Level Apartments

[BoulderSooner]

Not the right lot for a midrise. If it's built right with quality materials, 4 stories is fine (and as the article mentions, unlike most buildings, they are designing it to where it can be expanded upward in the future). A midrise tower would look out of place in a urban 4 story neighborhood. Leave the residential towers to the C2S area and the CBD.

My main concern is they used Legacy a lot as a reference. I hope we don't end up getting more stucco downtown.

the developer thinks that his building and the new ALOFT next door will look very good as a pair and complement each other very nicely

[Steve]

They said they won't be using stucco.

[Pete]

I believe the Legacy comparison was that the buildings will be pushed to the street with parking in the middle and retail on the ground floor.

Looks like a great project and as long as rents aren't astronomical, I bet it leases in a big hurry.

[Laramie]

The construction in this town is unbelieveable. My relatives came up from Bryan, Texas and they couldn't believe all of the projects and contruction going on in our town.

I have had at least six relatives relocate here (Texas, Kansas) since Feburary; I have one living with me now--he's been saving to purchase his own apartment and vehicle.

We went to the Kayak activities on the river yesterday, they couldn't believe all the construction going on, many remember this river when we were children and swimming, how we use to get sick. Boy, did it build up our immune systems.

[Urban Pioneer]

I am trying to understand the references to the "pedestrian activity" as it relates to the pools on either side of the complex. Do the Courtyards have viability from the sidewalk?

I used to live in Deep Deuce. Now I live the Legacy. It is interesting that most of the pedestrians in both places seem to be dog walkers or joggers. When I lived in the Deuce, I knew only half my neighbors at any given time. Half of the apartments had direct stairwells form their garage. Therefore, they rarely came out of the front door onto the landing.

The Legacy sometimes feels like "compound" as it is entirely gated. While some of the shops along Walker really help, I wish the had "wrapped" the fourth street side with shop spaces for rent as well. Also, I live on the fourth floor and it takes 5 minutes to get out of the garage alone. Developers take note and invest in express ramps to the second half of the structure in this new project. You can learn a lot of good and bad things from the Legacy Project.

Probably the most "pedestrian" and neighborly apartment building is the Sieber or Regency. A single elevator, communal Laundry, and central activity core. While I never lived in either, when I have been there it seemed as if everyone had met each other at least once. I guess that those building designs reflect that if you forcibly move people together at major entrances, exits, and support facilities, you really can improve the "neighborly" feel of a place.

[betts]

Do we have any idea what the top three floors will be constructed of? They're all white, with a grey or black first floor. I'm worried that they're going to want to use EIFS. I don't mind that in the interior courtyard of the building like the Deep Deuce Apartments, but every other building in Deep Deuce and Maywood Park has brick exterior on the street side, so I'm hoping all that white is something else. I don't mind the design. To me, it looks very similar to the Maywood Lofts, except for the color difference, and I like the idea of a European Market, obviously.

[OKC@heart]

Can someone please post a pic of the rendering?

[BoulderSooner]

[dmoor82]

^^Nooooo all I see is two x's!

[flintysooner]

[Pete]

BTW, ADG -- the architectural firm mentioned for this project -- is the same group that designed The Legacy.

[dmoor82]

still seeing x's!is there a link or keyword for googling this?

[Steve]

Pete, I can't emphasize enough that Wade is the lead on the overall design - ADG is engaged as the local architect as is typical when you have an out-of-state lead designer. I've been fortunate enough to see this project evolve from early on, and it's been amazing to see where Wade started and where it is now. As Metro points out, it's understandable that while Legacy has some great density, some feel it fell short in design potential. There is no stucco of EIFS with this project.

[Platemaker]

Scoll to the bottom of this site (second to last article) you'll notice at least three other VERY recognizable locales in OKC from the same developer... the Bindery on 10th near Java Dave's.... Flatiron... and the building next to the Osler.... very interesting.
http://www.ahmm.co.uk/

[Steve]

Good catch Platemaker. Now, to put a stop to rumors going wild, here's the story on those images. All of them are in downtown OKC. Only the McKown project is a real deal, however. The others are architectural pitches - nothing concrete - yet.

