Madison Flats is a three-story, 27-unit market rate apartment building located south of downtown Des Moines. The site represents an opportunity to clean up a scar in the urban landscape and take advantage of existing infrastructure in a sustainable manner. The building is designed to attract and spur further development in the forgotten neighborhood, while also reestablishing a historic fabric that can be seen in the surrounding neighborhood and near the project site. Madison Flats celebrates the lost architecture of the historic south side. Its walkability, connections to transit, existing infrastructure and the compounding benefits of in-fill development make the first new building in this neighborhood in 50 years a tipping point for future in-fill.

The building’s gabled roof and single-loaded corridor was borne from the proportion and rhythm of an existing abandoned brick building in the neighborhood. Variations of floor heights, syncopated window rhythms and masonry detailing veil the modernity of the structure. Constructed with sustainability in mind, the building utilizes energy saving concepts and green materials. Masonry was selected for its durability, longevity and inherent low-maintenance properties.

 

Location:  Des Moines, IA

Program:  Residential

Area:  23,000 SF

Client:  Neighborhood Development Corporation

Photo Credits: Cameron Campbell Integrated Studio