Saint Paul Condominium Building
The existing parking lot behind the building will be regraded to solve water and ice issues and reorganized to allow for more parking and gathering spaces.
Last winter, the residents of this mid-century structure dealt with 8 inch thick ice at their back door. Groundwater seeping from the steep slope behind them creates a skating rink in cold weather and trickles through the parking lot even in summer. Needless to say, then, Treeline's first mandate was to solve the water issue. But residents were also interested in better outdoor gathering spaces, a better separation from the public roadway, and enough parking spaces for each resident (something that did not exist).
Treeline spent a full day designing on site and met with residents on several occasions. The resultant master plan proposes to regrade the existing parking lot and install a new wall farther from the building. This will keep water away from the back door and allow for two rows of parking. Treeline's detailed, low-impact stormwater management scheme includes submerged trenches, rain gardens, and permeable paving to slow and filter stormwater before it discharges into the city storm sewer system. In addition, Treeline went beyond property lines at the main entry, in order to save a 60 foot oak tree on the neighbor's property by creating a shared entry and garbage collection area. At the back of the building, a multi-elevation series of new plazas (likely to be made from salvaged materials) will increase the opportunities for socialization.
This project proves that sustainable stormwater techniques are possible even on tiny urban sites with severe water issues. Improvements will likely be under construction this summer.