Napa Pipe

OLIN and William Rawn Associates collaborated with Napa Redevelopment Partners to transform this 152-acre brownfield site along the Napa River. Originally occupied by a pipe manufacturing company, industrial artifacts and relics still present include huge gantry rails and cranes, dry docks, rail lines, and oversized steel pipes. To preserve and highlight the history of the site, the design team incorporated some of these objects and features into the plan. Public access to and along the banks of the Napa River has been maintained, thus increasing connectivity to parks and riverfront trails beyond the site, and creating new opportunities for water-related activities, such as kayaking, boating, water taxis and birdwatching. The master plan weaves together medium density residential housing, a town center, pedestrian friendly streets, and a series of green spaces ranging from small “pocket parks” to larger civic parks. A rail line that bisects the site is flanked on one side by a park with a constructed streambed that will collect and filter stormwater run-off from streets and roofs. The streets are oriented and designed to maximize views to the surrounding foothills of the town of Napa and the Napa River, and to capture the prevailing winds. The town center is located at the edge of the river and provides opportunities for a variety of program elements, such as restaurants, hotels, commercial and retail spaces, and public events. For its innovative and sustainable approach to planning, Napa Pipe earned LEED Gold certification for Neighborhood Development, one of the first projects in the U.S. to receive such an honor.

Location
Napa, CA

Owner
Napa Redevelopment Partners, LLC

Status
Master plan completed 2006

Key Team Members
Dennis McGlade, Partner-in-Charge
Skip Graffam, Associate