Lafayette West

• location:
  Detroit, MI
• Date:
  2019
• client:
  Hunter Pasteur Homes
• collaborators:
• project_team:
  Principal: Elizabeth Whittaker
  Senior Associate: Soo Jin Yoo
  Project Manager: Robin Bankert
  Design Team: Kyle Barker, Chris Johnson
• description:
  The Lafayette West Townhomes in Detroit, MI, are uniquely situated just a block west of Lafayette Park, a historic district east of Downtown containing the largest collection of residential buildings designed by Mies van der Rohe. The neighborhood has been regarded as an incubator of progressive architecture and one of the few historically stable urban renewal zones in the United States. As a way of being part of the growing neighborhood and paying homage to the historical architecture of the multi-unit townhome buildings, our design proposes to reinterpret its material palette and massing in a contemporary way.
  
  The townhomes are part of a large scale site development that covers three blocks and includes; a multi-level parking garage, two mid-rise apartment buildings, a high-rise residential building, and additional townhouse units on the western edge (designed by our partner architect). The Lafayette West dwelling units are two to three stories in height, with the central block abutting a three story parking garage connected to a high rise tower. Lightwells are proposed along the interface between the townhomes and parking garage, allowing light and ventilation in the sleeping rooms.