Over time we were assigned three design scopes:  

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• Master plan the east end of Pasadena's Paseo Colorado, (in place of the demolished Macy's), including concept design of hotel and retail/housing components.

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• Provide full-service design of the retail/housing component.

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• Refresh Paseo's retail environment, including the Garfield Promenade, which links Pasadena Library and Civic Auditorium through the project.

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This project will introduce significantly more density and vitality into the Civic Center / Midtown neighborhood of Pasadena.

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A principal design challenge was balancing the trend of retail environments towards more generous scale and transparency on the one hand, and the punched-wall, classical traditions of the City's downtown architecture on the other.

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A second challenge - notably at the historic Garfield Promenade - was balancing the historically barren view corridor with the growing severity of climate change in the San Gabriel Valley.  Notably,  glare and heat make the Promenade virtually uninhabitable most of the daytime hours. 

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While the project has moved through multiple iterations, approvals, and conditions, it is currently under phased construction.

 

Sadly, the proposed treed allee solution for the Promenade, (coring shade-tree wells down into the parking structure), was successfully opposed by Pasadena Heritage, and the Promenade will remain a view-corridor stage set with various cosmetic interventions, but none that will significantly impact heat or sun exposure.