Architecture, Conceptual
Urban Planning for the Adaptive Reuse of Big Box Stores
Reweaving the Fabric of the Abandoned Big Box
Reweaving the Fabric of the Abandoned Big Box was completed with guidance from Professor Michael Fifield, FAIA, who led the Intermediate Design Studio at the University of Oregon. The project received a studio commendation.
Reclamation of abandoned suburban fabric.
As the big box machine churns on in the United States, suburbia is littered with abandoned big box stores dragging communities down. While there are many precedents of single-user adaptive big box reuse, these solutions do little to improve the original damage done to the suburban fabric by the construction of such a vastly out of scale building and parking lot.
However, the conversion of the blight into a suburban housing and commercial node revitalizes not only the site, but the community around it. The new neighborhood is insular enough to have a strong sense of identity, but is inherently linked with surrounding development.
A mix of housing and commercial units designed at human (not vehicle) scale accommodates the variety of income, family type, and business that it takes to compose a supportive and thriving community.
Aerial Site Perspective of a Redeveloped Big Box Property
A thriving community fabric can replace the empty concrete wasteland of an abandoned big box parking lot.
Proposed Redevelopment Plan
The redevelopment of the site incorporates principles of urban planning that encourage and support vibrant, pedestrian-oriented communities. Building types include single and multi-family residential, anchor commercial space, and mixed-use complexes.
A proposed redevelopment plan that promotes density and community.
The redevelopment of the site incorporates principles of urban planning that encourage and support vibrant, pedestrian-oriented communities. Building types include single and multi-family residential, anchor commercial space, and mixed-use complexes.
- Site Area:
- 1,378,612 SF (31.7 acres)
- Block Module:
- 170’ x 170’, Curb to Curb
- Sidewalk Width:
- 15’ Minimum
- Maximum Building Footprint:
- 140’ x 140’
- Street Width - Neighborhood Corridors:
- 35’
- Street Width - Local Streets:
- 25’-30’
- Street Width - Modified Arterial:
- 106’
- Commercial Space:
- 257,776 SF
- Enclosed Community Space:
- 81,900 SF
- Residential Space:
- 325,309 SF
- Parking:
- 1282 Spaces, On & Off-Street
- Building Heights:
- 1-3 Stories
Exploring cases of incongruent suburban density to find better solutions.
Like many big box stores, the density of the land directly surrounding it is even lower than the already-low density of the nearby suburban development. Typical of the big box archetype, not only is the site on a major arterial, but it is less than half a mile from a major interstate. In this example, commuter coach service is already in operation between the towns and cities along this particular interstate, giving residents of the redeveloped big box site the opportunity to further reduce the use of their vehicles, even if they must commute to work in the city.
Incongruent Density and Contextual Urban Development
Shown in red, the big box site is conveniently near sprawling suburban development, on a major arterial, and also has quick access to the interstate highway.Though located deep in interstate-serviced suburban sprawl, the site is already linked by commuter coach service to the towns and cities along this particular interstate, giving residents the opportunity to further reduce the use of their vehicles, even if they must commute to work in the city.
Scaled plan overlay diagrams illustrate the vast scale of big box stores.
We are accustomed to seeing big box stores in their typical, low-density, suburban habitat, but without comparison, it can be difficult to fully grasp how severely out of scale they are in terms of healthy urban fabric. By overlaying images of a typical big box store and parking lot with downtown Portland, Oregon, or even with its surrounding suburban neighborhoods, this grave disparity becomes more clear.
The Existing Big Box and Its Parking Lot
A big box store and its parking lot take up a tremendous amount of space, but when viewed alone, it's hard to get a good sense of scale.
The Existing Big Box and Its Parking Lot
A big box store and its parking lot take up a tremendous amount of space, but when viewed alone, it's hard to get a good sense of scale.
Big Box + Suburbia
If we overlay the big box and its parking lot with a nearby suburban neighborhood at the same scale, we begin to understand the inhospitable scale of the big box.
Big Box + Suburbia
If we overlay the big box and its parking lot with a nearby suburban neighborhood at the same scale, we begin to understand the inhospitable scale of the big box.
Big Box + Portland
When we overlay the big box and its parking lot with downtown Portland, Oregon, we can get an idea of how huge a typical big box parking lot really is.
Big Box + Portland
When we overlay the big box and its parking lot with downtown Portland, Oregon, we can get an idea of how huge a typical big box parking lot really is.
Proposed Redevelopment of the Big Box Site
By breaking down the big box itself, and filling its parking lot with an entire neighborhood, an environment that nurtures a human community can arise.
Proposed Redevelopment of the Big Box Site
By breaking down the big box itself, and filling its parking lot with an entire neighborhood, an environment that nurtures a human community can arise.
Redeveloped Site + Suburbia
When we overlay the proposed redeveloped site with the nearby suburban neighborhood, we can see that the scale of the new buildings is not overwhelming, and their density supports a vibrant mixed-use neighborhood.
Redeveloped Site + Suburbia
When we overlay the proposed redeveloped site with the nearby suburban neighborhood, we can see that the scale of the new buildings is not overwhelming, and their density supports a vibrant mixed-use neighborhood.
Site + Portland
By overlaying the fabric of Portland, Oregon with the proposed redeveloped site plan, we see that the scale of the redevelopment is not unlike that of Portland. The streets are similar in size, but the blocks are slightly shorter in length, promoting a walkable community.
Site + Portland
By overlaying the fabric of Portland, Oregon with the proposed redeveloped site plan, we see that the scale of the redevelopment is not unlike that of Portland. The streets are similar in size, but the blocks are slightly shorter in length, promoting a walkable community.
Breaking down the big box.
The immense size of the big box not only dwarfs the pedestrian, but it also discourages diversification of use, and even endangers the well-being of its inhabitants. By breaking down the big box and allowing the new fabric to infiltrate it, a street room is created, a closer connection with the outside world is established, the horizontal scale of the building is reduced, and multiple store fronts are accommodated.
A Street Room
By breaking down the big box, a street room is created and pedestrian traffic is encouraged.
A Street Room
By breaking down the big box, a street room is created and pedestrian traffic is encouraged.
Allowing a Connection to the Outside
The distance to an exterior wall is greatly reduced when the big box is articulated, and thus the interior atmosphere is greatly improved. (Each circle is an additional 25’ from the center.)
Allowing a Connection to the Outside
The distance to an exterior wall is greatly reduced when the big box is articulated, and thus the interior atmosphere is greatly improved. (Each circle is an additional 25’ from the center.)
Managing Horizontal Scale
The big box’s scale is the most out-of-proportion horizontally. By breaking down the façade, perception of distance, and thus walkability, is improved.
Managing Horizontal Scale
The big box’s scale is the most out-of-proportion horizontally. By breaking down the façade, perception of distance, and thus walkability, is improved.
Variation of Store Frontage
Articulation of the façade also allows for varied storefronts, and thus a more vibrant community.
Variation of Store Frontage
Articulation of the façade also allows for varied storefronts, and thus a more vibrant community.
Tactile & Visual Cues for Street Type
Larger streets are planted with trees of a common type and in a consistent rhythm; smaller streets have trees of varying character and size, spaced irregularly or in clusters, forming a more varied tree canopy. Additionally, while permeable pavement is used throughout, individual permeable pavers are used on small streets, compelling drivers to slow down.
Tactile and visual cues denote street type.
Variety in street type promotes variety of use and activity, thus enlivening a community. However, legibility of the variation in street type is crucial to fostering this outcome.
Common visual cues include building height and type, but two factors that are often overlooked in fact play a major role: landscaping and pavement.
All of the streets in this development are tree-lined, but there are visual cues in the landscape design that communicate location and street type.
Larger streets are planted with trees of a common type and in a consistent rhythm; smaller streets have trees of varying character and size, spaced irregularly or in clusters, forming a more varied tree canopy.
Another cue, both visual and tactile, is in the pavement. While permeable pavement is used throughout, individual permeable pavers are used on small streets, compelling drivers to slow down.
Physical & Visual Permeability
By elevating permeability to a design requirement for the district, multiple and varied paths connect and pass through the community, which not only encourages curious visitors, but also supports the activity of the residents. Corollary visual permeability helps by allowing pedestrians and drivers to maintain a sense of their relative location within the neighborhood.
Physical and visual permeability encourage a healthy neighborhood.
Lack of physical permeability is one of the many failures of typical suburbia. It discourages exploration, stifling businesses and neighborhoods that exist adjacent to one another, yet isolated by separate road networks.
By elevating permeability to a design requirement for the district, multiple and varied paths connect and pass through the community, which not only encourages curious visitors, but also supports the activity of the residents.
Corollary visual permeability helps by allowing pedestrians and drivers to maintain a sense of their relative location within the neighborhood.
Sheltering the Core
Larger, taller buildings form the perimeter of the new district, separating the walkable neighborhood from the flanking arterials. As the streets grow smaller and move towards the central square, the buildings become more permeable and shorter in height, supporting the human scale, and elevating the status of the pedestrian.
Sheltering the core to promote pedestrian-first culture.
Larger, taller buildings form the perimeter of the new district, separating the walkable neighborhood from the flanking arterials.
As the streets grow smaller and move towards the central square, the buildings become more permeable and shorter in height, supporting the human scale, and elevating the status of the pedestrian.
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