Wheeler Block 13

The Wheeler District, once the site of an abandoned airpark, is being transformed into a vibrant new urbanist community. Early development centered on bringing residents to the neighborhood with dense single-family housing, and Wheeler Block 13 marks the first mixed-use building to signal the next phase of larger, more dynamic projects.

Echoing the site’s history, the three-story structure recalls the original barrel-vaulted hangar with its curved roofline and features “dancing windows” as a playful reinterpretation of the airpark’s checkerboard flag. Thoughtful massing reduces the perceived scale of the building, allowing it to blend seamlessly with the surrounding residential fabric while offering the top floor a sense of spaciousness uncommon in modern office buildings.

Wallace Design Collective provided structural engineering services for the 30,000 square foot facility, which offers 9,000 square feet of restaurant and retail space on the ground floor and 18,000 square feet of office space above.

photography: ©Eric Schmid Photography