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A Vision for Mercy Drive

March 7, 2018/by Greg Witherspoon

Hidden behind the Central Florida Fairgrounds and nestled between College Park and Pine Hills, Mercy Drive is a predominantly African-American community with a unique mix of single family neighborhoods and a variety of large and small apartment complexes housing moderate and low-income families. Additional pockets of commercial, industrial, and institutional development are scattered along its main street, Mercy Drive, as well as some recreational uses such as the City of Orlando owned and operated Northwest Community Center.

The community has had its challenges, ranging from traffic concerns to the closure of several poorly maintained apartment complexes that are now in City ownership. Limited transportation connections in the area make Mercy Drive a popular cut through, especially for freight truck traffic from the nearby industrial properties.

Recognizing the need for a unified visioning approach, and under the leadership of Commissioner Regina Hill, the City retained Canin Associates to work with the residents and stakeholders to create a forward-looking Vision Plan to improve the community’s quality of life and bring out residents’ talents to build a better future for their families and their community.

“A safe, attractive, and connected community with quality homes and apartments that empowers neighbors of all ages to learn, build, and create together.”
-Mercy Drive Vision Statement

The visioning process kicked off with over 100 residents and stakeholders in attendance at the first of three public meetings to be held within the community at the Northwest Community Center. After analyzing the information gathered from the first meeting as well as from an area-wide walking audit, expert interviews, and a housing conditions assessment, a second public meeting was held to present a vision statement as well as physical design and community building concepts. Residents and stakeholders then voted on which of the concepts they thought were most appropriate for their community’s future.

The design concept that received the most votes was a multi-use neighborhood center that provides public gathering space along with new commercial and small business opportunities. Streetscape enhancements to help mitigate traffic issues, improve walking and biking, and provide community gateway features came in a close second place along with ideas for new higher density single-family housing opportunities on a couple of City-owned parcels.

The community building programs that received the most votes were focused mainly on home maintenance, such as a tool lending library and home repair classes, as well as increasing community-wide events, some of which could even include partnering with the Orlando Police Department.

With the community’s priorities determined, a vision report was produced that will help guide both public and private investment for current and future Mercy Drive residents. The executive summary of this report was distributed during the third and final public meeting, which was in the form of a community resource fair. This final meeting brought multiple city departments, third party organizations, and more into the Northwest Community Center to engage with residents and stakeholders, and to help begin the process of realizing their community’s new vision.

Canin Associates is proud to have partnered with the City of Orlando and Mercy Drive residents and stakeholders in developing the vision for their future. We look forward to what will be coming next for this high-potential community!

Visit the City of Orlando’s project page for access to the final vision report documents and additional information.

Lake Flores Brings New Urbanism to Southwest Florida

October 20, 2015/by Canin Associates

“A positive example of change,” “the right development at the right time,” and “a life-preserver” were just a few of the positive comments heard during August’s Manatee County Commission meeting to review the Lake Flores project. At the meeting, Commissioners unanimously approved the initial development plan for Lake Flores.

As a result, over 1,300 acres of farmland surrounded by existing suburban development in west Manatee County will come back to life as the mixed-use residential infill community of Lake Flores. “This is the best thing since Lakewood Ranch,” said one of the participants at the meeting, unknowingly citing another project in Manatee County designed by Canin Associates. Begun in 1995, Lakewood Ranch is a successful 17,500-acre master-planned community.

The heart of Lake Flores will be the 19-acre namesake lake and its surrounding urban park. Interlaced with these greenspaces are community areas, events spaces, and a new Main Street that will be home to restaurants, shops, and entertainment. During its 20-year buildout, Lake Flores is set to grow into bustling, walkable neighborhoods with 6,500 residential units, 3 million square feet of commercial and retail space, and 500 hotel rooms.

As a true mixed-use community, Lake Flores will offer a variety of housing options and a transportation system that supports a diversity of users. Apartments overlooking Lake Flores will create a peaceful yet urban residential option for young professionals while master-planned neighborhoods will focus on innovative single-family housing types. Meanwhile, the streets and multi-use trail system will move more than cars: people on foot, on bike, and in small electric vehicles will be able to explore Lake Flores conveniently and safely.

