Permeable paving Baton Rouge: Square 46 features TrueGrid
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Permeable paving is an uncommon sight in Baton Rouge, but anyone who visits Square 46 in Mid City will take notice.
The 26,000-square-foot development features TrueGrid permeable paving as the parking surface. The new, mixed-use development, was built on site of the old Giamanco’s restaurant on Government Street. The project is the brainchild of architect Josh Hoffpauir, of Hoffpauir Studios, who also developed the project.White Star Market — a modern food hall — is the anchor tenant at Square 46. The remainder of the development is split between available office space, and residential housing units.
Innovation, design, and a strong sense of purpose is what drove Hoffpauir in his concept and creation. Square 46 was built to be a focal point along the Government St. corridor in Mid City. It serves as an example of modern architecture in neighborhood revitalization.
Deploying sustainable building practices was key during construction, and permeable paving was something Hoffpauir thought about from the beginning. “From day one the TrueGrid permeable paving solution was what we had in mind for our project,” says Hoffpauir.
“We had not worked with this specific product before, but I knew this is what we wanted at Square 46.”
TrueGrid permeable paving is used in construction to provide a durable and long-lasting parking surface. It’s prime benefits are ease of installation, a reduction in the use of heavy equipment during that phase of building, and aesthetic qualities that pair well with sustainable building practices and design principles.
However, what makes TrueGrid a sort of triple bottom line kind of product is the function baked into its form.
TrueGrid permeable paving — when properly installed — is laid atop a bed of packed stone, leveled, and then filled with smaller crushed rock and stone to provide an attractive, and permeable surface. In essence, a TrueGrid parking lot serves as an area-wide, on-site stormwater detention system, and this means Square 46 will actually hold water on site, which will then slowly dissipate rather than runoff into the Baton Rouge stormwater drainage system, as happens with traditional concrete parking surfaces.
When asked about his vision for Mid City and the Government Street corridor, Hoffpauir says, “we have always viewed Square 46 as a potential catalyst for what is to come in Mid City BR. We wanted to set a precedent for what could be accomplished in the area to help achieve an active walkable and bikeable neighborhood.”
When asked if he would recommend TrueGrid permeable paving to other architects, engineers, and contractors, Hoffpauir said yes.
And he cites, “Ease of installation. Value. Ease of maintenance, and reduction of storm water impact/runoff,” as great reasons to use TrueGrid on a project.
Square 46 and White Star Market opened on May 15, 2018. White Star Market, the showpiece food hall, takes up 5,900 square feet of ground floor retail space fronting Government Street. Inside, vendors serve everything from authentic Mexican-style tacos to cocktails, craft beer, and wine. The atmosphere is casual, cool, and hip — encompassing the modern design aesthetic envisioned by Hoffpauir.
Parking, in back, features TrueGrid permeable paving, which is used on all the parking spaces. TrueGrid’s Superspots — in blue — delineate each space and carry on elements from the design elsewhere on the property. When combined with landscaping and juxtaposed against the concrete walkways — the three components combine to make an attractive foundation that serves as an entry way and as an introduction to sustainable building practices now deployed in Baton Rouge.
If you’re considering permeable paving for your next design project, call QSM – 855-469-2015. Let us know what you want to accomplish.
