Sacramento’s Railyard district has been described by The Architect’s Newspaper as “America’s next big urban development.” Previously pitched to Amazon as a potential location for hq2, the site, inclusive of the Major League Soccer stadium, promises to double the capital city’s downtown area transforming its image and character. Following the October 21^st Sacramento Republic’s MLS expansion team announcement, the city’s planning commission unanimous approved The Railyards Lot 12.

The Foundry is located at the nexus of the Railyards district, connecting downtown Sacramento between the 5^th and 6^th with the city’s future. Architecturally, the primary goal of the development is to create a “Place” that launches the district and cements it as a transformative neighborhood in Sacramento. Designed by RMW for LDK Ventures, the project consists of two 6-story mass timber-framed buildings designed for mixed-use, office and retail/restaurant.

The project draws from the site’s rich rail centric history and creates a place that is forward-looking, attracting new visionaries to Sacramento, while honoring its heritage through the use of industrial materials including Corten steel, and mass timber. Following our award-winning, timber frame, commercial timber project, Lot 12 expands on lessons learned to create an experience that inhabits the intangible biophilic benefits of visible natural materials with exposed structural timber frames that also reinforce the spirit and character of Historic Railyards architecture.

At the heart of the project, A new PARK is created integrating ADA access with cascading stairways that connect both buildings while inviting public access to a regional parking garage on Railyards’ Lot 17 directly south of Lot 12. The buildings engage the adjacent streets, offering ground-level access to multiple entry locations.

design process / press / sacramento / tenant development / timber

Contributors

Dean Samuels Steve Worthington Adam O. Lovern