RODE was drawn to the opportunity to create a space that would anchor Savin Hill's local retail district, a mission that was shared by the clients.

Through in-person community workshops plus the online community engagement platform coUrbanize, we were able to hone in on what the residents' needed most—a market with social space for interacting with the community, fitness studios, and more restaurants. This feedback informed the overall design of the space. The result is a multi-faceted commercial space with a market on the first level and commercial space for fitness studios, offices, or eateries on the second and third levels. 

Rather than fill the corners architecturally, each level is set back away from the street corner to create a more inviting sequence of spaces. A dynamic building is formed by following the gridlines of the existing urban fabric. The setbacks introduce outdoor public space on each level, representing the urban corners below. The levels are united by a stairway intentionally designed to be wider than required. The intention of this architectural move was to encourage and allow additional moments of interaction  between the building’s users while moving throughout the building.