“From an economic standpoint, this is very positive for Manatee County and the area,” Lake Flores property owner and lifelong area resident Whiting Preston told the Bradenton Herald. Not only will the development attract newcomers to the area, but current residents—especially young adults looking to buy their first homes—will be able to stay in Bradenton due to the array of housing choices. This notion is underscored by two distinct business centers which will promote job growth in the commercial, research, and development sectors.

Lake Flores is poised to reignite Bradenton and west Manatee County as a very special place to live. As an infill community, Lake Flores will provide housing and retail/office space in a location where it is needed. As a mixed-use, traditional neighborhood, Lake Flores will grow into a walkable, New Urban addition to the region that will be attractive to Millennials, families, and retirees.

Indoor-Outdoor Design: Tips and Trends

September 22, 2015/by Canin Associates

Fall is here, and for Florida and much of the South that means it’s time to take life outside. From barbecues to relaxing by the pool, our backyards, porches, and decks become an extension of our home. While not all indoor-outdoor spaces are created equal, implementing smart design elements can quickly maximize the backyard of your new home or next remodel project.

A great example of a high-performing indoor-outdoor space is our Palazzo Lago home in Windermere, Florida (pictured below). The home was the winner of the Grand Award – Custom Home in the 2013 Orlando Parade of Homes and Orlando Life magazine’s 2013 Home of the Year runner-up. Palazzo Lago was also featured in the August 2015 edition of Hearth & Home in the articles “Trends in the Outdoor Room” and “Seamless Indoor-Outdoor Living.” Here are a few ways we make sure a backyard functions as a great living space:

A Smooth Indoor-Outdoor Transition

To create a seamless indoor-outdoor space, a covered hard roof area is essential. Incorporating a portion of your deck or patio under a hard roof will offer functional relief from sun and drain and will also serve as a transition space from inside to outside.

Don’t think of the outdoors as a separate part of your home. Rather, blend it further with the indoors by minimizing the visual and physical barriers between the two. Many homeowners are replacing their aluminum sliding glass doors with folding glass doors. These doors open all the way to maximize the sense of openness. This easily accessible area can now become an outdoor living room with cushioned furnishings, ceiling fans, and intentional lighting. As such, plan your covered patio or lanai large enough to comfortably fit an outdoor furniture arrangement.

A Resort-Style Pool in Your Own Backyard

In recent years, residential pool construction trends have aimed at adding a resort feel to pools. Spillover spas, fountain jets, and waterfalls are today’s slides and diving boards of years past. Additionally, attention is paid as much to the layout of the surrounding deck space as to the water itself. For example, deck size is key. The target deck-to-water ratio should be 3:1. Also, plan your furniture layout ahead of time to make sure the space works how you envisioned it.

Any pool that transitions from kid time to adult time needs ample storage. Avoid clutter by providing adequate storage space for toys, towels, and cleaning equipment. The size of storage required can vary depending on the number and age of pool users, and how much of the pool maintenance you intend to do yourself. An exterior 4′ x 4′ storage closet, for example, will allow you to conceal unattractive items and secure chemicals.

Courtyard Comebacks

Backyards aren’t the only space you have for outdoor enjoyment. In some cases, a private, open courtyard can be a great place for a relaxing getaway. Even courtyards as small as 8′ x 8′ provide an intimate al fresco experience. Courtyards can be placed off the master bedroom, in a side yard, or even under a large tree in the front yard. Enhance your courtyard with a wood trellis and a vine, colorful aromatic plants, or a water feature for soothing background sounds. During the cooler months, invite friends into your courtyard as a place to chat over a fire pit, or use it as a romantic place for two.

Canin Associates to Present at the 2015 Southeast Building Conference

June 18, 2015/by Canin Associates

On Friday, July 17, 2015, Canin Associates’ Tony Weremeichik will present at the 2015 Southeast Building Conference (SEBC) in Orlando, Florida. Now in its 37th year, the SEBC has been a meeting place for building industry professionals from the areas of contracting, remodeling, architecture, engineering, and development. The three-day conference includes exhibits by more than 265 companies, as well as offering over 40 continuing education credits worth of workshops, panels, and presentations.

The topic of Tony’s presentation will be Buyer Magnets for Gen X, Gen Y, and Boomer. He is scheduled to present on Friday, July 17, at 1:00pm. Be sure to follow us on Twitter and Facebook for more information.

