PEAKS STORY
The project was initiated by defining the main values and ethos that will guide the design process: prioritizing accessibility and mobility through public transport and pedestrian connections, reducing car presence around the project site, enhancing storm-water management, diversifying programming for public and commercial functions on the ground level, creating green and activity-based outdoor spaces, and optimizing office floor plate design for efficiency.
These ethos set up main urban strategies for the surroundings of the site:
• Connect the riverfront and the project site with greenery and water features. Relocate parking underground or into existing parking facilities.
• Create a cyclist/pedestrian promenade with active public spaces. Integrate the project site and increase the greenery along the riverfront.
• Reduce car traffic by allocating main services of the site in the North-East. Integrate DPM infrastructure into the development.
Urban strategies indicated the next steps for the architectural concept to be established. The project 'Peaks' was created following 6 main design chapters:
• Activate the waterfront greenery, basketball, padel and tennis courts. Define backside of the site for service vehicles.
• Use permeable surfaces and greenery for rainwater management in the center of the site. Allocate leisure and commercial functions on the ground and upper floors in connection to sports courts and greenery.
• Integrate DPM station and connect it with the building creating market-like commercial spaces: café, event spaces, bars and restaurants. Indicate maximum allowed height of the building.
• Adjust massing for best micro-climate conditions. Allocate office in the highest corner, hotel - most visible and closest to promenade, residential - closest to DPM, lowest massing, great solar conditions.
• Rotate office tower for better solar and wind conditions. Adjust the hotel massing to allow better views for people in the office tower. Adjust residential mass to match riverfront towers typology.
• The outer perimeter facades indicate a rigid grid in order to relate to the City of Detroit. The grid facing inner greenery is shuffled in order to make them dynamic while still relating to Detroit’s urban fabric.
The peaks development consists of 3 separate towers (apartment building, office building, and the hotel) connected by commercial facilities in the first 3 levels, and an underground parking.
Commercial/wellbeing facilities on the first 2 levels include: swimming pool, which is closely connected to hotel tower; gym and sport hall with tennis and padel facilities, which are closely connected to office tower; climbing and bouldering facilities in connection to the apartment building.
The 3rd level represents a rooftop public square filled with cafes, restaurants and other commercial/hospitality functions. A sheltered public space also integrates the Detroit People Mover (DPM) stop on the west side of the development.
Apartment building consists of 4 cores that contain 1 staircase and 2 elevators each. The building provides a total of 205 apartments. The 102 business apartments (around 100m2 each) are placed facing the inner central courtyard benefiting from morning sun from the east; the 100 luxurious apartments (around 200m2 each) are allocated towards south west providing the best solar conditions and views; the 3 villa apartments (around 300m2 each) are located on the top levels of the building, providing the best solar conditions and panoramic views from east to west.
The building also provides access to common rooftop terraces equipped with outdoor lounge furniture and greenhouses for gardening.
The office building consists of 25 levels of office space with 1000m2 each. The central circulation core and the rational shape of the office tower creates possibilities for flexible tenant arrangement and adaptability for the future changes.
Hotel building encloses the project site from the east and accommodates 500 mixed-size rooms, 4 villas and a 300m2 sky bar with panoramic view.
The inner green courtyard provides a central gathering space and connects to the riverfront promenade. It is perceived as a natural element which gathers people, animals, and birds. The central courtyard is divided into 2 parts: greenery above the underground parking, filled with wild grass and small bushes; natural greenery with trees and ponds which increases biodiversity and helps with the rainwater management.
The central courtyard is also a transition space connecting commercial plaza with DPM stop on the 3rd level and riverfront promenade.
SUMMARY
Commercial / Leisure 15 120 m2
Office tower 25 000 ft2
Hotel tower 500 standard rooms, 4 villas, 300 m2 skybar
Apartment tower 200 apartments, 4 lofts with rooftop gardens
