Client Challenge | A once-empty corner of South Main needed to accommodate both housing and parking on a constrained 5,500 SF footprint—while meeting a 35′ height limit, maximizing unit flexibility for short- and long-term rentals, and preserving usable outdoor areas. The client sought a clear path through local zoning and design guidelines to unlock this site’s potential. 

Team Approach | Principle guided the project through a two‐phase design process, beginning with Concept Design to explore three‐story massing scenarios for up to three residential units—two one‐bedroom flats and a two‐bedroom unit—alongside a 1,300 SF carriage house perched above a two‐stall garage. In close collaboration with the client, we refined unit layouts, selected finish palettes for kitchens and baths, and optimized building siting to maximize yard and amenity space. Parking strategies—ranging from on-street stalls to shared-lot arrangements and dedicated on-site spaces—were evaluated to balance tenant needs with neighborhood priorities. Once the preferred scheme was approved, Phase II moved forward with detailed architectural and interior design, finalizing floor plans, elevations, corridor configurations, and coordinating exterior hardscape and softscape design with the client’s landscape architect.

Project Impact | Completed in 2024, the development introduced three thoughtfully designed rental homes—including a standalone carriage-house unit—alongside up to five on-site parking stalls and a streamlined trash service that eliminated outdoor clutter. The project also delivered inviting outdoor spaces that knit the street and yard together, setting a new benchmark for compact-living amenity in South Main while bolstering neighborhood walkability and vitality. 

Location
Buena Vista, Colorado

Client
Landowner

Year
2022 - 2024

Team
Principle, South Main

Disciplines
Architecture
Urban Design