On the Water Front
By K. Robert Wendel

Crews from general contractor Larry D. Builders of Laughlin, Nev. are putting the finishing touches on a new, mixed-use development, which will offer a host of amenities for tourists and locals.

Perched on a tiny parcel that snuggles up against the London Bridge, the $4.8 million Southgate development brings a new product to the area's market. The project features a new restaurant and 12 retail spaces next to the Colorado River, along with a 15-room, boutique hotel and six condos for long-term residents.

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The development breaks with the area's tradition of faux English Tudor style construction and takes its inspiration from similar developments in the harbors of Sydney and Melbourne, Australia, as well as the local terrain.

"We wanted something that would coexist with London Bridge, but we didn't want to be borrowing gratuitously from the bridge because it makes such a strong design statement," said project architect Jim Baranski, a principal with Baranski Humbert and Associates of Galena, Ill.

"We took our inspiration more from the water and the desert because we thought it was a more contemporary response to the site."

The pie-shaped site posed problems for both designers and builders, with architects working to fulfill the owner's programmatic requirements while preserving the views to the Colorado River. The two-acre site also slopes more than 40- ft. from the top of the property down to the river, with more than 400 -ft. of river front access.

"We had the right by code to build a taller building," Baranski said. "But the idea was to maintain that view corridor so people could come down and take pictures."

Because the project sits next to the river, sandy soils led engineers to use a combination of grade beams and concrete piles driven in 20- ft. to support the development's foundations. More than 1,500 cu. yds of concrete were used in the project, which also includes terraces and verandas looking out over the Colorado River.

"It was really soft sand," said Tom Ramirez, president of Mojave, Ariz.-based Azteca Concrete. "We ended up with a lot of underground structural columns and stem walls to make this project work."

The development used a wide variety of building systems. There are concrete foundations with masonry walls up to the second floor, while the rest was built with wood-stud framing. Steel transfer beams support the project's weight over the retail area, where plans call for a series of dancing fountains.

High-end finishes, steel canopies and accents complete the project.

"We used just about every kind of building system you can think of in this project," said Jason Endline, vice president of general contractor Larry D. Builders."This job really sets the tone for the area."