The Dalton
Pasadena, Calif.
The Trend: Mixed use near transit
Credit: Wajid Drabu
Urbanites who like walkable, lively, bustling neighborhoods might say this project has it all. Located in the heart of Pasadena’s central business district, the 55 loft-style units in this handsome building are stacked on top of 7,000 square feet of ground floor retail.
The fact that the building is positioned directly across the street from a major light rail stop was a bonus not just for residents, but also for the developer. The adjacency allowed for maximum development through reduced parking requirements and allowances for increased density and building height.
But the scale feels just right, and the project swiftly disproves any assumptions that higher density and taller heights are unseemly. Variations in massing, window placement, and color--punctuated by public art at street level--give the structure an eclectic, even sculptural presence. For those who live there, a multitude of courtyards and decks provide open space, natural light, and views of distant snow-capped peaks and California sunsets.
“The design contributes to the quality of the public realm at both the pedestrian scale level and the building scale level,” said one judge. “The building forms have a rhythm and proportion that respect and reinforce the colorful texture of this urban neighborhood.”
Award: Grand for outstanding mixed use project
Builder: American General Constructors, Glendale, Calif.
Architect: Studio One Eleven Perkowitz + Ruth Architects
Developer: Champion Development Group