Project Description

“Midtown Connects” is a proposal to reinvigorate a central neighbourhood of Santa Fe, New Mexico. Currently, the site is home to the Garson studios, the Santa Fe Art Institute and was previously host to the Santa Fe University of Art and Design up until 2018. This proposal seeks to revitalize the neighbourhood by highlighting its current assets while also providing new opportunities to create a multi-faceted node in Santa Fe. The main attraction is the commercial strip located around the large boulevard and ends at a roundabout. This “Circle” is connected visually to other points of interest such as open spaces coordinated around the woonerf street, an outdoor amphitheatre, and an outdoor movie screening area. The site as a whole is composed of mixed-use buildings which animates the neighbourhood at all times of the day. The woonerf is a long road that circles around the boulervard. It aims to create a safe and accessible pedestrian network by providing a large street open to light with commericial activity at grade. While cars are permitted on the Woonerf, the brick pavement and its curved roads dissuade drivers from using them for through traffic, only further accentuating its pedestrian aspect. Commercial activity tends to focus around the Woonerf and boulevard, while also providing the space for local markets to set up shop. Housing is composed mainly of mid-rise buildings located on the south of the site to provide proximity to the surrounding schools. Finally, the Arts and Higher Education Districts are focused on the northern part of the site taking advantage of the already existing buildings