carlyles watch parking system Maximizing Parking Spaces in High-Density Urban Developments

carlyles watch parking system Maximizing Parking Spaces in High-Density Urban Developments

Will Rogers once famously declared Politics ain t worrying this country one-tenth as much as where to find a parking space Urban renewal, especially new condominium developments are often confronted with a shortage of parking spaces. Urban land comes at a premium; the very essence of urbanism is high density. Land for parking lots, be they surface or multistory is either unavailable, or if available, parking structures usually do not make for very desirable neighbors to other developments. Given these constraints, how do you successfully build condominiums in a downtown setting, where more than often, zoning requirements include at least one parking space per housing unit? Urban Loft Ventures, the developers of the Carlyles Watch Condominiums in downtown Columbus, OH, purchased an existing decrepit office building on a relatively small lot located along the newly revitalized Gay Street in downtown Columbus. This property had been historically dismissed by several developers as being albeit, well located, not economically viable for development due to lack of sufficient space for parking. Image of the original building purchased by the developers. This building formerly housed an insurance company and dated back to the 1920 s

This series of diagrams illustrates the development potential of the site verses the minimum parking volume requirement to meet zoning regulations The mechanical parking system simultaneously reduces the required volume for parking, minimizing the cost of construction for housing the required number of vehicles, and maximizes the development potential of the project The developers approached Meyers + Associates to explore innovative ways to maximize the development potential of this site for condominiums. Zoning allowed for zero lot line development and the location of the property on the corner of two major roadways was ideal for high-rise construction. The only aspect holding us back was a cost-effective parking solution. A conventional ramped parking structure at the base of the building was investigated, however proved to be impractical, due to a very skewed ramp vs. spaces per level ratio, given a very small site. Off site parking facilities were considered but abandoned due to concerns of convenience and safety. Looking for ideas, Meyers + Associates began investigating parking solutions and innovations in other highdensity urban centers around the nation. The result of these investigations led us to look into mechanically operated parking solutions. We came across a German company named Klaus Parking Systems Inc. that had successfully installed mechanized parking systems in San Francisco and New York City.

Excerpt from the Klaus Technical brochure for the P310 Parking automat implemented at Carlyles Watch Klaus had an innovative product called the P310 Semi-Automatic Puzzle Lift. This system consisted of a series of 3-level hydraulically operated platforms that with the aid of a depressed pit and small overhead clearance, allowed 3 cars to be parked and independently accessed where you would conventionally park a single car. Auto-Parksysteme GmbH Hermann-Krum-Str. 2 D-88319 Aitrach Tel. 0 75 65 / 508-0 Fax 0 75 65 / 508-88 http://www.klaus-autopark.de e-mail: info@klaus-autopark.de Garage Cross Section Space requirements are minimum finished dimensions in inch Parking Automat Series P 310 Number of parking spaces: min. 5 to max. 29 CONFORMITY This system has the combined benefit of reducing space requirements by about a third per car, at a very marginal increase in cost per car over a conventional ramped parking structure. The reduced size also allows for easier security and maintenance of the parking areas. The system, though installed by specialists can be maintained by a local hydraulic elevator installer. 1 6 10 4 10 Free space UF GF 18 1 12 8 Detail X for door dimensions see inside page Free space DH 6 7-6 11 1 10 H Construction images of the P310 system installed at Carlyles Watch LF Completed installation prior to occupancy T Faced with a challenge, we seldom fall back to conventional solutions and the limitations that they pose. We are not afraid to look beyond the obvious or the norm, if it is the correct direction for our clients and the project Principal Architect Christopher Meyers, AIA, LEED AP Type P 310-175 P 310-200 1 8 Recommended: 1 8 drainage channel with sump T These floor areas need to be horizontal and on equal level across the full width of the pit H DH 5 9 11 4 5 9 6 7 13 4 6 11 UF: max. vehicle height 4 12 GF: max. vehicle height 5 7 LF: max. vehicle height 4 12 UF: max. vehicle height 5 9 GF: max. vehicle height 6 7 } LF: max. vehicle height 5 9 Suitable for standard passenger vehicle and station wagon *in accordance with local regulations Maximum vehicle dimensions Length 16 6 Height see chart Weight 2,000 kg Wheel load 500 kg If dimension H (height) is changed, correspondingly different vehicle heights on the upper floor (UF) or correspondingly changed free spaces h ili (h d ) ill b h l } standard passenger vehicle and station wagon

parking level plan building section

The completed project is a 54 condominium unit development with a parking space per unit. The Klaus system installed in the building was the first operational mechanized parking solution in the central Ohio region at the time.