- 2020 Platinum Award for Community of the Year, Best in America Living Awards
A creative solution for situating a multi-unit project in a historic neighborhood of single family homes.
The Castle Street Cottages were born of their context. Situated on a hill looking out to the harbor and up to the main street to the west, the cottages draw their inspiration from the both the workers’ cottages and the grander homes of this “Hill and Harbor District”. They represent an appropriate, but creative solution to the challenge of situating a multi-unit project in an historic neighborhood of single-family cottages.
Added to the intrinsic efficiency of compact units, and a relatively high density, the inclusion of 2 units deed-restricted to people with low and moderate incomes ensures this is affordable to many.
Because much of the site was elevated from Castle Street, the most prominent theme of the site design are the grand steps which lead up to the shared courtyard. These steps solve the grade issue while providing a fitting and impressive “address” on Castle Street for this pocket neighborhood. Contrasted with the monumental scale of the steps is the intimate scale of both the cottages themselves and the beautiful courtyard they share. Taken together the outdoor kitchen, perfectly-scaled gathering spaces, and front porches of the highly efficient homes themselves, make a place where neighborliness is not taken for granted.
