December 2007: Taylor Woodrow Homes
The Coolest Address in the South Bay
By Kay Wilthew

Few home builders possess the ingenuity to transform the site of an old refrigeration and cold-storage plant into an innovative, urban-revitalizing venture. Taylor Woodrow Homes stakes claim to this distinction with a new residential community in North San Jose. Modern Ice utilizes a clever interlocking unit design that incorporates spatial concepts on a whole new level.

For over 75 years, the development's namesake, Modern Ice and Cold Storage, occupied the site that still resonates with historical significance within the established San Jose neighborhood known as Luna Park. Taylor Woodrow management chose to adopt the original name, preserving a slice of local history while enhancing the community's economic future. Taylor Woodrow partnered with architectural firm KTGY to design a complex, four- story, multitiered housing structure. The design successfully met the city of San Jose's unit-density requirements while offering elegant livability at a very appealing price point.

Vickie Nyland, Taylor Woodrow's president of Bay Area operations, attributes the project's success to the level of collaboration between the company and city planners. "Together we determined how the Modern Ice project best fit the neighborhood, ensured an outcome satisfactory to neighborhood advocates, and still made certain from a sales and marketing perspective that the project made economic sense for us." A key component of the development is a central 1.3-acre public park, which symbolizes a renaissance for the area. Nyland believes the park will energize the Luna Park neighborhood, which has already begun attracting new businesses. "Modern Ice represents a mass of new higher-income-earning people who will come into this neighborhood and create economic redevelopment throughout the whole area. We think the park will help with areas outside the project to enhance the existing neighborhood."

The sophisticated structure of Modern Ice presented Taylor Woodrow with some site and design challenges. Rick Tardif, Vice President of Construction, explains the interconnected floor and wall design. "The interlocking design stacks residences in a way that creates multilevel living spaces. Contrary to a traditional row design, units fit together by sharing walls, floors and ceilings of different living spaces. For example, the master bedroom of one unit may share the wall of the adjacent unit's kitchen, while the floor serves as the ceiling for the unit's lower bedrooms." While logistically intricate, the approach is quite effective and accommodates the 200 units sought by the city.

Acoustics present a major concern for multiple-unit developments, and Taylor Woodrow took care to ensure this issue was more than adequately addressed. "We're very conscious of the acoustical challenges," remarks Nyland. "Our goals are to exceed the standard requirements, and we've found success with what we've completed to date."

Adds Tardif, "We've taken measures to go above and beyond what's required. We try as much as possible to keep the sounds contained within each unit, which is trickier to pull off with interlocking units. We've paid very close attention and worked effectively with our acoustical consultants, architects and contractors to put a model together that will do the best job at controlling the sound transfer between units."

Buyers have been quick to recognize that Modern Ice represents a high-quality investment at a fair price. Units are selling at a rate of 10 per month, with nearly half of Modern Ice's first 98 homes already sold. Nyland appreciates that in a cooled-down San Francisco Bay Area new-home market, Modern Ice represents one of the hottest-selling projects in the Silicon Valley. "We have one of the best and highest spec levels in the South Bay at this price point. Prices start in the high $400s for three-bedroom units. We offer granite slab countertops, stainless steel appliances, ceramic tile flooring in the kitchens and bathrooms; those are great features. For a buyer to get all of those features in one project as a standard is pretty tough. There is no better value, and I think a real testimony to our sales success and the entire package we've put together."

While Modern Ice's imaginative design illuminates Taylor Woodrow as an industry leader, Nyland maintains that the company's growth is carefully controlled. "We're a group that is patient and determined; we don't just go out and make land grabs. We're growing in a steady fashion and are committed to providing housing opportunities with close access to employment centers." Tardif agrees, noting the company's overriding community goal. "We try to locate our projects in places that make things accessible and attainable to homeowners and improve the overall quality of our homeowners' lives." Based on community support, Modern Ice has secured its own slice of local history.

Taylor Woodrow Homes' community Modern Ice is located at 644 Boardwalk Way in San Jose, CA 95112. Call (408) 595-2149 or visit liveatmodernice.com for more information.