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Civic Arches for Rockville Centre Rockville Center, NY

Tim Love and Elizabeth Christoforetti, Utile, Inc.

EDITOR'S DESIGN CHOICE

The flexible parking garage prototype, designed to extend the public realm and add vitality to Rockville Centre. Monumental ground floor arches create a memorable civic space that complements and extends the existing concrete colonnade beneath the Long Island Rail Road tracks. Image courtesy of Utile, Inc. Architecture + Planning

A ground level arcaded hall is a venue for weekend markets and festivals, and connects the garages to the pedestrian and open space network. Courtyards bring light and air deep into the garages. Image courtesy of Utile, Inc. Architecture + Planning

The Rockville Centre garage prototype, shown here in three variations, accommodates a wide range of add-on program, including housing, tennis courts, restaurants, shops, and office space. Image courtesy of Utile, Inc. Architecture + Planning

During the weekday, the garage is filled with cars. On the weekend and holidays, the ground level is colonized by markets, festivals, and pedestrian life. Image courtesy of Utile, Inc. Architecture + Planning

A site plan of Rockville Centre illustrates conversion of surface parking into parking structures that liberate public land for better uses like markets, apartments, and open space, while providing hundreds of additional parking spaces. Image courtesy of Utile, Inc. Architecture + Planning

Rockville Centre would benefit from a new village green and landscaped plaza, and better downtown connections for pedestrians and bicyclists. Image courtesy of Utile, Inc. Architecture + Planning

The three-bay garage prototype maximizes parking efficiency, while a narrower two-bay prototype fits within more constrained sites. Image courtesy of Utile, Inc. Architecture + Planning

The prototype accommodates a wide range of “PLUS” uses that could be added to the structure based on evolving needs in the Village. Image courtesy of Utile, Inc. Architecture + Planning

The garage prototype is flexible, designed to anticipate a future when car use might decrease and the durable structure could be adapted for other programs. Image courtesy of Utile, Inc. Architecture + Planning

Well-designed parking structures can enhance suburban downtowns, connecting pedestrians to sidewalks lined with shops, open plazas, and beautiful monumental civic spaces. Image courtesy of Utile, Inc. Architecture + Planning

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A commuter rail line with high ridership runs through a busy suburban downtown. Numerous surface lots monopolize and divide the village center. Can parking structures fix this problem and provide a missing public gathering space?

The Village of Rockville Centre, a transit-served suburban community, has a thriving scene of restaurants and shops but lacks a significant civic gathering space. The Utile team designed a garage prototype with monumental ground-floor arches, which would function as parking during the week and a welcoming public plaza on weekends.

The prototype is designed with an innovative structural system of ground-floor arches built of tilt-up concrete panels with economical precast concrete components on the levels above.

More about Civic Arches

Find out more about the Design Proposal.

Read a Q&A with Tim Love and Elizabeth Christoforetti of Utile, Inc.

Watch a video of Tim Love unveiling the design.

More about ParkingPLUS

Find out about the potential economic benefits of the ParkingPLUS designs.

Read about how to finance parking garages, and why it pays to build them in downtown and train station areas.

Learn more about the ParkingPLUS design challenge.