A mixed-use development as gateway to East San Jose

This multi-phased project for the School of Arts and Culture at the Mexican Heritage Plaza is part of a redevelopment effort expected to revitalize this East San Jose neighborhood. Design inspiration came from TOPA Architecture’s extensive outreach to the local community to engage them in the design process. An emphasis was placed on the representation of local culture, resulting in a design utilizing a Mexican color palette and scaling the building mass into micro-components creating a “small town” feel.  

This new mixed-use development project is located close to a future BART Station on an underutilized parking lot. The ground-up project will include outdoor courtyards, community areas and interior spaces. It will focus on bringing services and meeting places to the community. The new building will include 70,000 square feet of commercial space targeted for activating services like daycare, fitness center, classrooms, and a new parking garage. Communal outdoor courtyard areas are accessible to the public, and the 100 affordable housing units on site. 

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