2005 - 07
01
USA
Wi s co ns i n
711 E. KILBOURN
TERRACE ROW Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA Workshop Architects, Scott Kindness O r i gin a l ly co n c e i v e d a s a hi stor i c r eproduc ti on, to “hono r” it s’ surro un d in g s w it h in t h e co nt ext of Milwaukee. Th e Terrace Row town h o us e s w e re i nt e n ded to c am ouflage i nto the ci ty , o n ly affo rd in g t en ant s t h e excl usively int erio r exp erien ce of in h abi t i n g m o dern d e s i g n. B etw e en concer ns f rom the M i lwaukee Histo rical So ciety an d p ush b ack fro m arch it ect s wo rkin g o n t h e proj e ct , th e bu i ld i ng p a rt i s aw maj or over haul when an agr eement was mad e w it h t h e p ro ject d evelo p er to emb race a co nt emp o ra r y exte r i o r. T h ro ug h t h e i nflux of f r es h des i gn rati onal c ame a n ew co n cep t ual d irect io n fo r t h e h o mes, o rch est rat ed as a p u r e exp r es s i o n of m o d e rn li f e through hi stor i c oppos i ti on. T h e se g u i d i n g d e s i g n pr i nci ples m ater i ali z e acros s s eve n s scal es, cl early art icul at in g t h e d efian ce of n earby ant iq uity an d t h e i r sta gn a ncy a s s i m p l e vo i d filli ng i nhabi table ex tr us i ons . To ach ieve t h is t h e d esig n t eam p ut t h emselves in t h e sh o es of t h e i nte n de d t a rg et a u d i e n ce, ex plor i ng the potenti al prom in en ce of a co nt emp o rary b uild in g p erso n ified by t h e urb an co nt ex t a n d th e m o d e rn i d e a l s fo und at the hei ght of 2 1 st centur y city l ife. “ Th e bu i ldi n g was b as i ca l ly the mi ddl e finge r to hi storic Milwaukee” – Scott K indnes s
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M i l w a u k e e ,
W i s c o n s i n ,
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NEIGHBORHOOD river
Klibourn Ave
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lake
T E R R A C E U S A W i s c o n s i n , M i l w a u k e e ,
1 Klibourn Ave
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Wisconsin Ave The site block lies between the Milwaukee River, Lake Michigan, and prominent streets Kilbourn Ave. and Wisconsin Ave. This is a prime housing location, allowing for the ease of transport out of the city following Kilbourn Ave. and lakefront access within about five minutes on foot.
Located on the northeast corner of the block , allows for the site to take advantage of views over Kilbourn Ave. This desirable stretch of the street features the downtown area’s only grass median. Doubling as public green space, it is large enough to accommodate a number of large trees and a sculpture garden spanning between cross-roads.
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These views show the first point of visual contact which can be established with the building. Aside from a few high-rises visible in the background, the buildings surrounding Terrace Row clearly stick to the historic vernacular creating a harsh juxtaposition within the urban landscape, drawing all attention to the contemporary outlier framed through trees within the median.
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SITE & SURROUNDING
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Views north from the ground level depict the unique shielding of a parking lot and adjacent building by foliage within the median and adjacent block , preserving views north from all floors.
Within the city block housing Terrace Row, the majority of buildings and heavily compacted leaving little access to natural light. Being situated on the northern end of the block , beside the only vacant lot remaining, the townhomes are afforded space to breath in addition to the blocks optimal views. M i l w a u k e e ,
From the green median looking southeast, the townhouses can be seen nestled within its’ historic context. Starkly contrasting forms surrounding the site in tonality and composition, proclaiming visual dominance over the neighboring buildings.
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Placed on the northeast corner of the property, the townhomes disrupt the cohesive recessed placement of surrounding buildings by seemingly cantilevering over the property line. This effect is achieved through pushing the first floor / entry south of the property line six feet, then cantilevering the third floor and above over the recessed entry.
