A CONTAINER FOR SHARED SOCIAL EXPERIENCES ON MULTIPLE FRONTS; HOUSED WITHIN A HARD STEEL SHELL OWING TO THE INDUSTRIAL SETTING. A MAIN LEVEL MAKER SPACE PROVIDES AREA FOR MAKERS AND ARTISTS TO HONE THEIR CRAFT, WHILE CONTINUING THE INDUSTRIAL TRADITION OF THE DISTRICT. MIXED INCOME RESIDENTIAL UNITS SHARE OUTDOOR SPACE ON THE GROUND PLANE AND ABOVE. BELOW GRADE PARKING ENABLES THE REMAINING SITE TO ENTERTAIN OUTDOOR SHARED USE SPACES INCLUDING COVERED PATIO, COMMUNITY GARDEN, AND A COMMUNITY ELECTRIC CAR.
THE WHITE STEEL SHELL THAT HOUSES THESE SOCIAL INTERACTIONS IS CRAFTED BY TAKING SEVERAL FACTORS INTO ACCOUNT. THE NORTHWESTERN FAÇADE HOSTS LIMITED OPENINGS, POSITIONED TO PROVIDE UNUSUAL FRAMING OF THE AREA’S GEOLOGICAL FEATURES. THESE OPENINGS DRAW THEIR HORIZONTAL ASPECT FROM THE RIMROCKS TO THE NORTH. THE WHITE SHELL BREAKS DOWN AS ITS ORIENTATION SHIFTS TO THE SOUTH. HERE, UNITS ARE GREETED BY LARGE OPENINGS AND EAST MORNING LIGHT. AS THE SUN CLIMBS THROUGHOUT THE DAY THE UNITS ARE SHADED BY THE BUILDING CIRCULATION. ON THE SOUTHERN FAÇADE THE MATERIALS SHIFT FROM STEEL TO CHARRED WOOD (SHOU-SUGI-BAN,) SOURCED FROM A LUMBER MILL 2 BLOCKS FROM THE SITE. THIS MARKS THE LOCATION OF THE SHARED SOCIAL SPACE; WHICH OCCURS THROUGHOUT THE BUILDING, AND CORRESPONDS WITH THE CIRCULATION NETWORK. MAGENTA, POWDER COATED STEEL BRINGS A LIGHT HEARTED ACCENT TO THE BUILDING, MARKING A SHIFT IN THE INDUSTRIAL FABRIC OF THE COMMUNITY.