PRIDE of PLACE: Kentlands Market Square | Gaithersburg, MD
At MV+A a good deal of our retail planning practice involves ‘re-positioning’ properties for our clients in meaningful and game-changing ways. We approach every project individually, considering a wide range of factors relative to what will ensure the most successful project outcomes. These factors range from localized considerations such as site access and circulation, visibility and security, and effective place-making, to the implications of broader market forces and regional patterns of development.
The neighborhood of Kentlands, MD, began development in the late 1980’s. Planned by Duany, Plater-Zyberk, the development is an early example of New Urbanism—an approach promoting the diversity of uses and populations, transit options with pedestrian friendly patterns of circulation, and universally accessible urban places framed by architectural and landscape designs that are informed by local history, climate, and ecology. Today, Kentlands is a thriving community and Kentlands Market Square has become a major commercial destination within the greater Gaithersburg area.
Site Context Photos with Project Scope
In 2016, MV+A was engaged by a longstanding client, Kimco Realty, to plan and implement the first phase of a master plan for Kentlands Market Square. The master plan, approved in 2018, presents Kimco’s long-term vision and framework for the property’s transformation with the goal of enhancing and sustaining the vitality of Kentlands’ commercial district with the eventual creation of a Downtown Kentlands. Phase I, completed this year, was envisioned as a series of place-based interventions in the form of appropriately located and scaled open spaces, a street network based on existing circulation patterns, thoughtfully scaled façade treatments, and a viable mix of market-responsive retail configurations.
Movie Theater + Retail | Before + After
Mixed-Retail | Before + After
As part of the original project planning, several big-box retail buildings were incorporated within Kentlands Market Square, nestled within a fabric of varying, smaller commercial venues. Blocks including two such structures were addressed in the first phase of the new master plan: one including a movie theatre with a prominent corner marquee and another including a large-format retail outlet. For both blocks, the design direction was to create a greater sense of cohesion across the varying facades of each block. When appropriate, existing finishes should be preserved and refurbished in accordance with a newly proposed, comprehensive material palette. Otherwise, new facades were to be implemented in conjunction with new streetscape features.
For the block with the movie theater, the adopted approach involved a major reconfiguration of the theater’s corner entrance and the deployment of new cladding materials intended to extent the marquee / landmark character, formerly restricted to a corner location, across the entirety of the block. This was accomplished in part by a three-story tall, super-graphic mural, highly visible from Kentlands Blvd.—a major artery bifurcating the Kentlands commercial district.
For the block with the large-format retail outlet, the decision was made to carve out an opening through the middle of the big-box space, creating a paseo along which new, smaller inline retail venues would be inserted. The paseo not only serves these new storefront destinations, but also provides the existing tenants along Market Street beyond with greater access and expanded street presence. Additionally, the paseo paves the way for the more porous, pedestrian-centric circulation patterns that will be required to achieve the master plan vision for a future Downtown Kentlands.
Also worth noting, all of the work was accomplished with in-situ tenants—no one was expected to vacate during the construction phase.
Refurbished Retail Façade and Streetscape
New Retail Façade and Streetscape
New Retail Façades, Streetscape, and Paseo Entry Point
New Retail Façades, Streetscape, and Paseo Entry Point
Plan of Paseo
View Along Paseo
View Along Paseo | Westward
View Along Paseo | Eastward
Paseo Entry Point | Eastward
New Retail Façades and Public Space
New Retail Façades [Right] and Public Space
Ultimately, the success of any public, commercial place comes down to an ability to attract, captivate, and engage visitors. When such a place coalesces the qualities of ‘destination’ and ‘community’ in tangible and tactile ways, the potential for success is greatly increased. Along these lines, there are myriad considerations that go into recalibrating the public realm. From façades to furnishings, there are many highly nuanced interfaces to negotiate in the pursuit of effective place making and wayfinding. At MV+A, this has long been at the core of our process—as evidenced by frequent requests from our clients to produce various types of design guidelines for their projects. For Kentlands Market Square, our scope included both full-services for architecture and design consulting for ancillary building projects.
Within this context, MV+A’s approach to addressing both the immediate and long-term viability of proposed solutions through these place-based interventions has produced dramatic results. In the short term, the community can enjoy and take pride in this vibrant transformation of their neighborhood. In the long term, this first phase of redevelopment should stimulate meaningful enthusiasm and momentum towards future phases of development in the ongoing evolution of Downtown Kentlands.
Refurbished Retail Façades and Streetscape
New Theatre Façade [MV+A | Design Development Only]
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KENTLANDS MARKET SQUARE | Gaithersburg, MD
Client: Kimco Realty
Design Development + Architecture: MV+A
Landscape Architecture: Hord Coplan Macht
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