Event Recap: ULI Central Florida’s Volusia County Update

May 8, 2015/by Greg Witherspoon

Leading the nation in job growth last year isn’t the only topic of discussion in Volusia County these days. With a major renovation of an iconic race track underway, cutting-edge research in aviation, and important infrastructure improvements in the works, ULI members and other attendees flocked to Daytona last week to hear the latest county news directly from the experts. The ULI Signature Event: Volusia County Update was held on April 30th at the Daytona International Speedway, drawing nearly 100 guests from around Central Florida and kicking off with a tour of the Daytona International Speedway. Attendees then met for the main event, moderated by Sans Lassiter, President of Lassiter Transportation Group, and featured presentations by Joie Chitwood III, Chris Kokai, and Martha Moore.

Joie Chitwood III, President of the Daytona International Speedway, shared not only the Speedway’s origins, but future plans to turn the track into a year-round attraction. For the first time in over 50 years, the Daytona International Speedway is getting a facelift. From seating improvements to upgraded amenities, the $400 million Daytona Rising project is underway to transform the race track into the world’s first motorsports stadium. But that’s not the only project slated for the area. Chitwood also gave visitors insight into One Daytona, a 190-acre, $800 million mixed-use development across from the Speedway. As expected, developments of this size don’t come without their fair share of challenges. For Chitwood and his team, a major challenge is meeting a construction schedule while still being able to operate the race track. Nonetheless, Daytona Rising and the first phase of One Daytona are expected to finish on-time in 2016.

Just next door to the Daytona International Speedway, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University is researching aviation innovation. Florida Test Bed Director of Operations Chris Kokai gave a detailed overview of the Next Generation Air Transportation System, or NextGen. Part of the Florida Test Bed rapid prototyping initiative, NextGen aims to improve the airspace through technology “in ways that the general public may not notice.” Kokai and other researchers are modernizing air traffic control systems through homogenized data and better communication. Benefits for commercial airlines that bring tourists to Volusia County include more direct routes, increased fuel efficiency, and more frequent take-offs, all of which affect the way arrive at and depart airports like Daytona Beach International.

Just like aviation improvements, both local and regional infrastructure improvements will be needed to move residents and visitors around the county. That’s where Martha Moore, Vice President at Ghyabi & Associates, and her team come in as planning consultants for the International Speedway Boulevard Corridor Master Management Plan. Moore walked attendees through a variety of projects, including an additional pedestrian bridge and wider sidewalks connecting One Daytona with the Speedway, interchange improvements, an aesthetics master plan, and potential areas for multi-modal hubs.

Canin Associates is a proud sponsor of ULI Central Florida. For upcoming events, please click here.

Eliza Harris Juliano Appointed to Orange County Development Advisory Board

April 2, 2015/by Greg Witherspoon

Canin Associates’ Director of Urbanism, Eliza Harris Juliano, will be filling one of the nine positions on the Orange County Development Advisory Board. The board is responsible for reviewing proposed regulations impacting land use. Other professionals on the committee include licensed architects and landscape architects, builders and developers, a civil engineer, environmental specialist, financial specialist, attorney, general contractor, and homeowner’s association representative.

Canin Associates‘ team is dedicated creating great people places, not only by planning and designing places, but by our team members’ personal involvement in our local community.

Eliza has a strong record of service in the public sector, having served on several local government boards and committees. These include Green Works Orlando, Mayor Buddy Dyer’s GreenWorks Task Force; the Orange County Sustainability Committee, which focuses on economic, environmental and social sustainability; and the Project DTO Task Force, where she was involved in the transportation sub-committee, a group of over 70 stakeholders appointed by the mayor to research, explore, and expand upon the dynamics of downtown Orlando.

Project DTO is of special interest to our team because downtown Orlando is our office’s own back yard, where projects like the Dr. Phillips Performing Arts Center, SunRail, and the Orlando Bike Share Program are only the beginning of great new endeavors to make downtown Orlando even better. Canin Associates’ vice president of business development, Greg Witherspoon, also helps to keep the City Beautiful beautiful by serving on the City of Orlando Appearance Review Board.

CNU Florida Summit 2015: Our Takeaways

February 26, 2015/by Canin Associates

Last week, members of the Congress for the New Urbanism convened in Orlando for the 2015 CNU Florida Summit. The event’s theme was Transit and Transects: Sparking Florida’s Urban Revival. Speakers and tours covered topics including the rebirth of Downtown Orlando, the return of rail transit to Central Florida, and the development of urban neighborhood centers. Below, six Canin Associates team members share their takeaways from the two-day conference:

“We were pleased to hear Billy Hattaway [District 1 Secretary, Florida Department of Transportation] talk about taking the connection between land and transportation seriously. The new standards will help urban state roads support community building.”

