Speculative housing project to serve a burgeoning artist community in Columbus, OH. The site is a block in the Franklinton neighborhood that measures approximately 205’ x 630’ (three-acres).

The role of artists and avant-garde designers as urban pioneers is well documented, and Franklinton is fertile ground for the urban warehouse as a development model, carving out the original block for communal spaces to exhibit and congregate. Thus, a variety of studio lofts gives way to galleries flanking a sculpture garden and a multi-purpose parking court, which are connected with an alley.

Studio lofts are airy twenty-foot tall spaces with living areas split between a mezzanine and a first-floor workspace. North-facing clerestories provide ample indirect daylighting. As part of the scheme’s attention to sustainability, the clerestories are backed with photovoltaics and open onto an expansive green roof that insulates the building and collects rainwater. The roof’s network of terraces also provides private and communal amenities for a thriving artistic community.

With Alexandra Ruiz and Matthew Marano. (G2 Year, Profs Michael Cadwell & Robert Livesey)