Project of the Month
Gables Beach Park, Tampa, Fla.
EDI Architecture had a formidable challenge at hand: The Houston-based architectural firm already sketched out plans for a high-rise multifamily residence in Tampa, Fla., called Gables Beach Park. But local officials and residents didn’t quite embrace the idea of a new high-rise towering over their neighborhood.
CHANGE OF PLANS: The architect reconfigured this project to make it low-rise.Top and bottom photo: Courtesy EDI Architecture The property’s site already had high-rise office buildings and single-family homes located nearby. EDI’s original blueprints called for an 11-story high-rise complex complete with 312 units and 55 townhouse units. But when area residents expressed concerns about increased traffic, EDI scrapped its plans and worked extensively with local officials and residents for a retooled project that would complement the flavor and scale of the site’s surrounding area.
The firm reconfigured Gables Beach Park into a three-story, 166-unit luxury townhouse community built by Gables Residential. Brit Perkins, a principal at EDI, said changing up the plans was “not difficult at all,” adding that he and his team designed the project with a Mediterranean feel inspired by famed architect Addison Mizner.
Despite revising the development from high-rise to low-rise, EDI and Gables Residential were able to stay on schedule. The companies used a method called the “tunnel form system,” a time-saving technique often used in high-rise construction that allows walls and floors to be poured simultaneously. Gables Beach Park was completed in August 2004 and took about 13 months to finish.
The development is a hit with young urban professionals. The luxury townhouse units span 1,320 to 2,496 square feet and include trendy interior elements such as hardwood floors in the living and kitchen areas, gourmet kitchens with dark wood cabinets, granite countertops, functional islands, crown molding, direct access garages, and bathrooms with Roman tubs. Rental prices run between $1,325 and $2,215.–Abby Garcia Telleria