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Master Plan, Design Guidelines with Sample Elevations, Submittal and Entitlement Strategy, Development Standards
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Size
57 ac
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Housing
645 units (420-2,075 sq ft)
The Shoals Master Plan & Architecture
Athens, GA
Delivering a Walkable, Missing Middle Community Rooted in the Culture of Athens
Our client wanted to utilize Opticos’ Missing Middle expertise to create a build-to-rent (BTR) community unlike any in this market. A place that is a series of neighborhoods with a diversity of use and housing types, not just a monoculture single-family homes to rent that is typical of BTR developments.
Nestled on 85 acres just south of downtown, the development will provide a variety of building types dispersed throughout four distinct neighborhoods connected by pedestrian spaces designed to create a sense of place and promote walkability, community, and diverse housing choices. There is also a commercial component, the Arts & Entertainment District, at the main entrance to the development that will be a neighborhood and regional attraction for food, entertainment, and services.
Single-family housing is intermixed with Missing Middle types, some of which include:
1. Townhouses
2. Live-work
3. Mews Homes
4. Mansion Apartments
5. Courtyard Apartments
6. Multiplexes with 2-8 units
7. Cottage Courts
Architectural Design Guide Book
To assist with entitlement and to provide predictability for implementation, Opticos created an Architectural Design Book that identified a range of styles, specifying characteristics for each, and included several sample elevation designs for the full range of Missing Middle and commercial building types that were included. Based on regional context, five styles were identified: Main Street/Warehouse, Southeastern Vernacular, Tudor, Southeastern Rustic, and Contemporary.
Sample Elevations for Each Type
Rather than elevating all proposed buildings in the 57 acres, Opticos recommended a strategy to establish a set of design parameters based on a range of desired styles that would produce a lively and varied architectural experience while still ensuring a cohesive streetscape. The team provided sample elevations for each of the housing typologies proposed within the plan to illustrate these parameters.