Eliza Harris, Director of Urbanism

“The conversation about the successful conversion of College Park was really interesting, especially how the design of our main streets plays a fundamental role in how we think and feel about our community. The public realm is such an essential part of every community, and fully utilizing the economic, environmental, and social benefits is key.”

JT Cinquemani, Architectural Designer

“As a newcomer to both CNU and Orlando, I was surprised by how much more I learned about the city, and how much New Urbanism is shaping it. Behind the scenes, Orlando is implementing many more New Urbanist principles than I realized.”

Elena Haas, Intern Architectural & Interior Designer

“Seeing several projects at different stages and in unique contexts helped me rethink the approach to design and its impact on end users. Since the challenges of urbanization are universally similar, it’s great to see how teams react to each project’s specific context with innovative solutions.”

Monica Pinjani, Urban Designer

“I found it interesting that important design elements that used to be optional are now required in many jurisdictions. It was inspiring to see policy and design begin to take steps in the same direction.”

Alex Lenhoff, Urban Planner

“It was refreshing to be reminded of the strong directional opinions at play in building and design-related industries. Despite overall progress, leaders continue to find creative ways to deal with the current social and built environments on a more detailed scale.”

Michael Richardson, Architectural Designer

More information on individual sessions and speakers can be found in the 2015 CNU Florida Summit Agenda.

5 Tips to Get Your Clubhouse Right

February 18, 2015/by Canin Associates

A clubhouse can be a neighborhood focal point and help attract new residents. However, not all amenity centers are created equal. From functionality to aesthetic appeal, here are five tips to make your clubhouse shine:

1. Function, then form.

The program of your clubhouse is everything. Decide on what functions your clubhouse should have, and that will inform how much space it will require; don’t try to squeeze in amenities where they don’t fit, or they won’t add value to your space or community. Certain rooms require specific minimum sizes. For example, fitness rooms should be around 40 feet wide to allow for cardio equipment on outside walls with space for weight machines in the center. Give some thought to how the entrances and exits of spaces are aligned, so furniture space isn’t wasted, allowing for crisscrossing circulation paths across the multi-purpose room or other large, open spaces.

2. One building, or several?

So you’ve decided on a hefty program, and now you’ve got to figure out where it’s going to fit into your community. Phasing, access, and amenity sites can be used to determine if your needs can be met by one large building, or several single or double-purpose buildings. What you decide could create a community focal point or an amenity complex with meeting and multi-purpose space, fitness cabana, refreshment building, pool bathhouse, and more. Breaking up the building also reduces the overall square footage requirement, if the size is what’s holding you back.

3. The clubhouse is an important amenity to potential homebuyers.

One of the biggest selling points of a community is the clubhouse. If a neighborhood requires HOA fees, offering large-scale community resources is a great way to persuade potential homebuyers. Providing a clubhouse can also address a homebuyer’s typical hesitations, such as not having enough yard for a backyard pool, lacking space for large gatherings, being too far from the gym, or needing a way to get acquainted with neighbors. A clubhouse can be an excellent option as a “third place”—a gathering space other than home or work for community members to meet and mingle.

4. Elevation: scale and proportion.

This is your chance to “wow” guests and to create a community focal point. Use the clubhouse exterior to define the architectural style and feel of the neighborhood. With a great entrance and landscape package, it can create that memorable image that defines the community. Each part of the building has its own function, so use that to your benefit and pop the main entrance or fitness space forward or up, creating a defined piece and humanizing the scale of the structure.

5. Quality over quantity.

Building costs almost always affect design choices, so think practically. For example, over-articulating corners and walls can create dead spaces in a plan and add extra construction costs. If you have porches or patios, make sure they are of an adequate size to perform their function, like allowing space for furniture. A beautiful, functional clubhouse does not have to break the bank, and when done right, can help to sell every lot and home in the neighborhood.

ULI Central Florida: 2015 Emerging Trends in Real Estate

February 5, 2015/by Canin Associates

On January 30, 2015, ULI Central Florida held its annual Emerging Trends in Real Estate conference. At the half-day event, guest speakers and panelists shared their 2015 forecasts and projects with over 200 registrants from industries including real estate, development, urban planning, and architecture. With a recovering economy and positive job growth particularly in Orlando, the general outlook for 2015 was positive, albeit cautious. Jobs, oil, and Millennials proved to be steadfast topics of discussion throughout the event.

