"The Borough" Co-Living Senior Housing
PROJ. TYPE
YEAR
RESIDENTIAL (Conceptual)
2020
LOCATION
TEAM
Detroit, Michigan, USA
Sam Luong
Inspired by the preventative measures of the current pandemic world, the Borough seeks to utilize Smart Technology for a senior housing in order to protect their health and to automate their every need in emergency situations.
Located in the heart of the Historic Business District of East Side, Detroit, the Borough is a Multi-generational and Co-Living Mixed Use Residential building that seeks to bring the community together through its various spaces.
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The building's form is largely shaped by the North-South views optimized for the residential units, while the East-West orientation balances the use of natural light and shading relative to the building's spatial layout.
Since the Borough is meant for Co-Living, the planning of this building is quite unique. On the first floor, retail stores, a community center, and a coffee shop that acts as neighborhood catalyst, dominates.
On the upper levels, 26 residential units govern, half of which are rentals, and the other half are owned. The Borough also contains a large Co-Living and Kitchen atrium, a Greenhouse, a gym, and a movie room, all of which are shared amongst the seniors and young professionals who co-live there.
Inspired by the vernacular material commonly found in East Side, Detroit, brick was selected as the primary facade material. Furthermore, the Borough pays homage to the dominant African community in Detroit through the use of triangulated fritted glass elements as well as in the material choices.
With COVID-19 and other pandemics showing that they are a real life concern, Wellness has thus become a major design priority for future spaces, especially for senior housing. Smart Technology will thus be used to protect and manage the their lifestyle, similar to the ideas found in CAP.Homes.
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Finally, the Borough aims to achieve LEED Gold. Sustainability will be used to support the Wellness aspects of the building, and will be achieved through a variety of ways as diagrammed in the following illustrations below:
