ARRIVE in the Community

Grand Opening of Highpoint Family

By September 1, 2016 No Comments
Last week, ARRIVE was honored to take part in the Grand Opening celebration for the second phase of our Highpoint Family project in Dallas. This project, part of the mayor’s Grow South initiative, was designed in collaboration with a number of major figures in Dallas. Dallas Mayor Mike Rawlings was on hand, along with Reverend Johnny Flowers, Dallas City Councilman Scott Griggs, CEO of CitySquare Larry James, and Dallas Market President for Bank of America, Richard Holt. 

This facility, in the Wynnewood neighborhood, will afford Oak Cliff families the opportunity to live in safe, affordable and comfortable apartment homes, with secure, covered parking in a multi-level, on site, parking structure.  These families will enjoy a workout facility, business center, play area, swimming pool and numerous on site community activities coordinated through Buckner Services of North Texas.

 

With many project types, as the architect, the focus is on a specific experiential setting. Take the design of a sanctuary for a church as an example. The design will work to foster an atmosphere that promotes worship and praise, a place where many can gather with a single focus.  Think about a medical office. Designed to be a sterile environment where patients can get treatment when they are sick. Both seek primarily to serve one single purpose.  As designers of multi-family communities, however, we are able to design a space that end users will call ‘home.’

Designing someone’s home, where they will live out each day for years, perhaps decades, of their lives is certainly challenging, but also rewarding. It is where they will laugh, play, study, sleep, dream, lay on the couch when they are sick, or get dressed for their high-school graduation.

Without delving into scientific studies on the benefits of good natural day-lighting, and without citing statistics on social benefits of promoting a community atmosphere, it is seemingly minor design decisions that will create a major difference for the residents.  That difference is noticed when you step onto the property at Highpoint Family.

 

The impact this project is already having on the surrounding community is evident.  During the ceremony, special mention was made of a wall in the Community Room that is covered with self-portraits, painted by children who will live in these apartments.  These children not only get an upgrade by way of newly constructed, freshly painted apartments- a big step up from the existing complex- but they are being impacted by the opportunity to play a part in shaping the future of their neighborhood and their city.

We have been fortunate to take part in this second phase of development in Southern Dallas.  We are also proud to once again show that much more than budget and finishes make an impact on a project.  We look forward to continuing the transformation of this neighborhood and hope that we can continue to make an impact one community at a time.

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