Affordable Artist Housing Project Description
Modus Locus is a conceptual vision for integrating affordable artist housing into an existing vibrant mixed-use art-centered landmark in the Powderhorn neighborhood of Minneapolis. The site consists of the Modus Locus gallery, Minneapolis’s longest operating plant-based restaurant, and a shared patio and courtyard. There are few courtyard spaces in Minneapolis and this space is the most unique as food critic Dara Moskowitz Grumdahl describes it: “the metro’s most vital art patio, with living, ever-changing art walls”. As part of VMWP’s role providing design services for emerging developers in the Hennepin County Transit Oriented Communities Predevelopment Assistance program, VMWP worked in tandem with a development consultant to evaluate multiple conceptual scenarios and different parcel configurations to maximize the number of units allowed by affordable housing Minneapolis zoning.
Architectural DESIGN FEATURES
- Preserves the existing gallery and restaurant space
- Design frames the existing courtyard and patio creating a true urban space for art and culture
- The courtyard is used as the main entry point for a black box theater to increase activation
- The building is intended to provide a vertical surface for art
Sustainability FEATURES
- Contributes to the vibrant and resilient culture
of the Powderhorn neighborhood as an arts and
culture destination
Project Information
- Client: Ephraim Eusebio via Hennepin County Transit Oriented Communities Predevelopment Assistance Program
- Site Area: 18,438 S.F. / 0.4 acre
- Density: 29 units – 86 DUA
- Completion: October 2023
- Website: Modus Locus
VMWP Affordable Housing Experience
As a multidisciplinary firm, we plan and design a wide variety of affordable housing from high-density urban communities to small-lot single-family housing providing over 4,000 built units in our 35 years. With cost and quality of life as primary concerns in our housing, we use simple elements of construction, building materials and scale to create beautiful spaces. Our work has earned numerous design awards at both national and local levels. Recent accolades include the PCBC Grand Award for Best Health/Wellness Design for Vitalia, the NAHRO Best Project award for AVi at Olde Town, and the Architizer A+ Special Mention for Affordable Housing for Victory Village.