Architecture studio EC3 and developer Prince Concepts have created The Canopy, a series of duplex buildings detroit with roof graffiti, Native gardens and over 100 new trees.
Canopy involved transforming an abandoned, 17,000-square-foot (1,579-square-metre) plot into a residential complex with five buildings that vary in size and shape. Each building is a duplex with two units.
It is located in the core city, where several other projects designed by EC3 and developed by local company Prince Concepts are built. Others include shrimp And true answerBoth feature Quonset hut design.
The architects said that early in the design process, they rejected the standard “double-loaded corridor” approach for multi-family buildings.
Instead, he opted for a series of duplexes with strategically located balconies. The buildings are organized around a series of outdoor “living rooms”.
“The five duplexes meet the need for creative and inspired rental housing in Detroit,” the team said.
The design takes cues from two sources in Detroit: the Lafayette Park townhouse, designed in the 1950s miss van der roheand the huge Continental Motors engine factory, designed by Albert Kahn In the early 1900’s.
The team also took inspiration from “raw exhibition spaces” MarfaTexas, by artist Donald Judd.
The outer walls are covered from the inside plaster and provide abundant glazing. The buildings are topped by sloping roofs, covered with blue and white abstract murals painted by local artists. Victor Reyes,
“Reyes’s saturated blue murals play with the negative space between the five terraces, taking inspiration from the phases of the moon and the surrounding landscape, creating a continuous procession to reflect the sky above,” the team said.
The development offers a mix of studios and one or two bedroom units. Rents range from $1,350 to $2,000 per month (£1,069 to £1,584).
The units feature a design designed to enhance the “tactile quality of life experience” Oak Flooring, custom birch millwork and high-end fixtures.
The team prioritized natural light and connection to the outdoors. Views are offered from several vantage points, including the shower.
landscape design, maintenance prince conceptsThis included the creation of native gardens and the planting of 121 trees. In many ways, the landscape drove the architectural design.
“Our team saw this as a cultural project with an emphasis on using architecture to create public space and provide a context for the landscape,” said EC3 Founder Edwin Chan.
The development is a short walk from a café, a park and a newly opened music-focused bar and restaurant – which has also been developed prince conceptsThe second phase of the project calls for seven more duplexes which will offer a total of 14 units.
Other residential developments in Detroit include: cedar-clad housing block by iron It was built in Brush Park, a previously neglected area that is undergoing redevelopment.
Photography is by Chris Milley and John D’Angelo,
Project Credit:
Design Architect: EC3
Executive Architect: studio detroit
Landscape Design and General Contractors: prince concepts
construction manager: Victor Chavarria, Prince Concepts
Landscape Contract: Randy Pardy, Prince Concepts
Earthworks and Excavation: Brown Derby Boys and Sylvester McCormick
Carpentry: Tom Watkins and Bill Berger
Electric: Willie Marshall Electric
Plumbing: Latona Plumbing
HVAC: fresh air mechanical
Mill work:Tom Watkins and Bill Berger
