This project is a hypothetical solution submitted as part of the 2024 Emerging Professionals Design Competition hosted by the AIA Milwaukee Emerging Professionals Committee.

The formal strategy for both site massing and building typology utilizes the concept of ‘commons’ for organization and circulation. The formal development has been applied to massing and site design – the different housing types are distributed around a central court creating both a distinct separation and common amenity. 

Brady Street Commons tied for third place in the 2024 Design Competition. Design Team Members included: Brandon Leeder, AIA; David Lette, Assoc. AIA; Emma Bittner.

These common areas are further expressed as decentralized ‘cores’ throughout the buildings. The project assumes Milwaukee’s adoption of Seattle’s modified IBC whereas point access block buildings are permitted up to 6-stories with 4-units per floor served by a single core. The point access block model eliminates long, narrow corridors in plan and permits exploration of alternative floor plate design and unit layout. This strategy has allowed the project to explore different typologies among and within the housing types provided – adapting townhouse influences to an apartment concept. Traditional single-loaded and double-loaded corridors reduce the exterior wall exposure of individual units to 1-side, leaving 3-sides bordered by the corridor and adjacent units. Traditional townhomes have the benefit of front and rear exterior access.

This project demonstrates that ‘modules’ of point access blocks can be condensed in a linear series while still planning for the units with exterior access on opposite sides of the unit. Advantages include distributed layout, natural lights, cross ventilation, and access to views and amenities on both sides of the building that are found in traditional townhome design.

Text & imagery above provided by submission materials.