Rain Garden Apartments

Set upon an urban block devoid of practically any street engagement, this 9-unit rental apartment building aimed to reinvigorate the downtown of a small community in Central Florida. The project is only one block away from the epicenter of downtown and represents the first new ‘multi-family’ development in the downtown area in over three decades. Residents were finally given a new option for urban living in this small town and the building leased up quickly. More important, however, is the new sense of activity on the streetscape. The north elevation of the building features a series of randomized vertical fins. These slender columns represent an adaptation of the building to its site and climate as they offer shading and privacy. Additionally, the sequence of spaces from the street enables both a private lifestyle and a sense of openness while expressing a generosity back to the city. The architecture is both modest and striking, not an easy combination of qualities to achieve.