Located in the heart of downtown Orlando’s North Quarter, NORA Apartments offers residents amenities ranging from a resort-style pool in the interior courtyard surrounded by lush landscaping to a ground-floor health club adjacent to 10,000 square feet of restaurants and retail. The concrete masonry structure contains 246 one- and two-bedroom apartments equipped with modern features and large balconies, as well as a 399-space, precast parking garage.

Nora Apartments hosts eco-friendly features and a rooftop photovoltaic solar-array energy generator. The project was built in accordance with Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) standards. 

A luxurious pool surrounded by tall palm trees and a relaxing lounge space highlights NORA’s interior courtyard. When PCL received the original project drawings, no design details were defined for the pool. Understanding the owner’s desire for a high-end resort-style pool, the team hosted a working session with the architect, owner and pool designer. During the session, the team developed a sophisticated design that included a unique four-sided infinity water feature.

The newly developed pool design satisfied the owner’s vision; however, the City of Orlando permitting department required that a fence be built around the pool to meet local building codes. Knowing that perimeter fencing would compromise the owner’s desire for an aesthetically pleasing and accessible pool, the team worked with the permitting department to find an alternate solution. PCL proposed raising the height of the guard rails around the ground floor apartment patios to 48 inches and adding automatic locks to the doors that open to the courtyard. As a result, the permitting department’s safety requirements were fulfilled, and the high-end pool achieved the owner’s vision.