The Menil Neighborhood is home to two distinct families of buildings: that of the institutions and that of the bungalows. The former is read and approached from all sides while the latter produces a single sided, neutral backdrop. Our goal is to bridge this gap between building types by producing a new family of buildings that mediates between institution and residence. The result is a form that is read both in the round from the backyards and as a sided figure from the street. This mediation is interpreted through four orientations of formal qualities: short/creased, short/flat, tall/creased, and tall/flat. Each endeavors to connect residents to incredibly local conditions, highlighting a nearby focus on outdoor space or an emphasis on modesty. These ADUs encourage distinct understandings of the form based on distance and ownership. From the street, it produces a sided reading like that of the bungalow and as you move closer, the idiosyncratic and rotational organization of the form unfolds. This third family of buildings, besides that of the institution and the primary dwelling plays with traditional boundaries by encouraging different levels of familiarity with the ADU. A visitor to the Menil neighborhood will only witness the variety of orientations presented to the street, while the primary dwelling occupant will be more familiar with the form of the ADU, how it creates exterior space and relates to their own home. The ADU occupant will be familiar with all aspects of the form, both interior and exterior, promoting a sense of ownership, as well as a sense of connection with their neighbors both in front and alongside them.
Done in collaboration with George Hewitt.