Back by popular demand, local political commentators Lou Frey and Dick Bachelor of WMFE’s Intersection opened the conference with their trademark banter on the local and national political scene. Mr. Frey, a former Florida Congressman (R), and Mr. Bachelor, a former Florida House Representative (D), gave their thoughts on the presidential race and what it could mean for Central Florida.

The event’s Keynote Speaker was Jeff Korzenik, Chief Investment Strategist at Fifth Third Bank. He summarized his economic outlook for 2015 into five points:

The US economy will continue to grow.
The GDP gap is shrinking.
Oil will a big deal.
The Federal Reserve will a bigger deal.
Investment opportunities are narrowing.

Mr. Korzenik went on to describe each point in detail, using jobs as a context. Despite the slowing growth of emerging markets worldwide, the United States has seen the strongest job growth since 1999 by adding over 200,000 jobs each month. Still, two challenges remain: employers are having a hard time finding qualified labor and aging Baby Boomers, who are retiring en masse, are leaving behind a diminished available workforce.

Other observations included:

Oil prices will rise again, but not to previous levels.
While bonds are still lagging worldwide, US bond yields are still attractive enough to draw local and international investments.
If your business is labor-dependent, it will be a tough year due to rising wages.
Slowly rising interest rates are not destructive to the economy, but will affect industries like real estate and development more than others.

Overall, Mr. Korzenik’s forecast was positive for Florida’s land-use related disciplines. The state is set to benefit from continuing to expand and improve its infrastructure, as well as the growing population in areas like Orlando and Miami.

Following Mr. Korzenik, Andrew Warren gave the event’s signature Emerging Trends in Real Estate presentation, based on the Emerging Trends in Real Estate – United States and Canada 2015 book, which can be downloaded here (PDF). Mr. Warren, the Director of Real Estate Research at PwC, called for more awareness and “sustainable momentum.” He noted the importance of “keeping an eye on the horizon and how much of the runway is left, more so than in 2006.”

Some of the takeaways from the Top 10 Emerging Trends for 2015 were:

Millennials and Baby Boomer are still affecting the market, notably through urban preferences.
The “18-Hour City” and diverse infrastructure will play important development roles.
Land costs are up, which translates into people taking greater risks.
While domestic government gridlock threatened to derail the economy in the past year, 2015’s biggest uncertainty will be worldwide geopolitical events.
One side effect of global events could be higher construction costs.
Despite growing job numbers, income is lagging behind, causing affordability to decrease.
More information on the presentation can be found on the PwC website.

After Mr. Warren’s presentation, two panels took the stage. The first group featured John Classe of Crescent Communities, Tony Eelman of FBC Mortgage, LLC, Maurice Johnson of Taylor Morrison, and Trip Stephens of ZOM. Together with moderator Lisa Dilts (Compspring), the panelists discussed Housing Trends for 2015. Once again, jobs were a major topic of discussion: “Job growth will stoke Millennial household creation, who prefer urban areas,” said Mr. Classe. Therefore, Mr. Johnson argued that “single-family homes should have all the features and amenities of city life to attract Millennials.”

The second panel, Commercial Trends, was moderated by Michael “Doc” Terry of the UCF Rosen College of Hospitality Management, whose panelists discussed commercial trends with a focus on Orlando’s tourist corridor: International Drive. Mr. Terry was joined by Jim Bagley of Encore Housing Funds, Carl Kernodle of Hyatt Hotels, and Josh Wallack of Mango’s, SOBE, and Skyplex. One major trend expected by the panelists will be the diversification of hotels, including urban hotels with a city atmosphere, hotels geared towards longer-staying international tourists, and families looking for multi-generational accommodations. Meanwhile, attractions in the district are becoming more aware of pedestrians and their safety. For International Drive itself, this means improved infrastructure such as pedestrian bridges.

The 2015 Emerging Trends in Real Estate conference concluded with the 2015 Trendsetter Award. This year’s winner was The Church Street Exchange. The team behind this effort took a defunct mall in downtown Orlando with nearly complete vacancy and leased it fully within 18 months, creating a model for adaptive reuse that serves Orlando’s growing tech, start-up, and non-profit scene. Other nominees included the City of Tavares, Laureate Park at Lake Nona, and First Green Bank.

