LAGUNA

Laguna Apartments is a six story 45 unit boutique apartment building located in Uptown Minneapolis.  The 74,540 square foot building with two levels of enclosed parking replaced four houses and a surface parking lot.  Laguna is a smaller apartment building which sets it apart from other projects.  Its smaller scale helps it fit into the neighborhood fabric and its variety of floor plans allows diversity because of its variety in unit types, sizes and rents which makes it a great addition to the Uptown neighborhood.

The design challenge was meeting the requirements of the Uptown Small Area Plan.  This was achieved by utilizing step backs on the upper floors to create a sculpted building envelope.  The buildings first floor plan provides active street fronts with walk up units along the Irving Street and large areas of glass  along Lagoon Avenue showcasing the lively uses of the community room, fitness center and lobby at street level.  The sculpted façade and setbacks at the 5th and 6th floors created opportunities for large balconies and patios at the corners of the building.  The facades are articulated with recessed balconies, material changes and step backs that give the building character when viewed from Lagoon, Irving as well as from Lake Street to the south.