AXIS AT PTC APARTMENTS

When PMA was first approached by Peninsula Town Center, the request seemed simple: design apartments in an empty two-story shell space in an existing retail building. However, the project presented unique design and technical challenges. One challenge was to comfortably situate the number of apartments the owner desired on the two floors within the existing shell space. The second challenge was working with the existing post tensioned slab. The last challenge was providing acoustic separation between the adjacent movie theater and new apartments.

The design of narrow, linear apartment floor plans achieved the owner-required unit count, but this solution created a new challenge in providing egress from the sleeping areas. This obstacle was resolved by the design team and the project was approved for a bed to be placed in a space with no more than three floor-to-ceiling walls allowing a person standing at the open side of the bedroom a direct line of sight to the egress windows. In addition to the open side in the bedroom, the walls between the bedrooms and windows stopped 2' below the ceiling to "borrow" daylight from the curtainwall. The apartment plans are open and loft-like, with floor to ceiling walls of glass.

The final technical issue was designing the security, sound, and life safety separation between the apartments, adjacent movie theater, and bowling alley. A new residential corridor adjacent to the theater egress corridor was designed to achieve a secure movement path for apartment residents while maintaining the egress and use of the theaters.

Through innovative problem solving and a creative approach to unique challenges, the design team delivered a series of modern loft-style apartments with open floor plans unique to the market.