David Weekley Partners with Canin Associates on New Home Designs

November 4, 2014/by Canin Associates

David Weekley Homes, Professional Builder Magazine’s 2013 National Builder of the Year and one of the Nation’s most reputable Home Builders, has joined forces with Canin Associates’ Architectural Design Studio to produce some of Central Florida’s most exceptional new homes.

Canin has given a fresh new look to the traditional elevations of some of Weekley’s best-selling Custom Classic house plans in Baldwin Park, and we have also created brand new, contemporary floor plans and elevations for their Central Living infill lot projects throughout Orlando and Winter Park.

Lyman Avenue Paired Villas

Another addition to the David Weekley lineup is the Lyman Avenue Paired Villas. These elegant new designs present homeowners with the best of both worlds. Located just minutes from Winter Park’s scenic Central Park and bustling Park Avenue, these stylish paired homes combine easy access to restaurants and entertainment with a comfortable, serene design. A fully equipped al fresco courtyard kitchen, ample storage space, a home office, a grand kitchen, and high-end bathroom finishes enhance this unique 2,009 sq. ft. living experience.

Images courtesy of Canin Associates and David Weekley Homes.

The New Neighborhood: Mixed-Use and Multi-Modal

October 21, 2014/by Canin Associates

Conventional suburbs are making way for carefully master-planned neighborhoods with character. Outparcels remain a commodity along major thoroughfares, but are seamlessly integrated into the overall urban fabric of a budding community. In Southwest Florida’s Lake Flores, this concept is strengthened through two ideas: complete streets and multi-modal trails.

Lake Flores bridges conventional commercial development and urban neighborhoods with thoughtful, multi-modal streets and trails.

Located near Sarasota, Lake Flores is an infill site of over 1,300 acres overlooking Sarasota Bay and just a few miles from the beach. This is the kind of special site that only comes available once in the life of a community. With the county’s How Will We Grow vision setting the stage for more mixed-use, urban development, the time is ripe for a game-changing new project that will set the tone for the next era of growth in this coastal community. After decades of ownership by the Manatee Fruit Company, this long-term venture has the potential to grow and evolve over a 20 year period.

A landscaped multi-modal trail accommodates pedestrians, runners, cyclists, and small electric vehicles.

The heart of the plan is the community’s namesake, Lake Flores. This new nineteen-acre lake is surrounded by a green edge of park, which will provide a gathering place for the community and the region. Adjacent to the lake will be a new main street with restaurants and entertainment. Visitors can dine with a lake view or take an evening stroll after dinner. Apartments overlooking Lake Flores will create a peaceful, urban residential option convenient for a morning job and within easy walking distance of the main street. With two different business centers to accommodate commercial office as well as research and development, Lake Flores also provides the realistic opportunity to live and work in the same community.

Calm, carefully designed streets with opportunities for walking and biking both for recreation and practical transportation will be a priority at Lake Flores. A central multi-modal trail and linear park run the length of the site connecting all of the neighborhoods safely to the lakeside park and retail amenities. This trail is truly multi-modal, design to accommodate a soft path for runners as well as a hard surface wide enough for small electric shuttles. In addition, all streets are designed to be complete for all modes of transportation with buildings oriented to reinforce neighborhood character.

Canin Wins First Place Whole House Renovation at 2014 Parade of Homes

June 10, 2014/by Canin Associates

Our team at the Canin Associates Architectural Design Studio is thrilled to announce that our retro-inspired home remodel earned First Place – Whole House Renovation in the 2014 Greater Orlando Builders Association Parade of Homes™ Remodel Showcase.

Mid-Century Modern Renovation

With partners Hardwick General Contracting, we immersed ourselves in Florida’s rich mid-century modern tradition to completely redesign an existing home to meet today’s needs. You can learn more about this project in our post, Retro-Renovation: How to Bring New Life to an Outdated Floor Plan.

Canin Associates’ Eliza Harris on Orange TV

May 27, 2014/by Greg Witherspoon

On Wednesday, May 28 at 7:00pm, Orange County Live! will discuss the topic of sustainability. Canin’s own Eliza Harris will be one of the gusts, who, along with John Martinez and Brandon Tidwell, will represent the Sustainability Committee. Further guests include Susan Caswell (Chair of the Community Subcommittee), Jennifer Szaro (Renewable Energy Manager with OUC), Yulita Osuba (Deputy General Manager, Orange County Convention Center), Carla Bell Johnson (Chair of the Mobility Subcommittee), and Dr. Richard Tyson (Manager, Orange County Cooperative Extension Division).

