Challenge

M.Arch project to revitalize a section of downtown by integrating into the existing urban space.

Process

Site visits, solar studies, and constant sketching led to the realization that this project needed to integrate into the public space to act as a community living room, a way to energize the street, and a place where people can see and be seen. Those ideas led to the ground floor design in which movable walls allow the street to become woven into the building, seamlessly blurring the line between public and private space.

Outcome

Developed with the scale of the neighborhood at the forefront, TIMBERMARKT breaks a large volume into two perceived forms, and utilizes an organized pattern of open and closed apertures in order to reduce its monumentality in favor of an accessible façade at the street level. The mass timber structure combines 30 residential units on two private floors, a year-round open-air market hall, and a public event space with a community basketball court. TIMBERMARKT occupies the street as well, with new trees and planter benches, negotiating the rough-hewn boulders that aggregate into a playground for the city’s young families. In the summer months, the street can be closed off and fully occupied by modular booths and a farmer’s market for all.