[betts]

There is no stucco of EIFS with this project.

Hallelujah. Then I'm pleased with it. That was really my only fear. Thanks for that information Steve.

[bluedogok]

The Austonian is a luxury condo development, now the tallest tower in the city but the prices are sky high as well and still has plenty of units available for purchase. More along the lines of what OKC could use is The Monarch, a rental apartment tower or The Shore Condos (22 stories). The 360 (44 stories) was a little more than The Shore but still significantly less than The Austonian. I still believe that downtown residential needs to be spread throughout the financial spectrum, the build high-end now and the existing stock will be pushed down market way of thinking doesn't work if there is no existing stock to move down market.

[Spartan]

Good catch Platemaker. Now, to put a stop to rumors going wild, here's the story on those images. All of them are in downtown OKC. Only the McKown project is a real deal, however. The others are architectural pitches - nothing concrete - yet.

Welllll.....

1. Maybe Grant needs to downsize the Flatiron in order to finally get the project off? We all assumed it was completely abandoned for now, but maybe not.
2. We all know that something is happening with Java Dave's..Java Dave's is moving to a different space and a new tenant will be in that bldg.
3. We all also know that 1212 Walker is going to be redeveloped and that Midtown R will get to it..eventually. Maybe they're moving on it after waiting long enough?

[Steve]

Um, that's not Grant's Flatiron.

Also, clarification. It's not an EIFS facade, as I said earlier, but it is a version of stucco. But I'm pretty sure this is a bit different from what we've seen to date. Here is what Wade told me in response to my email this afternoon:
"It is a traditional sand cement rendered stucco over metal lathe. It is a solid cementitious material and is not an EIFS product. I strongly believe it is an architecturally appropriate material, particularly when you have highly articulated facades as we are proposing for the project. It will have variations of texture and color and is a material that is highly durable."

[bluedogok]

Portland cement plaster stucco if done right is a pretty good surface, much better than the 1/16" of latex paint over foam that is EIFS. There is very little EIFS work done here in Austin, most is traditional stucco. About the only things that are done in EIFS are projects from national retailers who have it in their build-to-suit design standards like Walgreen's or CVS.

[Spartan]

Sounds good. In the renderings we've seen, expect the white parts of the facade to look a little more textured but not as ridiculous as Legacy--and less plastic and sleek. I kind of assumed based on the renderings that it would be something fiberglass or corrugated or something sleeker..

It will be southwest/adobe contemporary. This project just wreaks of Austin..as bluedog is alluding to. That's not a bad thing.

[Steve]

I think what's interesting with this project is it introduces an entirely new architectural voice to the community with a European experience and strong urban emphasis in design.

[lpsooner]

Good catch Platemaker. Now, to put a stop to rumors going wild, here's the story on those images. All of them are in downtown OKC. Only the McKown project is a real deal, however. The others are architectural pitches - nothing concrete - yet.

Another one of those is concrete, but is a private residential project.

[OKC@heart]

Portland cement plaster stucco if done right is a pretty good surface, much better than the 1/16" of latex paint over foam that is EIFS. There is very little EIFS work done here in Austin, most is traditional stucco. About the only things that are done in EIFS are projects from national retailers who have it in their build-to-suit design standards like Walgreen's or CVS.

You are right real stucco can be nice if down well and if they take care to minimize locations where the public come into direct contact with it. On the lower or street levels it can take on damage fairly easily and so it is much more appropriate to use more tactile and durable materials on the street level such as brick, stone, metal panels etc...That is what we worked to do while designing and developing The Shore. Your mentioning that brought back a bunch of fond memories. Above the public spaces at grade and then again on the amenities deck it was all tactile materials and then it changed to stucco for most of the rest.

[flintysooner]

Actually to me that style as I see it in the rendering at least doesn't seem to really go in that area. I like the adobe look okay and I like what the article revealed about the intent for quality construction but it seems to clash to me.

The Aloft hotel rendering seemed a better fit.

Probably just me.