SCADpad

SCADpad

The Project is a community of three 135-square-foot micro-residence prototypes installed on the fourth floor of an underutilized Atlanta parking structure. The modules each feature a private outdoor living space and share a common green space complete with an organic garden, bike parking, and a rapid-prototyping area. This intimate living community occupies an area of only eight parking spaces and offers panoramic views of the Atlanta skyline.

The Project provides parking structure owners, public and private, with a responsible way to respond to rising trends in urban population and increasing obsolescence of parking structures while preserving the ability to generate revenue. Owners can lease parking spaces for residential modules at rates well below median urban studio rents but above median monthly rates for parking, thereby maximizing profits. More so, this opportunity can be capitalized on without losing the ability to return the deck to its original purpose or adaptively reuse it for other purposes in the future.

Minimal parking deck modifications were required prior to installation and use of the residential modules, which were constructed in less than two months. Each module measures 8’-4” wide x 16’-0” long, stands 10’-4” above the ground, has removable top portions to accommodate typical parking deck structural beams, and is self-leveling for installation on sloped or flat floors.

The Project is space-conscious without compromise. After installation, customized exterior and interior artwork and furnishings were applied. Featuring highly customizable exterior and interior surfaces and finishes, including high-touch, technology-infused environments, the residential modules are designed to enhance the experience of living small.

One module features exterior cladding of color gradient geometric shapes, interior walls made of human conductive wallpaper, and a ceiling of perforated silicone tiles. Interior furnishings include black parapan bed, nightstand and kitchen cabinets with a zinc-clad countertop.

Another has exterior cladding of tonal blue lacquered wood panels capped with scalloped copper roofline shingles. The interior features an interactive wall covering made from 40,000 strips of fabric, a hammock-style pull-down bed, and bathroom surfaces of op art vinyl graphics.

A third module features etched metal exterior panels, interior walls covered in thousands of leather strips, a ceiling installation made from a myriad of common household items, and the floor made from vintage yard sticks and rulers.

The Project models an immediate strategy for advancing urban economic development with a focus on sustainable adaptive reuse. It enhances cities’ ability to attract talented Millennials without requiring investment in new infrastructure or undeveloped land to accommodate a growing population.

According to the ancient Roman architect Vitruvius, the three essential components of great architecture are utility, strength, and delight. The Project’s UTILITY lies in its space-conscious urban living, its STRENGTH is evident in its principles of adaptive reuse, and its DELIGHT is illuminated in its fusion of art, technology and beauty. This Project reimagines and embodies and advances timeless architectural principles for the millennial age—the age that informed the Project to begin with.