The Glades
Boca Raton, FL
Client:
Confidential
Size:
1,100,000 SF
Located in a 400-acre zone of a regional enclosed mall, numerous strip centers, isolated office developments and disconnected hospitality offerings, RDC explores infusing California’s casual outdoor lifestyle into a Florida country club community by transforming a 14-acre strip mall into a luxury mixed-use destination.
By breaking open the local pattern of introverted, gated developments isolated by traffic arteries, The Glades sets the stage for a new type of development: A luxury mix of high-end boutique shopping and dining experience surrounding a public courtyard with green event lawn, lush tropical nature zones, and fountains. Generous sidewalks, pocket parks and bike lanes lead from the enhanced public realm to pedestrian courtyards with lushly landscaped gardens and dining terraces. Overlooking the heart of the development are two Class A office towers and five exclusive residential communities, keeping this new destination active and engaged for 24 hours and bringing urban lifestyle to a suburban context.
The Process
A Data-Driven Urban Design Approach
Typical of our design process for urban design and master planning services, we begin at the beginning. RDC uses any number of sources for demographic, psychographic, and physical data, including social media and local news/media. By exploring the various datasets, we found the area to be trending younger, more wealthy, more international, diverse, and economically vibrant. We created a series of user profiles from a representative sample of Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn profiles that helped us map human movements throughout the project area. Facts like rental versus ownership informed everything from our program and design inspiration.
Existing Uses
Open Green Spaces
Vehicular Movement
Public Transit
Pedestrian Movement
Potential Views
Sun Path / Shadow Study
Examining Site Forces
By evaluating various influences such as public transit, dedicated pedestrian and bicycle pathways, particularly connecting our site to the Atlantic Ocean and to multiple sites of local interest, RDC mapped traffic patterns and determined the optimum locations for vehicular entry versus pedestrian activity, as well as view corridors and potential regional signage opportunities.
The Result
Fostering Community Ties
The Glades development enriches the surrounding community through a range of public and civic amenities. The project’s commitment to public use and community-building is exemplified through its design, which features elegant gardens, cascading landscaped patios, and multiple water features. These elements create inviting and serene public spaces where residents and visitors can gather, relax, and connect. The generous open spaces provide a sense of tranquility and promote social interaction. Additionally, the best-in-class food and beverage offerings and fashion boutiques serve as community hubs, fostering a sense of belonging and shared experiences. The rooftop fitness club further promotes social cohesion by offering an exclusive yet communal space for leisure and networking. The Glades is designed to become a thriving social community that celebrates the vibrant lifestyle of Boca Raton.
Spacious & Purposeful Design
The design’s emphasis on generous open areas and outdoor spaces not only enhances the overall ambiance but also maximizes the usability of the development. It allows for multifunctional areas that can cater to a variety of activities, from social gatherings, dining, shopping, and strolls, enhancing the project’s overall appeal and functionality.
The Glades is an integrated mixed-use development with all components either facing enhanced and pedestrian/bike-friendly streets or a botanical garden-like central space. Retail, office, and residential parking will be segregated within three basic parking reservoirs evenly distributed throughout the site. Service and security will be concealed beneath the various buildings and accesses from public streets, maintaining an entirely pedestrian central park.
Sustainable Design Features
With sea level rise, increased storm intensity and precipitation amounts and adjacent drainage easements, water management will be key for this development. The central park will include passive and active mediation and filtration elements. Heavily landscaped terraces, green roofs and parklets throughout the project will mitigate heat island effects while rooftop photovoltaics will provide additional, sustainable energy.
To learn more about RDC’s master planning services, click the button below.