In Santa Ana, Calif., city planners are busy remaking a nondescript section of the neighborhood into a busy mixed-use destination, and NINETEEN01, designed by COE Architecture, is kicking off the transformation.
The Santa Ana Planning Commission created the new Metro East Mixed-Use (MEMU) overlay zone to bring in denser development, ground-floor retail, and pedestrian activity, much like the rest of America’s cities are aiming to do. At the site of an old office building and 600-car parking structure, city officials worked with COE to design a vibrant new community. The architects left the parking garage but demolished the office building, erecting in its place a mix of three-level townhomes and a five-story, market-rate apartment building, which includes one-, two-, and three-bedroom units. Residences also feature quartz countertops, French-door fridges, large tubs, and in-unit washers and dryers. Amenities for these luxury residences include a pet spa and fitness center.
For an area defined by Spanish and Mediterranean architecture and filled with endless parking lots and retail strip centers, the new development brings a clean, modern aesthetic to the Orange County location. Because MEMU regulations dictate that one-third of the site be left open as public space, the architects designed a unique shape for the building so that 33,000 square feet on the ground level could be used for increased recreational space. But the biggest highlight of the community is the rooftop recreation space, reconstructed over the parking garage. Featuring 360-degree views of the Santa Ana skyline, a clubhouse, pool with private cabanas, fitness center, spa, and outdoor dining, NINETEEN01 is designed to wow new residents of the 264-unit community.
“We are highly focused on the design of urban infill developments which are either catalytic or restorative for their contexts or, in the best examples, are both. NINETEEN01represents the latter and the rarest of opportunities: the opportunity to create a vibrant new community for a forward-looking city in Orange County. To capture this spirit of progressiveness, each of the buildings exhibits a contemporary aesthetic, while the master plan is founded on the sound urban design principle that the streets, sidewalks, and retail storefronts define the public realm and enhance the pedestrian experience,” Christopher Coe, president of COE Architecture, said in a statement.
