VILLA CHAMPAGNAT CURITIBA 3-10-2017.compressed

VILLA CHAMPAGNAT
CURITIBA, BRAZIL

“Dull, inert cities, it is true, do contain the seeds of their own destruction and little else.
But lively, diverse, intense cities contain the seeds of their own regeneration, with energy
enough to carry over for problems and needs outside themselves.”
- Jane Jacobs

THE PAST . THE PRESENT . THE FUTURE

March 10, 2017
Attn: Rafael Mellem
City of Curitiba
Dear Rafael:
Our team, RAD Lab, is pleased to present a proposal for Design Services and Activation Strategies for Villa Champagnat.
RAD Lab is a San Diego based firm whose practices are rooted in tactical urbanism; designing and constructing
projects that strategically cultivate vibrant urban communities. Our portfolio demonstrates our commitment to
building sustainable urban environments. We have completed numerous projects for community organizations
and public agencies throughout California, and our work in the public realm ranges from comprehensive visions
and strategic plans; to street beautification and rehabilitation of neglected buildings; to pop-up architecture and
community place-making.
INTRO LETTER
RAD Lab has been identified as one of San Diego’s top design and development firms, gathering an impressive
array of awards and community praise. We have gained a unique understanding of how to bring about positive
change in urban communities through creative activation, and we strive to inject life and promote economic returns
in underutilized areas. Specifically, we have a depth of experience with temporary structures such as: urban parks,
pocket parks, parklets, urban farms, and container-focused architecture. Through our work in the private sector we
have created market driven commercial projects, which have provided insight into the creation of feasible strategies
for strengthening existing businesses as well as the attraction of new ones.
We are immensely excited about the Villa Champagnat and look forward to the opportunity of discussing it with
you in greater detail. Should you have any questions or require additional information please contact us without
hesitation.
Warmest regards,
Philip Auchettl David Loewenstein Jason Grauten
Chief Executive Officer Chief Operating Officer Chief Creative Officer
RAD Lab RAD Lab RAD Lab

MISSION STATEMENT
Our mission is to breathe life into communities ailing from economic and cultural decline. Villa Champagnat is a place to
gather and socialize, acting as the center focal point to this great City. Representing an extension of the community with
celebrations, art, music, good food, education, and other creative ventures.
We strongly believe that Villa Champagnat can promote a community based sense of place and a true landmark of which
everyone can be proud.

PHILIP AUCHETTL
Chief Executive Officer, RAD LAB
Philip Auchettl grew up with art and architecture as predominant influences in
his life in Melbourne, Australia. He began creating, curating, and managing art
exhibitions on a professional level across Australia, the United Kingdom, and the
United States. He now incorporates his passion for art into the built environment,
combining his artistic abilities with a passion for architecture and development.
RAD LAB
1102 Market Street
San Diego, CA. 92101
philip@radlabsd.com
+1.352.317.6342
RAD Lab is a San Diego based company focusing on cutting edge design and development
within the public and private realm. We seek opportunity by experimenting through flexible
urbanism, place making, and challenging settings.
Our passion is to explore new methods of construction and design in urban environments and
we are motivated by viewing architecture as a framework for transformation.
DAVID LOEWENSTEIN
Chief Operations Officer, RAD LAB
David Loewenstein attended the University of Arizona, where he earned a degree
from the Eller College in Public Administration and Business Management.
Loewenstein loved architecture from a young age, constantly traveling, building,
and exploring. His passion for architecture and development was recognized
when he graduated with honors from the NewSchool of Architecture + Design.
Today he uses his past experiences and love for the architecture to positively
influence his surroundings.
JASON GRAUTEN
Chief Creative Officer, RAD LAB
At RAD Lab what we do is simple; through tactical urbanism we aim to improve underutilized
land in the community and create a sense of place. There is no reason private or publicly owned
land should sit vacant collecting vagrancy and blight, while the community around it longs for
a space to gather and socialize.
RAD Lab was founded by a group of entrepreneurial students that graduated with honors
from the NewSchool of Architecture + Design. Philip Auchettl, David Loewenstein, and Jason
Grauten lead the design and build team; execute construction drawings; and over see design,
construction, and project management.
RAD Lab has worked on a range of projects, from furniture design to large-scale developments.
Every project is characterized by unique design and construction challenges, but each has been
delivered on time and to the complete satisfaction of our clients.
Jason Grauten is a creative and enthusiastic individual with great problem solving
skills seeking to further develop his knowledge in the field of architecture and
urban planning. He has excellent freehand drawing, site analysis, and model
making skills, coupled with an array of technical proficiencies making him an
excellent team member to help present ideas and solutions.
MEET THE TEAM

