Co-op Plaza Redevelopment

Mixed Use Urban Building Supports Local Businesses and Residents

The Brattleboro Co-op in conjunction with Housing Vermont and Windham Housing Trust commissioned gbA to design a new four story mixed use building.  The first two floors of this four story building house the co-op grocery store and its administrative offices, a bakery, and commercial space aimed to support local vendors.  The first floor’s roof extends into an accessible green roof above with a pocket park and an outdoor cafe below.  The upper two floors are designed for 24 affordable one bedroom apartments.  New parking areas, pedestrian walkways and outside seating, café, and market areas provide a sense of community and place for chance meetings.

Sited at the town’s major intersection, the Co-op Plaza caps the end of Brattleboro’s four story vibrant downtown presence at its most visible point (previously a parking lot).

Notable energy efficiency was gained through both conventional, passive, and innovative systems.  The marketplace is day lit via skylights, and open office spaces have louvers which bounce daylight deep into the space as well as awnings to block direct sun.  The building is entirely heated with reclaimed waste heat from the store refrigeration system.  Much design effort was made to make the store an educational tool for responsible building practices.