12.02.2022
Conceptual Design
by Megan Padilla
Seeing a Site’s Full Potential
When a real estate developer sees an opportunity, the first few phone calls are usually to their lender and a trusted architect. If that developer is in Central Florida and has their eyes on an urban infill parcel in a developing neighborhood, then Interstruct’s Ryan Young, AIA, is often on the receiving end of one of those calls.
He and his design team are well versed at adaptive reuse and urban infill development, and not just in materializing creative concepts. Interstruct is first and foremost a commercial construction company whose in-house designers have a deep, working knowledge of building codes, zoning laws, construction materials and costs.
They also understand the granular dynamics, and challenges, that fuel distinct neighborhood “Main Street” districts such as Curry Ford West and the Hourglass District, the Milk District, Audubon Park Garden District, City District, the Heart of Orlando and Parramore Main Street. Interstruct is invested in all of these neighborhoods but especially in Parramore, home to Interstruct’s headquarters and vision for the incremental development of the West Church Corridor bookended by the Amway Center and Exploria Stadium to the east and Camping World Stadium to the west.
Further, Interstruct’s designers are also a team whose creativity and problem-solving is pushed, prodded, and nurtured by Young, who is a licensed architect, a general contractor, and a developer of infill projects along with his partners Rich Monroe and Matt Coticchio.
Senior project manager Carlo Hernandez recalls meeting Ryan for the first time over coffee. “Ryan wanted to explore the creative architecture side and move the needle, not just going the standard route. He wants to bring something special to Orlando.”
Designing from the Ground Level
Jumping into the early game of reimagining under-utilized real estate doesn’t come with any guarantees that Interstruct’s conceptual designs will be selected by the developer or owner, or that Interstruct will be engaged for the construction. But this is the work that fuels the Interstruct Design team: evaluating an existing site and envisioning a higher and better use for its future. Our designers understand where and how to extract maximum value for the owner and for the community that will benefit from and use it.
We love being part of this process no matter what happens in the end.
Ryan Young, AIA
See Conceptual Design Word from our Portfolio
We have repeated the exercise many times over and developed proposals for a wide range of adaptive reuse and urban infill development projects. Lead designer, Nathan Wallace, and senior project manager Carlo Hernandez have both been integral parts of all of these projects. You can see some of our conceptual design work here:
The City of Zephyrhills: Little but Loud Master Plan
Arlington Street Student Housing
Mayer Manor Multi-unit Residences in Delaney Park
The Hourglass District: Dining, Retail and Pocket Parks
201 N Bumby in Orlando’s Milk District
Much of Interstruct’s earliest conceptual design work was for the Milk District and grew from Young’s relationship with Orlando-based Giovanni Fernandez and Elise Sabatino of National Real Estate, who are also extremely active in the Hourglass District.
On a recent drive to the airport, Young passed through the intersection of E. Robinson and N. Bumby and noticed the activated corner, anchored by Stasio’s Italian Deli & Market and the adjacent Sideward Brewing Co., abuzz with crowds and food trucks, exactly as Young had envisioned.
Young’s plan had called for subdividing the original building into three parts: a restaurant, an office, and a bar in the back, as well as buying the adjacent property and combining the parking lots. “We designed the parking in a way that could have landscaping, lighting, and facilitate food trucks. It was amazing to see the space being used as we had envisioned.”
Says Young, “We weren’t fully engaged to build our concept but National has done such a great job with this site in the Milk District. It’s great to see that the original vision came through.
“We love being part of this process no matter what happens in the end.”
