Northland Development engaged our team to transform a 22-acre (10-hectare) auto-oriented strip mall and post-industrial site into a vibrant mixed-use neighborhood rooted in walkability, ecological restoration, and community life. The resulting vision, known as Pattern District, reimagines the site as a destination with a strong sense of place where housing, nature, mobility, and community are seamlessly integrated.
Inspired by historic New England village centers, our walkable village design is based on landscape urbanism principles, with buildings nestled within a new naturalistic landscape. The public realm serves as the organizing framework for the development, creating publicly accessible parks and open space—as well as green roofs and amenity decks—that support gathering and recreation. These interconnected spaces include a central village green, parks, vibrant retail streetscapes, and plazas with outdoor dining, while a mobility hub plaza acts as a gateway and provides connections to nearby transit.
Ecological restoration is fundamental to the design. More than 750 trees and diverse native plant communities are being introduced across the site to restore biodiversity. A previously buried section of Meadow Brook was restored, reintroducing water as a defining landscape feature and helping create a more resilient urban ecosystem. Green infrastructure strategies, including permeable paving, stormwater retention areas, and reclaimed-water irrigation support long-term environmental performance.
We designed five residential buildings within the development. Strategies to reduce energy demand include an insulated envelope, efficient mechanical systems, triple-glazed windows, and the use of mass timber. Upon completion, Pattern District will be one of the largest all-electric market-rate Passive House developments in the world. The project has achieved LEED for Neighborhood Development Gold certification, recognizing its integrated approach to sustainable neighborhood design, ecological restoration, and community connectivity.
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