Architecture studio EC3 and developer Prince Concepts have created The Canopy, a series of duplex buildings in Detroit with rooftop murals, native gardens and over 100 new trees.
The Canopy involved transforming an abandoned, 17,000-square-foot (1,579-square-metre) lot 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 Core City, where several other projects designed by EC3 – and developed by local company Prince Concepts – have been built. Others include The Caterpillar and True North, both featuring Quonset hut designs.
The architects said that early on in the design process, they rejected the standard "double-loaded corridor" approach to multi-family buildings.
Instead, they opted for a series of duplexes with strategically placed balconies. The buildings are organised around a series of outdoor "living rooms".
"The five duplexes respond to a need for creative and inspired rental housing in Detroit," the team said.
The design takes cues from two sources in Detroit: the Lafayette Park townhouses, designed in the 1950s by Mies van der Rohe, and the massive Continental Motors engine factory, designed by Albert Kahn in the early 1900s.
The team also took inspiration from the "raw exhibition spaces" in Marfa, Texas, by the artist Donald Judd.
Exterior walls are clad in stucco and offer an abundance of glazing. Buildings are topped with sloped roofs covered in abstract murals in blue and white, painted by local artist Victor Reyes.
"Reyes' saturated blue murals play with the negative space between the five roofs, creating a continuous procession to mirror the sky above, taking inspiration from the moon phases and the surrounding landscape," the team said.
The development offers a mix of studios and units with one or two bedrooms. Rents range from $1,350 to $2,000 per month ( £1,069 to £1,584).
Designed to enhance the "tactile quality of the living experience", the units feature oak flooring, custom birch millwork and high-end fixtures.
The team prioritised natural light and a connection to the outdoors. Views are offered from multiple vantage points, including the shower.
The landscaped design, overseen by Prince Concepts, entailed the creation of native gardens and the planting of 121 trees. In many ways, the landscape drove the architectural design.
"Our team approached this as a cultural project to emphasize public place-making and using the architecture to provide a context for the landscape," said EC3 founder Edwin Chan.
The development is a short walk from a cafe, a park and a newly opened music-centric bar and restaurant – also developed by Prince Concepts. The second phase of the project calls for seven more duplexes that will offer a total of 14 units.
Other residential developments in Detroit include a cedar-clad housing block by LOHA that was built in Brush Park, a formerly neglected area that is undergoing redevelopment.
The photography is by Chris Miele and John D'Angelo.
Project credits:
Design architect: EC3
Executive architect: Studio Detroit
Landscape design and general contractor: Prince Concepts
Construction manager: Victor Chavarria, Prince Concepts
Landscape contracting: Randy Pardy, Prince Concepts
Landwork and excavation: Brown Derby Boys and Sylvester McCormick
Carpentry: Tom Watkins and Bill Berger
Electric: Willie Marshall Electric
Plumbing: Latona Plumbing
HVAC: Fresh Aire Mechanical
Millwork:Tom Watkins and Bill Berger
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