Market Sector: Multifamily

6 Corners Lofts

Where Mixed-Use Innovation Meets Historic Revitalization

In an effort to revitalize a 1938 Sears building and reinvigorate a historic Chicago shopping district, Novak Development has partnered with MG2 as their design architect to bring to life an innovative mixed-use project complete with 200 residential units, over 50,000 s/f of retail, and 300 parking spaces.

MG2’s cross-market expertise spanning multi-family and mixed-use built environments grants our team the ability to create a holistic, inviting community experience. Simultaneously, our decades-long relationships with some of the world’s top retail brands and intimate knowledge of their programs and operations allow us to engage our portfolio of partners, bringing Target in on the ground floor—literally and figuratively— to create a truly unique experience for the residents of Chicago.

6 Corners Lofts mixed-use development provides the opportunity to create an architectural transformation that connects past and present and sets the tone for the future of the neighborhood.

“Six Corners was once the second-busiest shopping center aside from downtown area,” says Richard Fahy in a recent article by Block Club Chicago. He is a representative for Operating Engineers Local 150 and a longtime Northwest Side resident, “This site has the potential in playing a vital role in transforming our community and give our local economy a boost that is long overdue.”

The existing 1932 building serves as a historic backbone and foundation from which we can build a new and meaningful story for the neighborhood, residents, and visitors. The revitalization of 6 Corners Lofts is an opportunity to design a destination-worthy experience for the area. Our design—an iconic juxtaposition of Art Deco with cutting-edge technology—honors the historic nature of the site while simultaneously infusing new energy and life to the community it serves.

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Emerald City Commons

Emerald City Commons roofline

Developed by Mercy Housing in partnership with Urban Impact, Emerald City Commons is designed to support the needs of low-income families without compromising on quality or function. With a special focus on families with children, the residential units were thoughtfully arranged so that the larger, three-bedroom units extend out from the building to provide natural ventilation and 180-degree views for parents to watch their children playing in the outdoor public spaces.

In considering the needs of these families, MG2’s design incorporated a range of cost-efficient green features such as low-VOC paints and finish materials that reduce allergens. Secured parking and entries, a fitness center, a computer center, and a large common area for social and enrichment programs foster a sense of support, health, and family that create a true community.

Suzhou Sunny World International Apartments

Suzhou Sunny World International Apartments offers 50 floors of modern luxury for its global resident population. As the second phase of Sunny World City – a massive multi-building development in a growing CBD anchored by a Shangri-La Hotel – MG2 designed the project to maximize program areas without compromising on quality.

The residential towers feature a glazed curtain wall system that offers daylighting and the use of operable windows for superior comfort and environmental control. Each of the residential units and penthouse suites capitalize on the beautiful cityscape with large window-walls in each room.

Geared toward providing both a lavish and convenient experience, the buildings’ podium includes a large ballroom, daycare, business and entertainment centers, fitness center, and private club, which establish the development as the area’s preferred address.

Crossroads Mixed-Use

Seeking to build density and add value to a property whose neighborhood was maturing around it, Crossroads in Bellevue, WA partnered with MG2 to evolve the urban-based shopping center into a sustainability-minded, multi-family community that leverages and seamlessly melds with nearby amenities.

Years of pedestrian studies, wayfinding strategy, and sophisticated design went into Crossroads’ U-shaped building and its positioning, ensuring the footprint lined up perfectly with surrounding environments and natural spaces. An approach that helps bolster multimodal exploration, walkability, and access to public transit, the campus seamlessly connects the public and private within its community.

Naturally, landscaping plays a significant role as well. Every edge of the complex is considered an urban trail, reinforcing the pedestrian-centric nature of the design. By converting an asphalt parking lot into green space, the team created an additional opportunity for the sustainable filtering of stormwater by implementing bioswales and rain gardens throughout. The effort resulted in 20% more community green space.

For its interiors, a thematic approach was taken to the design, embracing and enhancing the community and celebrating the diversity it fosters. Many units are two bedrooms, perfect for multi-generational families who work in the area. MG2 is working closely with the project’s interiors team to create a seamless, hybrid integration between internal and external experiences. With a color and design scheme that radiates the Pacific Northwest, there are endless opportunities for entertainment, including an activated public space and amenity-rich roof deck.

Designed as a community, not a commodity, Crossroads design incorporates a number of culturally-rich and thoughtful food options, as well as boutique retail space for brands to connect with residents and visitors alike in a highly socialized setting. The evolution of this predominantly retail environment into a sustainable, cultured, pedestrian paradise is slated for completion in 2024.

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Bellevue Towers

Redefining the gold standard for green urban living

Bellevue has transformed over the past decade from a Seattle suburb to a thriving city, attracting new businesses and a new generation of downtown residents. To capitalize on the increased market demand for urban living, MG2 partnered with GBD Architects to bring two mixed-use towers of landmark proportion and sustainable style to Bellevue’s downtown core.

The LEED Gold-certified Bellevue Towers are the city’s first eco-luxury condominium development, boasting sustainable features, including a rainwater irrigation system, renewable building materials and floor-to-ceiling glass walls that maximize natural light and reduce energy consumption. The 42 and 43-story towers feature condominium residences, an eclectic mix of street-level restaurants and landscaped rooftop gardens with walking paths for residents looking to take a leisurely stroll.

