The Avenue Cooperative Apartments Madison, Wisconsin
This project for Madison Mutual Housing Association includes 8 units of new construction (shown below) and the conversion of a hospital building and a former boiler building into mixed income, intergenerational co-op apartments -- a total of 40 dwelling units. Designed to be easily usable for all segments of the population, this project incorporates 6 fully barrier-free units, and features Madison's first fully "universal" playground designed to foster play between able-bodied and physically disabled children.
Award: AIA Wisconsin Merit Award, Best Housing Award: Orchid Award by the Capitol Community Citizens Award: Preservation Award, Madison Trust for Historic Preservation Award: Accessible Housing Award, Greater Madison Board of Realtors Award: Award of Excellence, Federal National Mortgage Association Foundation
For more on this project, click for these articles:
Juror's comments in awarding the AIA Wisconsin Merit Award for Best Housing:
"This project is very important socially. The idea of the architects being involved in moderate and low income housing and doing it with good design is an encouraging reflection of the state of architecture in Wisconsin. The best new part of the project is that, in fact, it looks like old housing. The project is very deserving of this award."
"The roofing massing and massing of units is wonderfully sensitive and differs from the usual big block solution which results from a small budget."
"The new buildings in this complex are an unpretentious but joyous and cheerful adaptation of what we understand to be a neighborhood context. This project was selected as the best new housing [in Wisconsin] - not because it was the best new affordable housing."
