
Bound Brook Mixed-Use Building Design
Location: New Jersey, USA
Scope of services: Exterior Design
Date: February 2018
Client: Rey Aponte, Controller of VP Acquisitions, Reynolds Asset Management
Mixed-use building design is fast becoming a popular housing trend of choice, as the preference for large-scale residential developments is on the decline. Several years of urban sprawl have led to pockets of single-use developments that no longer respond to the evolving consumer’s expectations. The mixed-use building development model is a great tool for revitalizing downtown neighborhoods in need of a stimulus to draw communities back into their neighborhoods.
Bound Brook is one such neighborhood in New Jersey with a rich history and a strong sense of community. On the brink of transition, Bound Brook is taking up the challenge to provide its residents with greater access to commercial utilities by initiating the construction of mixed-use developments that feature a variety of uses including retail, office and residential.



Taking up several blocks on west Main Street, this 16-story, mixed-use building design offers a variety of retail and small boutique businesses on the first floor with street frontage. These include service-based businesses such as dry cleaners and salons as well as coffee shops, eateries and street-side cafes. The next three floors are dedicated to parking, culminating in a roof-top pool for inhabitants of the residential tower.
The residential tower makes up the remainder of the structure from floors 5 to 16 and comprises of studio, one-bedroom and two-bedroom apartments serviced by 3 elevators. Each unit in the building is assigned one parking space. The residential access to the building leads off the main road and is defined by a prominent glass cantilevered canopy.



Care has been taken to ensure that the architecture of this mixed-use building design blends in with local surrounding architecture and aligns with the architectural heritage of Bound Brook county. The material of choice for the exterior façade is red-faced brick, which has commonly been used in many other historical buildings in the neighborhood. In keeping with the traditional architecture of the region, large expanses of glazing have been divided into bays using vertical brick pillars to reinforce the verticality of the structure. A glass canopy makes a bold design statement while defining the entrance to the tower.
This mixed-use building design conforms to local building codes and provides much-needed pedestrian connections to the community by providing street-level entertainment and services for the public.