Located on a prominent site at the confluence of a major vehicular-oriented retail street, suburban family homes, and an ad-hoc mix of apartments and motels, Petersen Plaza is both a compatible neighbor to these disparate contexts as well as a gateway to the retail district along upper State Street. While the site is clearly automobile oriented, the design reintroduces the pedestrian by inverting the standard mini-mall typology-parking is in the rear rather than out front. Additionally, breaking the retail center into two separate detached buildings reinforces the residential context of surrounding streets.