PREVIOUS WORK EXAMPLES

Project Type:
Cargotecture/Urban Park
Completion:
2015
QUARTYARD
RAD LAB | EAST VILLAGE SAN DIEGO . CA
Quartyard was conceived relative to the realization that, due to the economic downturn, a large amount of city
owned land in San Diego remained vacant and not ready to be developed. The chosen lot is located in San Diego’s
East Village and had been empty for a number of years, gathering nothing but trash, blight, and vagrancy. The RAD
Lab team adopted the challenge to temporarily occupy the space with retail spaces, restaurants, art galleries, gardens,
and community-based uses that create an urban park with a unique sense of place.
The project employs recycled and retrofitted shipping containers that act as the core building blocks and serve as
a temporary placeholder for future permanent development. This temporary project serves as the city’s backyard,
allowing an underused lot to quickly become a vibrant focal point the residents can be proud of.
Quartyard is open seven days a week and hosts a coffee shop, an outdoor eatery, on site management, art galleries,
farmers/craft markets, an outdoor beer garden, and rotating daily food trucks. The plaza space is open to the public
and hosts a variety of public and private events. The best part about Quartyard is that it is all outside!

Project Type:
Cargotecture/Urban Park
Completion:
Conceptual
iARTsf
RAD LAB | PIER 29 SAN FRANSISCO. CA
A large-scale creative hub & public craft marketplace iARTsf at Pier 29 is a local community-driven indoor shopping,
dining, educational and entertainment attraction. Arts & crafts classes will be available daily in our community
classrooms, movies & musical groups are showcased on the main stage amphitheater nightly. Fitness & yoga
classes take place on the patio every morning. The lounge area is highlighted by rotating art installments. And most
importantly, our retail spaces will feature locally designed or curated arts and crafts, featured in fixed stores for our
more established businesses, or mobile kiosks for artisans looking to display their crafts a few days out of the month.
By using re-purposed shipping containers configured to create intimate shopping nooks as well as larger public
spaces, this unique venue offers a variety of curated discovery shops featuring small local businesses, and various
workshops under one roof. Our large event spaces will host a variety of cultural and entertainment events, curated by
the same team completing this proposal.

Project Type:
Cargotecture/Urban Park
Completion:
2014
POCKET PARK
RAD LAB | EAST VILLAGE SAN DIEGO . CA
Pocket Park was a collaboration between Downtown San Diego Partnership, East Village Association, RAD Lab, and
HP Investors to transform a vacant lot at 13th Avenue and J Street into a creative urban community space.
RAD Lab started this project by understanding what the community wanted in this space. The responses were a
clear outcry for a place that the local community could enjoy; a place for all ages to mingle, meet one another, and
enjoy San Diego’s best asset – the weather. RAD Lab went to work with these thoughts in mind creating a space that
encouraged play, learning, and community engagement. The Pocket Park was designed with three main elements;
a play area for young families, seating/lounging zones where you could enjoy your morning coffee, and a canopy
system to create a sense of place.
A core element of the design resides with bringing back the simple, fun, and exciting games we remembered as
youths growing up. Pocket park features vintage games that encourage the users to participate and interact with one
another, all while activating an empty lot and encouraging community growth.

QUALITY OF CONCEPT
The Villa Champagnat is an urban park; a creative hub for art, retail, technology, and an outdoor
place for the community to socialize. The evolving space provides our visitors the experience to
discover, inspire, and create.
Our goal is to connect the public with the public space. Carefully curated through artisans,
retailers, and some of Curitiba’s most unique resturanteers. Flexible spaces have also been
planned to accommodate concerts, workshops, sports entertainment and special events for the
community. Villa Champagnat is home to the diversity of the city, coffee connoisseurs, multiple
food vendors, a dog park, beer garden, music venue and a rotating assortment of retail.
In order to ensure we have a constant flow of new and fresh ideas, it will be established as a
short-term lease real estate program to aid the independent creators as a low cost, low risk
entry into the market.
By creating a centralized location to feature and highlight the creative talents in Curitiba, we will
be able to preserve, enhance, and expand the true identity of the community.

the foundation
Proposed Use: A large-scale urban park & public marketplace, Villa Champagnat is a local community-driven outdoor shopping, dining, educational and entertainment
attraction. Our retail spaces will feature a variety of different food options, locally designed artisan products featured in fixed storefronts for established businesses, or mobile
pop-up stores for artisans only looking to display their crafts a few days out of the month. Re-purposed shipping containers are organized to create a diverse landscape of
intimate shopping nooks as well as larger public spaces, all stitched together by a central boardwalk. This unique venue offers a variety of curated discovery shops featuring
small local businesses, and large event spaces capable of hosting cultural and entertainment events.
Ambiance: The spirit of Villa Champagnat emerges from a community of local residents and is aimed at capturing the informative, hip, and welcoming nature of downtown
Curitiba. Each new shop holds a new batch of interesting discoveries. Visitors will come to hang out, have a bite or beverage, and stay for the inspiring shopping experiences,
technology showcases, lessons at the on-site classrooms, local art reflections, and public performances. In most cases, the person on premises is the owner and/or the
creator himself or herself. Their passion for their work will make your experience more authentic and draw you back again and again.
Retail
Creative
Entertainment
Dining
Permanent shops
Education & workshops
Flexible stage
Regional coffee & food options
flexible retail
shared co-working space
multiple event spaces
cooking classes
art galleries
creative offices
public & private events
wine and craft beer

