up a potential area for lease on a project. However, the developer realized from understanding early sketches that by carving out some of the derelict building that would be difficult to seismically update, the entire building would become more leasable. This also allowed for a short corridor through the remainder of the building to link the building to the only parking area on a separate parcel to the north. Patrons could now walk through the building to a central courtyard, instead of walking around the building. The subtractive planning gave the south-facing patio and upper deck back to the public. The sidewalk on Cheney Street flows into the courtyard and two wisteria-covered steel stairs climb to an upper deck. The deck has magical views of the Sierra and provides shade to the courtyard below. The patio and deck areas are protected and with good southern exposure can be used nine to 10 months of the year. These spaces have attracted two restaurant tenants and a brew pub. All spaces have direct access to the exterior with glass garage doors. Those local Reno citizens who once took music lessons in the building can now have dinner and a drink and still remember their first exposure to music. On the north side of the building, a mural was left as another reminder of the building’s past. The mural was completed 15-plus years earlier by a local artist who is still in the area. Finally, the building responds to its environment by passively taking advantage of the sun. Glazing is shaded in the summer, and sun is allowed into the tenant spaces in the winter. The shell building is over- insulated per minimum code standards and has energy efficient glazing. The existing building was virtually non-insulated. All tenants have roof access for hot water and solar voltaic, and the building is prepared to receive such panels. The high parapet screens mechanical equipment as well as future solar panels. The most sustainable aspect of the project is the reuse of a 50-year-old building that had outlived its first life and is now equipped for a second life as a mixed-use development that can still give back to the public in a very different way. b CITATION Architect: Hawkins & Associates Contractor: Shaheen Beauchamp Year Completed: 2016