Seasons Greetings from DPZ CoDesign

Along with our best wishes for a joyous holiday season and a happy 2022, we are passing along some news on what we have been doing as 2021 draws to a close.

BACK TO THE FUTURE – DPZ RETURNS TO NAPLES: Almost thirty years after we developed the master plan and code that revitalized Fifth Avenue South, DPZ was excited to be selected to create plans for the redevelopment of another part of Downtown Naples. Known locally as the Design District, this 200-acre neighborhood fronting US41, and with 10th Street as its internal spin, features a unique mix of uses from high-end home decor showrooms to automotive repair shops, and residential dwellings that range from government-subsidized townhomes to new million-dollar condos. The project kicked off in November with an eight-day design charrette to encourage public brainstorming sessions for a new master plan. DPZ initiated a full-scale public engagement process to get ideas from the local citizenry. The online platform, SpeakUpNaples.com, allowed residents to submit suggestions, make comments and engage with the community.

The closing presentation to a standing-room only audience showcased many ideas including The Design Walk:

A new public art, outdoor dining and entertainment venue (between U.S. 41 and 10th Street) that uses the alleyways, parking lots and empty spaces between buildings.
This pedestrian promenade is intended to galvanize the identity of this District around the art and design theme of the many businesses that have been organically gravitating there for years.
New public offerings could include everything from a small performance stage, a basketball court and a giant movie screen to changing digital art and food trucks. Spaces would be designed to come to life at night with special lighting.

Charrette closing presentation

Design Walk discussion between Town Council & CRA Board Member Michael McCabe and DPZ team

Design session with River Park Community Center middle schoolers

The project will develop in 2022, as we continue to work with Naples’ CRA Advisory Board and the entire Naples community. The Naples 41-10 Project was featured in several articles in the NAPLES DAILY NEWS, including “People’s Plan for Design District in Naples Starts to Emerge” and “Naples Sets Eyes on New Vision for the Design District.”

A linear pedestrian park at Seafront Residences

AWARD WINNING PROJECTS IN THE PHILIPPINES: 2021 saw continued build out and success in two of the communities we designed in the Philippines:

Seafront Residences in San Juan, Batangas, received two Philippines Property Awards for Best Housing Development by Property Guru. The 43-hectare beach community offers a variety of residential units with interconnected pedestrian walkways that make all amenities an easy 5-minute walk from home. DPZ designed the houses to face pedestrian-only parks that provide direct access and views to open spaces, while vehicular traffic is designated to the rear of the houses to maximize pedestrian experience.
Foressa Mountain Town, a mixed-use residential development by AboitizLand, is located in the mountains of Cansomoroy, Balamban, Cebu. Half of the 257-hectare development is dedicated to open and shared spaces that look out over the breathtaking highland scenery. Developed in four phases, the next phase will be launched in 2022.

A boat landing at Foressa Mountain Town

HOLIDAY SEASON / HOLIDAY LIGHTS: On Monday the 13th, a group from DPZ was treated to a nighttime walking tour of our Downtown Doral project’s spectacular new experience: Lux Doral. Carefully curated by our tour-guide, Ana Codina-Barlick, CEO of Codina Partners, the still-evolving art collection features brightly lit sculptural works specifically commissioned for Downtown Doral. The installations, many of which are interactive, animated, and/or emit music, offer an intriguing reason to walk and explore a community’s public realm after dark.

DPZers experiencing the art installations at Downtown Doral’s Lux Doral

DPZ IN THE NEWS:

TRAVEL & LEISURE Magazine placed Seaside at the top of its list of “8 Best Small Towns to Buy a Vacation Home in the U.S.” The article noted the post-pandemic real estate phenomenon where suburbs, secondary cities and vacation markets have witnessed a notable boom in sales.
Andres and Lizz both presented at the Traditional Building Conference in Coral Gables this month; you can view Lizz’s presentation here and Andres’ presentation here.
Andres spoke at this month’s National Association of Real Estate Editors annual conference about the future of development in the wake of COVID-19.
As previously announced, Galina continued her participation in the Institute of Classical Architecture & Art’s series entitled “The Architecture of Place: In Conversation with…” This month she was interviewed by Ben Bolgar, Senior Director at the Prince’s Foundation, on a number of topics including the ever-more pressing urgency to repair sprawling communities following the post-pandemic flight to the suburbs. You can view the recording here.
On the heels of our Award of Merit in the Comprehensive Plan category from the Florida Chapter of the APA earlier this year, our North Bay Village master plan was once again recognized this fall. This time the Gold Coast Section of the Florida APA selected our NBV100 master plan for an Award of Excellence in the category of Best Report, Plan or Study. The entire report on the plan is available here.