To develop a unique identity for the new residential mixed-use project, the design team sought to weave together the historic context of the area with the aspirations of the neighborhood. This heavily amenitized residential tower tops a 500-car parking garage which is in turn wrapped with street-level retail and residential lobbies. Service and garage entries have been carefully placed to cause as little disruption to the pedestrian realm as possible, thereby meeting a primary goal of this masterplan area in activating the street level of new construction.

 

The L-shaped tower design combines interlocking forms representing Oakland’s multicultural milieu and is oriented to maximize sunlight for the 1-acre residential amenity podium, while providing residential units views of the Oakland Hills, Lake Merritt and San Francisco Bay. The primary focus of the podium space is the pool, fitness pavilion, and large multipurpose outdoor areas that provide flexible gathering spaces for residents and guests and the sky deck/lounge which provides provides indoor and exterior rooftop amenity space. The main lobby area houses a music studio, flexible work space for residents, and a grab-and-go coffee shop and residential concierge. Additionally, the project has 66,000sf of retail and 405 residential units. 

 

Tom Sprinkle and Brendan Dunnigan were Design Principal and PIC respectively for the Vespr project while at HKS Architects, Inc