315 University Ave
315 University Ave is currently a vacant property ripe for redevelopment. In this re-imagination I try to fit two local, minority owned business, into the existing footprint of this building and bring the exterior appearance “up to date” while maintaining as much of the original character of the building as possible.
This is the first in a series of design challenges I will be doing. The theme of these challenges is to take a look at vacant or under used properties in Frogtown (where I currently reside), and give them a digital make over. Having lived in this neighborhood all of my adult life, I am captivated by its charm. These vacant buildings are often challenging to redevelop because of their age and the every changing nature of Frogtown’s demographic. To me, they are perfect opportunities to hone my skills as a designer and also allow me to connect directly to the socio-economics issues currently plaguing my neighborhood.
Plan
Simple demising wall proposed will divide the building nicely into spaces for a restaurant and a barbershop. I chose these two programmatic elements because I am acquainted with local business owners interested in this combination of programs.
Design Strategy
Because the existing building has good bones and very unique character, my goal going in is doing very little and trying to highlight as much of the building’s existing architecture as possible. The proposed changes are as follows:
Opening up the Farrington corner with glazing.
Infilling the damaged brick ala the Kintsugi method.
Removing the existing sign canopy and replacing with an aluminum canopy.
Repainting to highlight the intricate brick work above the canopies.
Replacing the damaged tile base with new ceramic tile.
Final Renderings
