Client: Howard CDM
Type: Commercial, Landscape
Size: 9,893 SF
"A great affordable arrangement of materials, space and uses easily repeated in other smaller cities as a means to bring life to a civic center area, public enjoyment, play and discourse." - ASLA Jury
A 20,000-square-foot, al-fresco, neighborhood dining experience located at 12900 Euclid Street, this is the first SteelCraft in Orange County. Twenty-four repurposed cargo containers are positioned around communal eating areas on a 1.8-acre lot along with a children’s play area, co-working space, upper-level patio, retro video-game arcade, pop-up retail and an organic garden.
The containers house eleven curated vendors: craft food, coffee and beer brewers, dessert, retail and a winery (soon to come). The upstairs creative office space is 320 square feet with an adjacent second-story dining patio that can be leased out for private events.
Every detail is beautifully executed, including multiple cantilevered containers and a second-story balcony. The video-game arcade offers games from the golden era of gaming and includes Ms. Pac-Man, Galaga, Centipede, Mortal Kombat, Street Fighter 2, Claw Machine and Simpsons.
"If food-truck meet-ups were the thing in 2010, shipping containers that have been converted into commercial kitchens are the latest rage. Position them surrounding a common area, and you have a foodie fort ready for invasion by hungry people." - OC Weekly
In the chef’s garden, passion fruit vines, citrus and herb ground cover are cultivated for restaurant use. The passion fruit is harvested by Honey & Butter restaurant as an ingredient for its macarons. Planned for the center of the garden is a raised area with a communal table set among herbs, spices, flowers and seasonal vegetables. The re-purposed containers are cost-effective; they can be assembled quickly; they are well-suited for local, independent vendors; and they efficiently transform underused parcels into thriving destinations.
"The design of SteelCraft Garden Grove creates an informal gathering place for the community to congregate, share experiences while creating opportunities for local businesses. The spaces between the refurbished shipping containers play with the shape and form, creating an inviting human-scale environment. The picnic-style tables and lighting accentuate the informal ambiance. Definity a modular and marketable business model for the future." - ASLA Jury
"Well scaled, program rich, and easily accessible. A nice sequence of programming and open space inviting one to just hang out." - AIA OC Jury