May 8, 2015

Arbor Hills featured in Metal Architecture’s May issue

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.