Before the show, take a look at the Orange County Sustainability Plan, which was presented by Chairman John Martinez at the May 13th Board of County Commissioners meeting.

We hope you will tune in and that you’ll help us encourage others to watch and participate via call in or chat room.

Ways to Watch

Brighthouse channel 199
Comcast Channel 9
AT&T U-Verse channel 99
Local Digital Broadcast Channel 29-2
www.orangetvfl.net streaming

Placemaking and Living Streets: A Maitland, FL Case Study

May 22, 2014/by Canin Associates

Maitland, Florida, is a small city of about 15,000 residents. Located just north of Orlando, it is home to a network of museums, a popular independent movie theater that plays host to the annual Florida Film Festival, and beautiful parks. Despite the city’s amenities, one albatross remains: the lack of a cohesive, walkable center of activity. Now, with three potential projects in the pipeline for downtown Maitland, the City Center officials have been planning for since the 1990s may finally come to fruition.

For almost two decades, placemaking has been one of the community’s top priorities. Between 1998 and 2003, community workshops and designs by planners have solidified a vision for the city’s Town Square, complete with an in-depth set of design standards. From these efforts has sprung the city’s first new anchor: an urban city hall with an adjacent fire station.

With three development proposals planned for Maitland, creating a new city center is now closer to a reality than ever before. To optimize these new developments, city officials and designers will need to create a cohesive community gathering place.

Placemaking through Living Streets

For over a decade, Canin Associates has selected a University of Miami student to research an urban design topic each summer. In 2012, Gabriel Williams worked with Canin Associates staff and faculty advisor Jaime Correa to design downtown Maitland’s Independence Lane as a “Living Street” envisioning a striking and lively new center for the community. A Woonerf, the Dutch term for Living Street, is a shared street that prioritizes pedestrians while still allowing cyclists and drivers. Shared space, traffic calming, and very low speeds make these living streets beneficial to both placemaking and pedestrian safety.

In Woonerfs (or, more correctly, woonerven), automobile pathways are integrated to create a calm and safe residential environment, focusing on plantings, benches, and bike racks. Rather than having separate sidewalks, the entire width of Independence Lane would be designed to allow free pedestrian movement. The plan also shows this shared street continuing extended to connect to points further north and south.

With the former city hall slated for demolition, the team saw a perfect opportunity to place a public park on the city-owned land. Mixed-use buildings in an urban configuration could contain continuous ground floor retail overlooking the new park.

Tying together the existing urban fabric in a retrofit can be a challenge. To achieve stylistic and spatial cohesion, placemakers must juggle an existing arrangement of asymmetrical volumes, setbacks, and construction techniques. An urban plaza and a new contemporary building are designed to reconcile the elegant and classical proportions of the city hall with the modern geometry of the neighboring bank.

Today, with a fresh opportunity to take another leap towards an active city center, the City of Maitland has the chance to refocus on the importance of placemaking and master planning. Only if people truly feel welcome will this new district become successful.

Retro-Renovation: How to Bring New Life to an Outdated Floor Plan

April 29, 2014/by Canin Associates

Florida has a rich architectural history when it comes to mid-century modern buildings. While the style has become a mainstay in sun-kissed cities like Miami and Orlando, some original features have not stood the test of time. Luckily, a skilled architect can revamp an existing structure to fit today’s needs without losing its historical charm. One example of bringing new life to an old building is 3107 Ardsley Drive, which is featured in this year’s Orlando Parade of Homes.

Photo by Hardwick General Contracting, Inc.

Elements of a Mid-Century Renovation

What makes the Ardsley Drive renovation especially successful is that the designers salvaged many of the original buildings blocks. For example, the keeping of specific walls preserved much of the building’s initial shape. Within the walls, however, an open floor plan accommodates the family’s contemporary lifestyle. Other vintage elements, such as the fireplace, add to the building’s history.

At 3,800 square feet, the four-bedroom, four-bathroom home offers an expansive everyday living space. The house’s size and open-concept layout easily meet today’s needs. Additionally, spacious closets and an oversized garage offer smart storage solutions.

