Architectural Vision

The design of a new neighborhood is an act to be taken very seriously. In order for new design patterns to become integrated with existing, care must be taken to understand the nature of what has already been built, how it came to be, and how it maintains its vitality

With the creation of the new comes the opportunity to be critical, and offer ways to improve upon precedent. Above all, the creation of city fabric should be an occasion to reaffirm what it means to be a Tucsonan and to delight in what a city in the desert can be.

The architecture for the Mercado District of Menlo Park is therefore divided into four categories:

• Sonoran Row House
• Post Railroad
• Tucson Eclectic: 1850-1950
• Main Street Commercial and Town Center Buildings

Each category outlines salient qualities regarding material assemblies that have been traditionally influential in the development of local character, and have an appropriateness to Tucson. Designers are encouraged to propose ways in which each building type might be re-interpreted, keeping in mind the underlying desire to maintain a consistent character with the surrounding context.

Sonoran Row House

There are essential qualities that transcend time and speak directly about a rich urban life in the desert. What we can learn from the Sonoran Row House includes a sense of community made by defining sensitively proportioned open spaces, the permanence and climatological appropriateness of massive wall construction, and a humility of expression that comes with a more homogenous streetscape. Sonoran Row Houses were characterized by thick adobe walls, deep-set fenestration, and very little ornamentation.

Post Railroad

One of the most profound shifts of the post-railroad development period in Tucson was the departure from the Sonoran Row House as the predominant building type toward the more expansive, detached house models imported from both the east and west coasts. Advancements in technology facilitated a shift in major building materials away from adobe to locally produced brick. The brick, stone, and wood bungalow emerged as one of the primary residential types, having the characteristics of covered front porches, intersecting gable roofs, greater ornamentation and articulation of wood and brick work, along with beds of vegetation and low perimeter walls.

Tucson Eclectic: 1850-1950

Promoted by publications and periodicals exporting style, a period of borrowing and imitation of regional as well as non-native building modes became popular throughout Tucson. Common stylistic sources included Mediterranean, American Frontier, Sonoran Ranch, Craftsman, and Spanish Colonial Revival. With such a variety of sources and products, it is difficult to isolate and articulate the qualities these buildings offer to us in our time. What remains vital to these eclectic buildings in this region and climate are the qualities of harboring, massive enclosures, extensions into surrounding streets and gardens, and perimeter definition in the form of building, landscape, or garden walls.

Main Street Commercial and Town Center Buildings

Along Congress Street and Avenida del Convento, the qualities that surface as being of greatest importance are humanistic at their cord and speak of a vital and rich urban life in the desert. The focus of energy for each site should be towards the primary street frontage. Where possible, commercial frontage and primary residential egress are oriented toward the public realm. Strong connectivity between public and private realms should be maintained. For example, courtyards off the main streets can provide spaces for smaller, more private gathering. A richly designed sequence of exterior spaces of varying levels of intimacy can add the desired experiences of surprise and intrigue to the built environment. Additionally, adequate shading should be provided along pedestrian routes for activity to take place comfortably throughout the year. Finally, and possibly most importantly, the Town Center must suggest a sense of permanence and civic identity unique to the region.

Additional details, including the Architectural Code, are available in the Mercado District Master Plan.

  
For more information, please contact us.