The Earnest Residential Mixed-use: North Park

Named for the original neighborhood grocers that built, owned and operated ‘Grobb’s Grocery’ from 1918-1934, William Earnest Grobb and his wife, The Earnest is a new mixed use apartment building. At street level, it includes a hair salon and record store. Its 4-story, full-block presence and striking geometric lines establish a contemporary tone for infill revitalization in the evolving North Park neighborhood.

Achieving a balance of residential privacy in conjunction with opportunities for tenants to interact with one other, the central courtyard contains a “spider web” of pathways diverging from the project’s nucleus; a large, communal, lounge-like outdoor living and barbeque area. The navigational network weaves around and through the building, generating generous exterior circulation, maintaining visual accessibility of the common area and privatizing unit access.

The Earnest’s architectural details emphasize its interactive lifestyle and aesthetic. Visible from the street, deep overhangs are embellished with colorful panels of art and pitched walls. An entry screen with The Earnest’s “E” logo emblazoned repetitively in steel are framed in black sand-finished stucco, amplifying the structure’s communication with users and passersby. Inside, symmetrically patterned tile work and stainless steel mesh guardrails complement the black and white stucco composition.

The Earnest’s intentional social programming and pioneering design caters to urban professionals who desire a modern crisp space typically found in a hi-rise, but with a more intimate, community-oriented setting and experience. Dwellers can opt for a more socially engaged living experience facing the common area, or a more private, but still connected residence, with outward views of mountains and a nearby water tower.

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