Title: Clark Townhomes
Location of Proejct: Raleigh, NC
Project Completion Date: 2020
Firm Name: The Raleigh Architecture Company

Short Description: Clark Townhomes is an 11 unit multi-family building peripherally located near Cameron Village, an urban retail center, in Raleigh, NC. The main mass is inserted into the site to satisfy regulatory height prescriptions, mitigate grade, and create entrance stoops. Utility and living program is split and differentiated by materiality, height, and depth generating rhythmic recesses to receive projecting entry stoops and canopies. Prioritizing light over area, an oversized four-story stair volume is utilized to harness light vertically. Large glazing at front and rear facades work in tandem with a sunken courtyard, balcony, and rooftop terrace to amplify the indoor/outdoor experience.

Architect's Statement: The project is comprised of eleven individual townhouses with three unique unit types. Materiality, scale, proportioning, street sidewalk engagement, and repetition of the Brownstone typology were carefully studied and abstracted into a simple, rigorous, repetitive response. Brick masonry veneer was used as an exterior building material to root the buildings to the site and street, and fortify the acoustic buffer between urban condition and private living. To retain privacy from unit to unit, front entries and rear balconies were recessed and windows carefully positioned. A thin entry canopy shields late western sun and rain and reinforces the vertical separation between neighboring units. The lowest floor consists of a carport, garage, and guest bedroom suite with private walk out courtyard patio. On the second floor is the main living area with large sources of light on the north and south. The third floor is home to additional bedrooms and a den while the upmost level has a rooftop deck with views to the front and rear yards. An open vertical circulation stair allows light to penetrate to the lower levels.