Start-Up: It is paramount to understand the needs of the tenant and our visitors responses to expand and improve on our vision in
the beginning phase. In terms of marketing at this phase, efforts should be made to leverage the exponential word-of-mouth power
of partnership. On the local end, it is key to collaborate with online communities that are already hosting successful events; invite
online-focused media channels to innovatively bring their content offline (such as local artist community hosting a themed event).
On the tourist end, it is important to reach out to tourism organizations to highlight Villa Champagnat as a must-see destination.
Villa Champagnat will build upon the existing businesses and amenities that Curitiba has to offer.
Build-Out: As a small following is established, initiatives of more innovative marketing and event hosting will begin. The park
will integrate into the community by inviting local startup incubators to showcase their pitch day products at our event space,
introducing Curitiba based creative school programs to showcase their graduating work at our space, and reaching out to onlineonly
brands to showcase their products offline. Villa Champagnat will not only want to utilize their existing following and traffic
sources, but also want to start establishing the space where the Curitiba communities gather to discover and be discovered.
On-Going Operations: Long term, Villa Champagnat will offer a visually pleasing and creative space for local communities to gather
and relax during the week and on the weekends. As Villa Champagnat matures, a focal shift in marketing initiative will be event/
theme based. Villa Champagnat has the opportunity to offer events with a constant invitation to the community to contribute to
hosting the event together. Villa Champagnat is a perfect mix of relaxed, discovery, and creative space for different communities to
showcase their talents and mingle with each other.

Upon entering Villa Champagnat, one can grab a coffee, enjoy the arts, and see some of the makers in
their workshops and gallery space. Emerging artists can be found inside the rotating stores preparing
their work for the next exhibition. Guests find themselves discovering a lively world of one-of-a-kind
micro-shops from Curitiba’s most-loved artists, where they can shop for fashion, arts, crafts, ceramics
and other items.
In between shops, guests can stop by the coffee stand for a quick refreshment before continuing to
peruse the extensive food options, grabbing lunch and catching up with friends.
There is a stage for presentations, video projections, and live music performances. Villa Champagnat
focuses on quality local food and the creation of craft and local innovation. Workshops & classes are
provided on-site: music classes (guitar, DJ, classical), photo and video classes, yoga classes, painting
classes, sculpting classes, arts & crafts classes, architecture classes, coding classes, renewability classes,
and more.

Networking is another key component of the general experience at Villa Champagnat; Like-minded
locals should have a place to meet. Social events and meetings are the driving factors in the development
and operations for the project. There are multiple event spaces, and even the design of the fixed retail
around common multi-level ‘courtyards’ will be conducive to gatherings, both small and large.
Villa Champagnat will serve as a visual library to incentivize people to explore the unique enclaves of
both the districts of Merces and Bigorrilho as well as all of Curitiba.
We aim to build an inspiring creative experience in the form of a playground for local residents and outof-town
visitors. Villa Champagnat complements itself to the surrounding area by being communitydriven,
centered around culture, restaurants, small businesses and startups. The Villa Champagnat is
more than a great selection of local retail stores. It is an authentic, innovative center to create, showcase,
inspire, teach, and learn. It is the heart of the community, a true experience that will be an inspiration
as to how community focused outdoor gathering spaces can be re-imagined.

LOCATION
CURITIBA, BRAZIL
URBAN PARK ACTIVATION

PROPOSED CONCEPT PLAN

RUA MARCELINO CHAMPAGNAT
PEDESTRIAN ACCESS
MARKET
- Small, varied retail & pop-up shops
RETAIL PARKING
GREEN SPACE
COFFEE / BOUTIQUE RETAIL
RETAIL PLAZA
- Boutique Stores
- Office Space
VENUE MANAGEMENT
GALLERY SPACE
- Rented Space for Public or Private Use
SECOND FLOOR DECK SPACE
SEATING SPACE
RESTAURANT PLAZA
- Large Restaurant (2-3 Tenants)
DECK CIRCULATION
RETAIL CLUSTER
- Retail
- Service (Crossfit, Pet Care, Etc.)
- Small Restaurant (Gelato, Taco Stand, Etc.)
BOARDWALK
- Main Circulation
RESTAURANT PLAZA
- Large Restaurant (2-3 Tenants)
- Cafe
- Retail Cluster
PUBLIC DOG PARK
PUBLIC SPORTS PARK
CONTAINER TOWERS
- Sports Park Lighting
- Branding
EVENT SPACE
STAGE
PARK / EVENT PARKING

etail plaza

Sitting on the border of the Merces and Bigorrilho Districts, the Villa
Champagnat is a refuge catering to many neighboring communities.
It operates as a public park, engaging both passive and active guests
within the space.

oardwalk

soccer field

THANK YOU