Colorado-Real-Estate-Journal_370091

Page 16 — Multifamily Properties Quarterly — November 2023 www.crej.com MULTIFAMILY: DESIGN H ousing crisis is on the tip of everyone’s tongue this year. The combined effect of the pandemic, housing policy and rising costs has caused a shortfall that can’t be ignored. In response, cities around the coun- try are adapting zoning codes to increase allowable density. Density creates incredible opportunities for diverse and affordable housing but maximizing density isn’t always appropriate. Affordability is crucial, but parts of the country are seeing equal demand for midmarket and workforce housing. Designing for the needs of a community, not just density targets, means providing a variety of living opportunities, and my experience has taught me that incorporating build-to-rent as part of your neighborhood is optimal for carving out that midmarket sweet spot. Central Park Station is a new tran- sit-oriented district in Denver’s Cen- tral Park neighborhood that mixes commercial uses with high-density apartment living and mid-density build-to-rent townhomes. KTGY was involved in both the planning efforts as well as the design of two apartment buildings. So, when my team started working on the build- to-rent part of the site, we brought our deep understanding of the area, rooted our design in community needs, and adopted three guiding principles: Good design pushes lim- its, honors context and connects people. The entire site is zoned for high density, creating an urban enclave for light-rail com- muters that pri- marily supports downtown Denver. Surrounding the development, how- ever, are preexist- ing single-family detached neigh- borhoods. The apparent conflict between how our site was zoned and the character of the existing neighborhood created a moment of reflection for KTGY’s architects and our client. By carefully pushing back on the idea that the entire development needed to capitalize on density maximums, we were able to cre- ate a seamless suburban-to-urban transition. Build-to-rent townhomes were not only able to accomplish density with a detached lifestyle, but there was also the opportunity to innovate around metering. Typi- cally, in detached communities each home is metered separately, but since these homes are profession- ally managed, we integrated master meters. This creates a community that blurred the line between typi- cal for-sale (individual metering) and for-rent (master meters). Blend- ing techniques ensures the commu- nity and its infrastructure reflect its real-world usage and streamlines operation for the property owner. The units aren’t typical for townhouse design. These tend to be smaller, favoring more two- bedrooms than comparable for- sale developments. The L-shaped units interlock with each other to increase density. Crucially, though, each is designed to be fee-simple and on its own lot, allowing prop- erty lines to separate each town- home while still achieving medium density. Each townhome sits on its own footprint, which means sim- pler construction, lower costs and a faster build time. Understanding context is key when you want to transition between established and new. Our goal was to move from one- and two-story buildings into the denser planning district in a way that the neighbors would appreciate. Bring- ing in apartments that reach 100 units per acre to the edge of the site didn’t feel like a win to us. So, we went back to the principles of good design, and honored the local con- text by limiting our enclave to three stories, making a natural transition from the dense core to adjacent low-density homes. Part and parcel of the urban tran- sition is the physical connection we make between this neighborhood and the rest of Denver. We softened the transition between suburban and urban with less dense, lower- height buildings, but we accelerated it at the ground level. The goal of any transit-oriented development is to ease car dependence, so we posi- tioned front doors to active pedes- trian circulation and common green space. A dynamic ground level is what makes the difference between urban and suburban, and we’ve ori- ented the homes to connect natu- BTR townhomes: Pushing in the right direction Bill Ramsey, AIA, NCARB, LEED AP Principal, KTGY Designing for the needs of a community means providing a variety of living opportunities. Please see Ramsey, Page 26