Urban Placemaking
Pickard Chilton’s approach to the design of any project is driven by Eliel Saarinen’s conviction to, “Always design a thing by considering it in its next larger context—a chair in a room, a room in a house, a house in an environment, an environment in a city plan.”
We craft each element with the innate understanding that the interrelationships between the massing, materials, and interior and exterior spaces are ultimately experienced by people, and, as such, every facet should foster long-term well-being and enjoyment. Creating a more-than-the-sum-of-its-parts architecture, these environments support excellence in placemaking for communities, creating new communal opportunities, and raising expectations for quality in the built environment.
Creating a Dynamic Public Realm
Pickard Chilton strives to create built environments that fully satisfy our client’s ambitions while exceeding the expectations of those who will live, visit, and work in and around our projects. We believe that buildings are not static and that they exist in dynamic environments inhabited by people. One of the lessons of building such projects is that the innovative ideas that emerge from the community can often give a building a flexible or defining feature that makes it both respond to and influence downtown development – resulting in a project that truly belongs to its community and city.
A Catalyst for Urban Vitality
Each project tries to create within the greater urban context community-oriented public spaces that are human-scaled and teem with new vitality. Our deep experience and success in realizing these types of public spaces are exemplified in recently completed urban projects that include Devon Energy Center in Oklahoma City; Eighth Avenue Place in Calgary; 609 Main in Houston; River Point and 300 North LaSalle in Chicago; 1180 Peachtree in Atlanta; CalPERS Headquarters Complex in Sacramento; and Global Gateway Shinagawa, currently under construction in Tokyo, Japan.
Related Work
Architectural design in residential and mixed-use developments plays a crucial role in balancing active community spaces with privacy. Key strategies include placing lobbies away from high-traffic areas, offering upper-level amenity spaces for gathering, and integrating pet-friendly features. These elements help foster social interaction, address loneliness, and cater to modern lifestyle needs. By considering target demographics and lifestyle trends, architects are designing environments that promote comfort, convenience, and a sense of community.
Excited to announce that Pickard Chilton Principal, William D. Chilton, will be presenting at the 2024 CTBUH International Conference in London! Join him and fellow panelists from UNStudio, Turner Construction, and Zaha Hadid Architects in discussing "A Sustainable Approach to Tall Buildings in Asia." Don’t miss his insights on balancing context, scale, and placemaking at 2pm Tuesday, September 24, 2024.
In today's fast-paced urban environments, the design of residential spaces must evolve to cater to modern lifestyles that demand increased amenities and seamless integration with the surrounding cityscape. The success of residential developments now hinges on their ability to offer more than just a place to live; they must provide a vibrant and connected lifestyle. We'll explore the essential elements of designing residential spaces for modern urban lifestyles, drawing inspiration from established practices in Japan and innovative trends in luxury living.
From ground-up developments to neighborhood revitalizations, here are some of the projects that will redraw the metro's skyline.
Seattle’s commercial real estate scene is defined by robust expansion and sustainable development. The metro’s strong economy—fueled by tech giants that support employment and population growth—is spurring demand for all types of properties.
8. The Eight
Another Skanska project currently under construction is The Eight, a 540,000-square-foot office and retail development in Bellevue. The 25-story project aims to blend into the neighborhood’s urban fabric while offering a dynamic and wellness-centric environment for its tenants.
“By integrating state-of-the-art health and wellness features, providing expansive indoor-outdoor spaces, and creating a hospitable lobby environment, we strive to help our tenants redefine their workplace, reinvigorating post-pandemic office models, while simultaneously enhancing the life of the neighborhood as a whole,” said Charlie Foushée, executive vice president & regional manager with Skanska.
Japan’s unrivalled culture of hospitality and meticulous attention to detail, combined with a healthy respect for quality and expertise, make the city particularly well-suited to the luxury hotel sector.
Bulgari Hotel Tokyo
The hotel is situated on the top five floors of the Tokyo Midtown Yaesu building near Tokyo Station. The gorgeous spa area is a visual treat, with a glittering emerald-green swimming pool and panoramic city views from the ceiling-to-floor windows. The 45th floor features a rooftop bar and a grassy terrace lined with Japanese yuzu trees on one side and Italian lemon trees on the other.
「高輪」の地の歴史を継承しつつ、人、自然、テクノロジーを繋ぎ、世界で最も生命の力が溢れ共創し続ける国際交流拠点「Global Gateway」として 、100 年先の心豊かなくらしへ。
Nearly seven years after first announcing plans to build a massive mixed-use development in the Greenway-Upper Kirby area, Transwestern Development Co. is finally preparing to break ground.
Next month, Transwestern will begin construction work on The RO, a 17-acre development at 3120 Buffalo Speedway, near the corner of West Alabama Street and Buffalo Speedway.
That intersection is one of the most prominent and well-trafficked in the area. When it is completed in 2027, The RO, pronounced “row,” will include Houston’s first luxury Auberge Resorts Collection hotel with attached condo units, a sprawling retail village with up to eight restaurants, more than 700 multifamily units and creative office space.
To design the site, Transwestern assembled a "who's who" of prominent firms, with Connecticut-based architecture firm Pickard Chilton overseeing the master plan. For the multifamily and office design, Transwestern again hired Pickard Chilton as design architect.
“From the very beginning, the vision for the site was to create a mixed-use environment that doesn’t feel like it was all built at one time, with a sense of variety in the architecture and a shared palette of building textures inspired by River Oaks legacies,” said Anthony Markese, a principal at Pickard Chilton.
When designing each building, our team remains involved throughout the design process, committed to finding solutions that not only meet the needs of our clients but also contribute positively to the environment and the larger community. Our aim is to craft a seamless experience, from the skyline to the smallest details, such as a doorknob. The incorporation of texture is no exception to this holistic approach; whether manifested in the facade design, the silhouette of the building, or the carefully selected materials, texture takes a multifaceted role in our designs. This exploration underscores its dual significance—functionality and the creation of a sense of belonging within the community.
The most valuable core office projects to break ground over the past year.
For example, Mutual of Omaha contracted Kansas City, Missouri-based construction firm JE Dunn to build approximately 800,000 square feet of office, meeting, collaboration and amenity space, as well as a parking garage for its new 44-story headquarters tower in downtown Omaha, Nebraska, earlier this year. The contractor expects to finish the $495 million project in 2026.
Meanwhile, Providence, Rhode Island-based Gilbane and Milwaukee-based CG Schmidt will perform $500 million in interior and exterior renovations to the 540,000-square-foot Northwestern Mutual office tower in Milwaukee. The project will enhance the insurance company’s employee amenities and event spaces, as well as increase the usable square footage of the campus. It will also connect to a pedestrian plaza.
Located on the 40th to the 45th floor of the Tokyo Midtown Yaesu ultra-skyscraper, the Bulgari Hotel Tokyo offers magnificent city views. Reflecting the essence of Italian sophistication, the interior design expresses deep attention to detail. 98 exquisitely furnished rooms and suites offer a modern Italian style with touches of Japanese tradition.
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We are passionate about our clients, our work, and the positive impact of every building we design. If you have a difficult design challenge, contact us to create a solution that realizes your vision.