W i s c o n s i n ,
Property
BUILDING 22’
12’4”
28’
28’
22’
service section
3rd floor plan
The service sections, used to divide units, span the entire width of the building on the lower levels and are alluded to on the north façade as integral components to the design, noted by their presence as the buildings’ tallest elements
W i s c o n s i n , M i l w a u k e e ,
N o r t h Fa c a d e
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2.5 The basic geometry of the building is broken down into four individual rectangular units, each joined to the next via a smaller service section. In total, these geometries merge to form a basic 1:2.5 proportion. Three of the units follow an identical orientation, the fourth however, on the buildings’ east side, breaks the repetition by reflecting to embrace the adjacent intersection. This major move shows the intention of Terrace Row to be both site responsive, and divergent from the monotony seen in the neighboring facades.
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E a s t Fa c a d e
Structural bays within the building also correspond to service sections and frame the central stair connecting the four levels.
SCALE: Bath
Storage
Living
Elevator
Laundry
Bath
Dining Kitchen
Master Bed
Bath
Second Bed
Closet
In the designs of the model unit, great attention was placed on maintaining an organizational strategy following the service section of each floor. The result is an intuitive and reactive unit, composed to help streamline processes of thought human function.
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The remaining units hardly even imply use for each level, leaving the new residents able to afford the 1.2 million dollar price point the ability to work with a designer to develop the unit to match the residents needs and aesthetics.
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Terrace Row features a white box concept, allowing residents’ extreme customization over their desired spaces. As such, only a single unit was originally designed and built out. The white box concept for this historic opposition building is a clear commentary on the industrial past of Milwaukee, its love for the open plan of the historic warehouse, and how far removed from our past we are now.
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The interior levels are joined by a massive glass enveloped stair and a small elevator (two person max ). Slicing a void though the entire unit, the glass stair acts as a multifunctional transit way for both residents and light, which is collected on the fourth and second floors and transferred as a blanket of natural indirect illumination to lower levels. A very rarely applied lighting technique to homes within the city.
Balcony
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Composed choice for residents plays a key role honoring the townhomes concept. A lacking feature of housing, especially in the immediate neighborhood, is the concept of levels designated for specific purpose or mode of human interaction. Terrace Row, spanning four floors each unit, offers a potential solution. Space within the city for an array of distinct activities, meeting residents with whatever type of environment they might need.
Elevator
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UNIT / ROOM
BODY
2’3”
5’8”
4’2”
9’7”
1’8” 12’6”
2’6”
2’
Master Bedroom
Kitchen
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4’
M i l w a u k e e ,
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Although furniture was not encluded in the plans of the model unit, from the built-ins and rooms included an understanding of scale can be met. The design maintained its open and spacious concept throughout the program.
Terrace Row, being a building composed of townhomes, was designed with front entries for each unit accessible from the sidewalk on Kilbourn Ave, this being an addition rarely seen in the apartment dense neighborhood. An entry canopy cantilevers out from the building mimicking the overhanging levels above. The door itself and frame are set back another foot and a half within the ground level, framing the entry experience while expressing the scale of the eight foot tall threshold.
The building exterior hosts an array of compressive and expansive spaces, giving residents a variety of different physical methods to experience the surrounding environment. Experiences range from secluded balconies on the south façade, to the expansive yet seemingly private terrace level, to the open patio on the buildings’ East façade.
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DETAIL
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Now long detached from the level of industry seen at Milwaukee’s industrial height, architecture within the city has been presented with the opportunity to become expressive, thoughtful, and designed. Terrace Row capitalizes on this opportunity even in its ďŹ ne detail. Framing views from the townhouses master bedrooms of the green median and surrounding historic buildings are expressive glazing systems which have not denounced function, but rather can now, thanks to resolved function, apply design to new experiential aspects of our world. Rather than simply channeling into themselves to form reveals, these system take framing another step forward and extrude back into the space adding depth to the visual experience from the interior.
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Terrace Row dominates the visual landscape at a variety of scales through its contextual contrast and contemporary appearance. The clear division established between the townhouses and their surroundings can even be seen in the exterior joinery. Framing the exterior wood corners of the building can be seen the Artesian Outside Corner, Fryreglet reveal detail. Proclaiming the designs severance from architecture designed for pure function.
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