Walden is a 230 unit, new-build multifamily housing complex in Vadnais Heights, MN. The project embraces a heavily constrained site due to delineated wetlands and enhances their presence with meandering walking paths, amenity decks overlooking the cattails, and unique stormwater retention areas shaped with landscaping and ecological devices.

The site is heavily linear north-south creating a long building broken up with the social “knuckle” that has grade level lounge areas and upper level coworking spaces. The grade level lounge has a north woods lodge-like feeling of comfort and accessible materials for communal hangouts, relaxation and connection back to the nature of the site. As a former dumpsite, the project has navigated complex structural piling systems, methane mitigation based on creative building massing and screening, and unique landscape ideas to treat the landscape and soils overtime.

Talmage