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Midtown Development

Mojo

By Mojo
in Detroit

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wolverine Town

wolverine

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The big holes are probably the exhaust/intake for Macig-Pak Units.... another thing I hate. Ventilation grates on the building facade. So attractive.

What do I not like? This housing development is one step above parking structure architecture. Look at the clear expression between the joints. Oh I'm sure they'll be filled with something. Seriously glass, certain types of decorative sheet metal, anything. If precast is used, don't use those massive chamfered joints, it really cheapens the look.

jbr, sorry it's your building and I don't like it, but sometimes I don't like stuff my own firm has done. I've had the joy of designing an entire school out of CMU block. What do you think of that? Regardless, I can hate what I design because I know people deserve a better image of the built environment. I prefer high quality architecture. I know that we aren't always presented with those options because of budget issues. So maybe it should have never been built. After all, there's plenty of housing to go around in the area. Yeah, I know I'll get my throat slit for saying that, but you realize filling other buildings around midtown is a priority too.

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jbr12 Hamlet

jbr12

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I was asking because I was seriously interested in what you thought could be done to make the development 'acceptable' in your eyes. I agree the Magik-crap unit grills are not the most appealing visual element on the building, but what they loose in appearance they make up for in efficiency and adjust ability for the individual apartment units. Regarding the reveals throughout the project, we were told by owner and contractor we would have a precast building so we used the joints as a design element instead of just hoping they would go away. In my opinion, the fact that the horizontal reveals align with the window frames and mullions throughout give it a solid element instead of the joints being sporadic and wherever the precaster wanted to put them.

I agree that the building could have been done to 'higher design standards' whatever those may be. But I also think overall its a solid development that is replacing a crappy surface lot bringing 8 new retail bays and a number of new people to the area (not just students... this is a market-rate apartment building). Maybe the existing housing stock should be filled first, but maybe the units available don't meet the standards of some people wanting to move into the area. From what I have heard, the interest in these apartments has been quite high.

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Michi Burg

Michi

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Wolverine, what other apartments buildings in the area have price points starting at $800? I'm asking because I can't think of any. Also, this project markets itself w/ the attached parking...something that this development should have had regardless of what design went there.

I know next to nothing about construction, so when I saw the first level constructed of steel, I just assumed the rest of the 4 levels would be steel as well. When I saw the precast walls stacked on top of each other like parking garage levels, it looked very unsturdy to me, and I didn't realize that buildings were built that way.

I took note of the horizontal lines before as well and thought that it makes the appearance of the building more sharp. The glass element also turnes the outside appearance from night to day. I think the balcony rails will also add a nice visual touch, as well as functioning signage to the street-level retail.

One last thing to mention is the near future streetscape improvement project that is the last of 3 phases of Woodward Ave that will include S. Univ. Village. I'm also hoping for street trees to soften the pedestrian experience from the Woodward Freeway.

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wolverine Town

wolverine

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I don't mind having reveals in precast, I'd just prefer that they were thinner and more square. The large open rounded ones just seem to cheapen it for me.

Also, this project markets itself w/ the attached parking...something that this development should have had regardless of what design went there.
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Michi Burg

Michi

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Yah, the last of the exterior is being completed, and the arched center feature over the vehicle accessway has been installed. I never noticed it before, but the building isn't symmetrical in that sense. In other words, there is more building along the south of Woodward than there is on the north of Woodward, with the vehicle drive separating the two (not in half)...ok, I'm sure there was a better way of explaining that. ;)

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Michi Burg

Michi

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Well, either way, wansn't the building designed to have the arch over the vehicle driveway slot? It would look kind of awkward if it WAS symmetrical, but wasn't over the two sections of building. I dunno, just an observation! :)

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