Tall & Urban News

San Jose Project Builds on Area’s Agricultural Heritage

17 June 2021 | San Jose, United States
The Orchard's design recalls the agricultural heritage of San Jose. Images courtesy of westbank, renderings by tandem
The Orchard's design recalls the agricultural heritage of San Jose. Images courtesy of westbank, renderings by tandem

The Orchard residences on the Westbank campus in San Jose will span two distinct buildings including an accompanying workspace in an L-shaped plan.

Sited at 409 S 2nd street, as much of James K.M. Cheng Architects‘  structure as practical will be built of mass timber. The building and its public plaza will create a new gathering place in the SoFA district, connect to the retail, restaurant, and cultural experiences through a plaza created by the L-shaped footprint.

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The project’s design recalls the agricultural heritage of San Jose, weaving in as much nature as is practical. By integrating vegetation into the roofs and façades, the vertical orchard in part replaces the productive land displaced by the development and further contributes to local food production. The building expresses a patterned array of balconies and planters while a courtyard beneath a canopy of trees is introduced on the ground floor. 

The project features an all-electric building design and is aiming for a net zero carbon footprint. Landscape elements will be designed to improve thermal comfort conditions, mitigate stormwater impacts, and provide local food resources.

For more on this story, go to Designboom.