The Boxyard Igniting Retail Spark In Downtown Tulsa

Innovative retail center constructed from repurposed shipping containers activates an empty lot, looks to spark a retail revival in downtown Tulsa.

John Griffin, Urban Designer - Selser Schaefer Architects

How did the site plan come about?

The Boxyard was influenced largely by the Boxpark in Shoreditch. Developer Casey Stowe was inspired by the Boxpark after visiting during the 2012 London Summer Olympics and enthusiastically brought the idea back to Tulsa. From the outset the vision included a central plaza surrounded by retail containers with second floor bar and deck space that frame sweeping skyline views of the downtown.

What are some of the elements that make Boxyard work from both an end user perspective as well as integrating the development into downtown’s walkable fabric in general?

The Boxyard is ideally situated in the heart of the East Village as it anchors the lively 3rd Street commercial corridor. By not providing on-site parking, users are encouraged to get out and walk the district which greatly enriches the daily life of the street. For visitors to the Boxyard, its unique use of narrow containers offers the highest density retail development in the downtown, providing a wonderful and easily accessible mix of local tenants. Whether shopping or simply passing through the Boxyard, the intimately scaled plaza has become that great “third place” – an excellent spot to run into friends and feel a part of this tightly knit community.

Image Credit: Selser Schaefer Architects

What were some of the challenges that had to be solved or overcome by designing a retail destination solely with the use of shipping containers?

Flexibility of retail space dimensions was a careful consideration. Key to having a good mix of tenants was creating options for retailers beyond the footprint of an individual container. Reinforcing openings cut into the sides of the containers allowed us to create a variety of internally connected spaces including shops of up to five containers wide. There were also significant challenges with grading across the site because the vertical dimensions of the containers are fixed and points of entry had to be uniform across the site.

We’re featured similar projects on our site such as San Francisco’s The Yard or San Diego’s Quartyard. How efficient is this model to replicate from a design and construction standpoint and do you see any benefits to working with shipping containers versus traditional construction materials?

As a modular unit, shipping containers offer the easy ability to not only replicate their design as retail spaces, but also allow for simple incremental growth of a development over a series of phases. There is also a significant advantage in terms of construction time and working in small urban infill sites with limited construction laydown space to being able to do most of the construction modifications to the containers off site and then haul them into place. What designers are discovering is that rather than the uniformity of the containers being a constraint to design, there is an incredible creative potential when it comes to stacking, turning, and cantilevering containers or reusing existing container components in new and inventive ways. Lastly, outside of the footings and site work involved, container developments provide the added benefit of being able to relocate them to another site should that flexibility be desired.

Image Credit: Selser Schaefer Architects

Downtown Tulsa seems to be defined by an aesthetic that mixes art deco with industrial chic. Your firm has done quite a bit of work in places like the Pearl District and the Brady Arts District. What do you define as Tulsa’s signature style and how do new construction projects like The Boxyard integrate into that uniquely Tulsa aesthetic?

Tulsa has had many significant periods of growth in its various downtown districts—from industrial brick warehouses along the rail corridors, to art deco and mid-century modern in the downtown—all of which collectively add to a rich canvas of architectural character in the city. The legacy of Tulsa as a cultural capital (as expressed in its renowned architecture) continues in the rehabilitation of its historic buildings and the new development of highly creative and artistic works of architecture such as the BOK Center and the Hardesty Arts Center. What is most exciting about the architectural climate today in Tulsa is to see the momentum underway in the redevelopment of the downtown and surrounding pre-war neighborhoods. At the heart of this movement is the desire for walkability to a mix of uses and an active street life. The Boxyard is a significant contribution toward this end with a fitting industrial character that is both at home in the East Village and yet a distinctive style of its own.

Next: A look at the mix of tenants housed at The Boxyard