‘Village’ Town Square Mixed-Use in Dublin
We’ve been partnering with the City of Dublin and the Wood Companies on a small-scale, walkable ‘village’ that feels rooted in the neighborhood’s character. The intent is simple: create a human-scaled town center that looks like it grew over time and supports everyday community life.
We spent time listening to the City of Dublin to better understand their vision and aspirations for the project. With an understanding that the City held a strong desire to strengthen the fabric of the existing built environment and support the city’s vision for a more walkable, community-oriented future, our team began a deep study of the places people love most. Inspiration came from historic villages, residential streets, and successful mixed-use districts. It led to the study of storefront widths, building rhythms, and the combinations of uses that make a place comfortable to walk and easy to navigate. The goal became simple: shape a fine-grained environment that works at the scale of everyday life.
That early research informed the key design strategies below:
Pedestrian-first design: emphasizes internal walkways, lanes meant for foot traffic, outdoor dining, parklets, and a centralized green space.
Human-scale massing: designed around one- to two-story buildings to avoid towering forms. Smaller formatted storefronts that create a more refined neighborhood scale, bringing about a comfortable, approachable experience.
Architectural variety: layering in architectural variety ensures each building block is distinct yet complementary. Multiple building styles evoke incremental development to better echo how a neighborhood grows over time.
Contextual materials: drawing from local residential vernacular, the team heavily considered all the finer details and elements such as the use of wood accents, and copper-style rooflines — along with porches, patios, balconies, and detailed trim work, in addition to masonry, stone, stucco, fiber-cement siding.
At its core, this project is about creating a warm, accessible, and unpretentious gathering place for the Dublin community. This is more than a shopping plaza, it’s a neighborly destination where casual interactions are built over dining, or even running errands.
Click here to read more in Columbus Business First’s article.
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- A pedestrian-friendly ground floor retail and dining spaces are centered by a public green space. Social connection and community gathering are encouraged through this layering effect.
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- Careful consideration of materiality, building facades, and their profiles play into Dublin’s well-established identity.
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- Thoughtful integration of roughly 93,000- 94,000 square feet of retail, restaurant, parking, office, and green space will replace a gas station.
About The Author
Dan Hanes - Architect
Danial Hanes established The Columbus Architectural Studio based on the principle of “doing work that is worth doing”. This concept has guided him through his 30 years of experience and has been a cornerstone of the firm since its inception in 2016. Having worked on a variety of projects, ranging from multi-family residences to professional sports stadiums and even a chicken coop, his focus has remained the same: the client, transparency, and good design. With the aim of inspiring and improving his community, he emphasizes building relationships rather than egos. Danial’s commitment to Columbus and his profession has led him to advocate for inclusion, community, and engagement among professionals, students, and those interested in the field. He has served as the past Chair of The Center for Architecture and Design, and is currently a board member of the Columbus chapter of The American Institute of Architects. His firm is also a proud sponsor of NOMA's Columbus Chapter. Despite the demands of his packed calendar, he consistently finds opportunities to guide and inspire the next wave of architects.