IN COLLABORATION WITH MINYOUNG LEE & MEGHAN MCGRATH
ROOTED IS BASED ON THE CONCEPT OF COLIVING -- BOTH WITH HUMANS AND WITH BIODIVERSITY. THROUGH STRATEGIC REFORESTING TECHNIQUES, THE FEELING OF LIVING “WITHIN THE FOREST” IS CREATED WITHIN THE JEFFERSON CHALMERS NEIGHBORHOOD IN DETROIT.
A GRADIENT OF HIGH-DENSITY MICRO-FORESTS TO HIGH DENSITY HOUSING IS ESTABLISHED RUNNING NORTH-SOUTH, WITH HIGH DENSITY FOREST LANDSCAPES ALONG JEFFERSON AVENUE GRADUALLY BECOMING MORE DENSE DWELLING UNITS FARTHER INTO THE NEIGHBORHOOD. URBAN FARMING IS A KEY COMPONENT OF THE LANDSCAPE, AS ARE VARIATION IN FOREST TYPES AND PUBLIC SPACES.
THE CONCEPT OF THE ONE MILE RESTAURANT ALSO DEFINED THE SITE; COMMUNITY GARDEN SPACES AND GREENHOUSES SPRINKLED INTO THE LANDSCAPE CREATE AN ADDITIONAL ECONOMY WITHIN THE NEIGHBORHOOD AND SUSTAINABLY SUPPORT THE RESTAURANT LOCATED ALONG JEFFERSON AVE.
DWELLINGS ARE MADE UP OF A COMBINATION OF 6 UNIT TYPES / 3 PAIRS OF UNITS AND A GREENHOUSE MODULE THAT CAN BE COMBINED IN VARIOUS CONFIGURATIONS AND WHICH PROMOTE COHABITATION WITH BIODIVERSITY THROUGH CARVED AWAY SPACES FOR LANDSCAPE AND WILDLIFE.
WHILE EACH UNIT CAN BE INDEPENDENTLY OCCUPIED, THEY ARE DESIGNED TO PROMOTE COLIVING WITH SOME SHARED SPACES AND OVERLAP BETWEEN UNITS AS WELL AS FLEXIBILITY FOR USERS AND TIMES OF THE YEAR.
EACH UNIT IS DESIGNED TO FUNCTIONS INDEPENDENTLY, BUT IT SHARES A FEW COMMUNAL SPACES AND MECHANICAL, ELECTRICAL, AND PLUMBING SYSTEMS WITH THE OTHER UNIT IN THE PAIR.
EACH UNIT IS IDENTIFIED WITH A SPECIFIC COLOR THAT CARRIES THROUGH THE FACADE SYSTEM AND INTO THE INTERIOR FINISHES OF THE UNIT, HELPING TO DISTINGUISH IT AND ITS FEATURES FROM THE OTHER UNITS. THE UNIT HAS ITS OWN KITCHEN, LIVING, BEDROOM, HOBBY, AND DINING SPACES AND A PRIVATE BALCONY. SHARED SPACES BETWEEN THE UNITS INCLUDE LEISURE SPACES, LAUNDRY ROOMS, AND STORAGE. EACH UNIT HAS A CORE WHICH CONTAINS ALL WET SPACES AND WHICH HAS A VARIETY OF FLEXIBLE FURNITURE OPTIONS, AND EACH OF THE SPLIT LEVEL FLOOR PLATES REVOLVES AROUND THE CENTRAL CORE OF THE UNIT.
IN KEEPING WITH THE WARMTH OF THE UNITS, WOOD IS USED AS A PRIMARY FINISH MATERIAL, BOTH ON THE INTERIOR WITH THE CORES, FLOORS, AND STRUCTURE, AND ON THE FACADE.
EACH UNIT HAS ITS OWN MECHANICAL, ELECTRICAL, AND PLUMBING SYSTEMS, BUT EACH OF THESE SYSTEMS ARE DESIGNED SO SERVE THE PAIR (OR CLUSTER) AS A WHOLE. AN AIR/WATER VRF SYSTEM SERVES THE UNIT, WITH A CENTRAL AIR HANDLING UNIT THAT SERVES THE ENTIRE CLUSTER.
DESIGNED SIMILAR TO OTHER SINGLE FAMILY HOMES IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD, UNITS ARE TIMBER STICK FRAMED WITH CLT FLOOR PLATES TO KEEP THE STRUCTURE NIMBLE. CURVED CONCRETE LIVING WALLS, PREFABRICATED INSULATED CONCRETE PANELS, ADD DIVERSITY TO THE FACADE AND ENCOURAGE INCREASED INTERACTION AND COHABITATION WITH BIODIVERSITY.