To further the feeling of openness, architects removed visual barriers for a floor plan that now blurs the separation of indoor and outdoor spaces. This seamless transition is supported by natural light from an abundance of clerestory windows. Furthermore, all living spaces (and even the master suite) now feature stunning views of the adjacent lake.

Lastly, this complete remodel afforded architects and builders the opportunity to implement energy-efficient design standards and construction practices. From new windows to energy-saving appliances, the home takes “being green” to heart.

With its sleek transitional-contemporary design and energy-conscious implementation, this retro renovation creates a strong connection between Florida’s vintage architecture and today’s living needs. Having breathed new life into a stagnant design, it’s safe to say that Ardsley Drive is ready for another 50 years.

Master-Planned Communities in a New Economy

April 1, 2014/by Canin Associates

Inarguably, conventional growth patterns coupled with the recent economic rollercoaster have left urban planners scratching their heads. A major question remains: How can we create new, master-planned communities with a robust framework to prepare for an unpredictable housing market in the future? To find the answer, municipalities and developers are looking back at historical growth patterns for inspiration. But instead of only using a New Urbanist design approach, planners are focusing on economic factors more than ever before.

The City of Edgewater, Florida, has taken this new approach to heart. The approval of a form-based code will guide the 20-year build-out of Restoration, the city’s Sustainable Community Development District. As noted in Better Cities & Towns, Restoration is the largest post-recession traditional neighborhood development planned to date. To ensure its success, the 1,315 acre project must balance two factors: economic feasibility and smart design.

To guarantee economic viability, the Restoration code allows a frugal, incremental build-out. The master plan includes a variety of phasing options responsive to market conditions. It begins with single-story commercial buildings and modestly-sized homes, building up to an eight-story town center that will likely be developed in later stages. Furthermore, businesses will have a great deal of flexibility on where they can locate to meet the demand of new residents’ changing numbers and needs.

The hallmark of Restoration’s traditional design will be a transit-ready boulevard designed to accommodate a four-mile streetcar system. Other important factors for creating a livable environment include:

Providing a range of different environments, from residential districts to mixed-use blocks.
Building forms, regardless of their uses, must respond to a walkable scale.
Organizing buildings around an urban grid.
Placing green spaces in primary locations to create a healthy public realm.

The goal of Restoration’s code is to allow a new, walkable place to evolve authentically, while remaining resilient through changing market conditions. A traditional development will be built to create an active community with the resilience to weather future market fluctuations.

Appealing to a Booming Market: 5 Must-Haves for the Baby Boomer Generation

March 19, 2014/by Canin Associates

With a growing number of baby boomers looking for their ideal new homes, designers and developers are turning their attention to this explosive new market. When creating the perfect baby boomer residence, architects must strike a balance between features that are needed now, and features that will be essential in the coming years.

Our country’s diversifying housing market has made it possible to craft specific homes for every niche, leading to accelerated sales and more satisfied residents. For the baby boomer generation, we’ve pinpointed five must-have elements that are important to every community’s success:

1. A Single-Story Experience

The ideal boomer home focuses on the present, but looks to the future: designs should feature a single-story experience for those who wish to age in place; an optional second story gives flexibility and extra space to those who need it.

2. Multi-Generational Living

What do retirees do with that second story when they no longer require it for themselves? Smart floor plan designs ensure that the house can be used for a single generation (baby boomers) or expanded for multi-generational living (baby boomers and their children or grandchildren).

3. Great Indoor/Outdoor Relationships

Many homebuyers move to Florida for one simple reason: the weather. To make the most of a transplant’s new lifestyle, homes should be designed with a focus on great indoor/outdoor relationships.

4. Parks and Street-Side Patios

Baby boomers will be looking for ways to meet their new neighbors. By socializing the street and promoting it as a community space through parks and street-side patios, residents have the opportunity to be part of an active neighborhood network.

5. Modern, Open Floor Plans

Finally, this is a generation whose members have worked hard to afford their dream homes, and what better way to enjoy it than with modern, open floor plans? A frontrunner in market research, open plans are perfect for living, dining, and entertaining.

By implementing these features, architects and developers can deliver homes that are tailored to the growing demand of baby boomers. Focusing on these five primary elements ensures that a house will become the perfect home, for now and in the years to come.

Visit our Portfolio for these and other exciting new market-focused home designs.

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