Pedestrian appeal It is a rare honor when a strip center receives a beautification award from the community it serves. Such is the case at Trinity Commons, a recently renovated strip center in Fort Worth, Texas. In the category of New or Renovated Strip Centers, O'Brien & Associates Inc., Dallas was awarded the 2000 SADI for its design work on the project.
The design mission for Trinity Commons was to create an open air center that was architecturally unique, upscale and pedestrian-friendly, without straying from the traditional ranch-style architecture indicative of its high-end residential neighborhood. The center's buildings are surrounded by generous walkways, green space, benches and custom light fixtures, all to add pedestrian appeal. A central plaza showcases a water fountain and an outdoor restaurant dining area. Near the main entrance stands a dramatic, 8-foot sculpture of an American elk, a reference to the native Texas wildlife. A 100-year-old pecan tree was incorporated into the center's landscape design. The elk is stationed underneath it and its branches provide shade for the outdoor patio area.
Stone and antique tile roofing was used to add a Mediterranean flavor to the ranch style, and costs were kept low by using synthetic stone rather than actual stone on the building's facade.
AWARD RECIPIENT O'BRIEN & ASSOCIATES INC. Dallas * obrienarch.com John O'Brien (principal)
CLIENT TRADEMARK COS. Fort Worth
LINCOLN PROPERTY CO. Dallas Product Manufacturers/Suppliers: Hawks & Tingle, Fort Worth, Texas (general contractor); Brockette Davis Drake, Dallas (civil engineer); HBC Engineering, Dallas (geotechnical engineer); Linda Tycher & Associates, Dallas (landscape architect); RH George & Associates, Houston (MEP engineer); TechniStructures Inc., Dallas (structural engineer); Acme Brick, Dallas (brick pavers); Boral Brick, Van Wyck, S.C. (brick); Dryvit, West Warwick, R.I. (EIFS); TXI, Houston (grout); Berridge Manufacturing Co., Houston (awnings); Kawneer, Norcross, Ga. (metals); Sherwin-Williams, Cleveland (paint); Nolley Signs Inc., Haltom City, Texas (signs); Roof Tile & Slate Co., Carrollton, Texas (roof material); Sonneborn, Shakopee, Minn. (sealants); Lone Star Stone of Texas, Hillsboro, Texas (stone); American Tile Supply, Dallas (terra cotta tile)