May 8, 2015

Arbor Hills featured in Metal Architecture’s May issue

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In an article entitled “Steel screens clad retail complex,” Metal Architecture’s May issue features the Arbor Hills Retail Center located in Ann Arbor, Michigan.

The 94,000 square foot retail center provides a mix of shops, locally-owned restaurants, and offices in a progressively-designed, pedestrian-focused setting. Opened in August 2013, the center is envisioned as a holistic complex with distinctive “precincts” designed at the scale of the shopper, a departure from the expected formula for retail architecture.

The project’s material palette comprises steel, textured brick, wood, and glass, which were selected to convey a sense of craft and details. Key architectural elements include screens, arcades, and discrete storefronts, which together create a dynamic environment that transforms from day to night, from richly detailed surfaces to dramatically backlit scrims. Inspired by Albert Kahn-designed Ford factories, the screens and their steel support structures recall the idea of a colonnade, accentuated by simple masonry volumes just beyond.

Learn more about the project here.