  • Project Details

  • Location Bellevue, WA
  • Client Gerding Edlen
  • Market Sectors ,
  • Size 1.25 million SF; 16,000 SF retail; 539 residential units
  • Services
  • Certifications LEED Gold

Tower 12

A vertical neighborhood with sky-high sophistication

When Continental Properties purchased a prime downtown Seattle site, they intended to build a condominium tower. However, after consulting with MG2, they decided to shift their focus to luxury apartment homes, helping to meet Seattle’s high rental demand and enhancing their return on their investment.

Tower 12 offers rentals ranging from studios to penthouses, creating a diverse vertical community and providing a variety of features appealing to modern city dwellers. Amenities include an outdoor terrace, lounge and game room, media center, conference room, exercise facilities, and enviable walkability to the city’s attractions. Appealing to health and environmentally conscious residents, the tower is LEED Silver certified and designed with a strategic orientation to maximize the iconic local views of Pike Place Market and the Olympic Mountains.

Washington Square

When Sears closed their doors, the Washington Square mall—one of the largest in the Pacific Northwest—knew it was time for an innovative approach. Partnering with MG2, the shopping center sought a solution to bolster consumer traffic, revitalized the anchor position, and galvanized their customer base with fresh retail, restaurant, and entertainment options. The final piece of the puzzle would be a hotel, along with newly minted residential units surrounding an invigorated public park, completing the community, and binding it together.

Our team immediately accepted the reins to a plan already in motion, keeping the project on track while simultaneously creating a novel story to make it our own. MG2 designers took a contextual approach, playing on the notoriously sporadic weather of the Pacific Northwest, and our natural response to layer garments in reply. The resulting design used landscaping, lighting, and newly constructed spaces to translate our architectural story, bringing new vitality to where an anchor once stood.

Washington Square

Creating a layered transition from the traditional mall to a more organic, open space, we generated a fresh entry sequence for the shopping center.

The on-site hotel was angled to grant it more visibility from the road, while simultaneously exposing the natural area beyond. The experience crescendos with a jewel box restaurant building, greeting, and bidding adieu to shoppers as they come and go.

Providing unparalleled full-service architectural design solutions to the client, MG2 continues to work with Washington Square through the finale of their construction phase, with several high-end entertainment, food & beverage, and retail brands already expressing interest in the newly energized shopping center.

Fifth and Stewart Hotel & Residences

Sky-high Amenities

Stanford Hotels partnered with MG2 to design a 54-story mixed-use hotel and residential tower located on a prominent corner in downtown Seattle. Surrounded by an array of building types and uses, the challenging site forced MG2 to thoroughly examine and validate design decisions from multiple perspectives. The MG2 team introduced horizontal and vertical rhythms to the facade, helping weave the luxury tower into the neighborhood’s contextual fabric.

In addition to the 257 room hotel and 233 residential units, the tower offers more than 18,000 SF of hotel amenities and restaurants, including a rooftop bar overlooking the Puget Sound. To activate the street front, the main floor features 3,000 SF of retail space anchored by a sidewalk café. Directly above, four levels of artist lofts overlook the streetscape.

Rose Hill

Close to the 405 corridors and the heart of downtown Kirkland sits the Rose Hill Shopping Center: a 40-year-old retail center and mall area growing more outdated by the day. The seven-acre site, which lacks residential or green spaces, was ready for a transformation, one that would help holistically foster a healthy, walkable community and support the growing tech company campuses nearby.

Madison Development Group partnered with MG2 to master plan, design, and develop the new Rose Hill: an innovative multi-block, mixed-use community campus project. Bringing to life seven unique buildings connected by a walkable, pedestrian-centric courtyard experience, Rose Hill will play host to over 830 residential units, 84,200 sq/ft of retail and grocery space, and 1,049 parking stalls, creating a memorable destination for the entire city of Kirkland and beyond.

One of the largest multi-family residence projects in the Seattle area, MG2 designers were tasked with establishing a livable community that felt like it’d always belonged there. The topography’s steep grading—a challenge our team has worked with before—was cleverly used to the site design’s favor, creating multiple entry points to the tiered complex. The central pedestrian plaza, a lush, tree-scaped, walkable courtyard bordered by active retail, is publicly accessible via a grand terraced staircase from 85th Street. The parking structure’s first floor features open-air, landscaped elements which blend seamlessly with the rest of the complex.

Moving through the campus, which is designed to encourage interaction, exploration, and curiosity, residents and visitors can easily see the variety of amenities and landmarks the property offers. Amenities are purposefully dispersed across several buildings, each of which is crafted to radiate their own personality inside and out while still speaking the same design language. The contextual significance of Rose Hill helps foster a sense of place; as one of the most pedestrian, walkability-focused projects in the neighborhood, this top-of-mind awareness of personable facilities and amenities fosters familiarity as well as continued inquisitiveness.

MG2’s unique cross-market expertise, integrated services packages, and long-standing relationships with retailers like PCC, Costco, and Target ensured that our team understood the intricate nuances of how a diverse, thriving, healthy community like Rose Hill would need to be designed for future success. Partnering closely with the client on timelines, the project has been broken down into a three-phased approach, ensuring that no detail is overlooked as we add 783 new multi-family homes and 77,000 SF of retail space to the community.

  • Project Details

  • Location Kirkland, WA
  • Client Madison Development
  • Market Sectors ,
  • Size 783 units; 1,294,000 SF; 77,000 SF retail; 1,133 parking stalls
  • Services

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