650 Live Oak unanimous approval

100% Approval

The Almanac has announced the approval of brick’s design for a mixed-use (office / housing) project at 650 Live Oak in Menlo Park.

The planning commission approved the project unanimously with one commissioner stating that Menlo Park “got exactly what the specific plan asked for, and I think we got it in a high-quality way.”

See the Almanac article here.

Most folks get curious, if not downright concerned, when a new development is being designed in their neighborhood. So we asked: What is this neighborhood about? What does it need? How can this project make it better? As we engaged with stakeholders, we learned that an important piece to the puzzle was open space. The neighborhood was in short supply, and we had an opportunity to build a public amenity into the project.

Then we asked: how can we combine these different uses in a way that fits with the neighborhood? Through dialogue with different constituents, we decided we had to “go small to go big” with a concept of a collection of smaller buildings that work together to fit the scale and style of the neighborhood.

We presented these ideas in various meetings and presentations to Planning Commission staff with a BIM schematic. As the project progressed, we presented photo-realistic 3D renderings that helped stakeholders visualize the project’s place in and contribution to the neighborhood. We made design refinements and presented them in real time, resulting in a project that met the needs of all stakeholders and garnered unanimous approval.

Menlo Park: Office-housing project approved | Kate Bradshaw | The Almanac