Lovejoy Square responds to the necessity for a gathering place and multi-use open urban space in Portland's NW District. The site, located at NW Lovejoy and 23rd Avenue, represents a strategic point. It has direct access to one of the most active streets in the neighborhood. Access to the city's streetcar -network is two blocks away on 21st Avenue. And, Lovejoy Square will become the core of the NW district after the Conway area is redeveloped. Conceived mostly as a destination, Lovejoy Square creates a connection between 21st and 23rd Avenues.
The NW Lovejoy Square is an infill project that consists of two mixed-use buildings, a small market and a public square. It is located between one the Good Samaritan Hospital facilities and The Parish of St. Mark. A shared parking system is provided underground for residents, employees, and hospital staff.
The eight-story building steps back 45 ft at the 6th story to create a comfortable scale at the perimeter of the space. The step-back creates an open private space for the residents in the form of a roof terrace and courtyard. The courtyard provides light to the office space below, and improves lighting and ventilation in the units facing the square (South).
The project's main premise is to create a contemporary version of the European and south American "plaza". While NW Lovejoy Square does not perfectly attain the symbolic value of a "Plaza Mayor", its physical characteristics are reminiscent of an Old World Main Square and create an inviting and cozy urban space on neighborhood scale.