This week, we've named two amazing multifamily projects as our Co-Homes of the Week!
In the heart of downtown Madison, near the State Capital building and adjacent to the University of Wisconsin campus, Hub Madison offers an unmatched living experience.
This 960-bed, mixed-use residence tower includes prized amenities above a vibrant street-level commercial atmosphere. The ground-floor lobby, detailed like a boutique hotel, welcomes student residents with a custom UW badger portrait painted on a wood-plank wall. The lobby's expansive bi-fold windows open to transfer the energy along State Street's retail corridor into the Hub Madison.
Hub Madison's amenities embody the "work hard, play hard" philosophy. Overlooking State Street, a rooftop infinity-edge pool is surrounded by cabanas and hot tubs. An interior courtyard features a sand volleyball court, a seasonal ice rink, and an outdoor lounge that is equipped with cabanas, hanging daybeds, and stadium seating around a 20-foot LED screen.
Indoor amenities at Hub Madison meet the bar for high-end design and cater to residents' individual lifestyles. A luxurious spa and fitness center are appointed with contemporary but age-appropriate touches. Residents unwind in the music practice/performance space, in a game-filled lounge, and in plush stadium seats in the media room. Private study rooms, video-conferencing spaces, and dedicated quiet and scholarly floors ensure residents' myriad needs are met.
Next, we have the NAHB Pillars Award-winning Chestnut Square, built by Drexel University and American Campus Communities (ACC) in 2013. The mixed-use retail and residential project transformed Chestnut Street by combining a lively retail streetscape with student housing apartments and urban townhomes. Featuring 861 on-campus beds, the property comprises two eight-story buildings with an attached 19-story high-rise residential tower.
Spurred by a decade of steady enrollment growth, Drexel was challenged with having too few on-campus beds, specifically a shortage of suite-style rooms for first-year students and lower-division undergraduates and a scarcity of apartment accommodations. With Chestnut Square, Drexel sought to create a project that would entice students back to campus with a contemporary urban academic environment while connecting to the surrounding University City community.
ACC incorporated innovative solutions for each of the project objectives for the development. The property's artful, modern exterior complements Drexel's evolving campus and creates a dramatic two-story entrance to a newly formed quad. By incorporating the broad use of glass at the street level, combined with limestone, the design reiterates Drexel's progress toward creating a pedestrian-friendly, mixed-use campus district enlivened by student-focused retail amenities.
Interiors feature modern student housing accommodations with a variety of floor plans and uniquely configured units. Residents have access to resort-style community amenities including a state-of-the-art fitness center, full-size golf simulator, large game room with arcade games, computer center with iMacs, theater room and more.
The furnished apartments and two-story townhomes feature designer interior finishes, including hardwood-style floors, leather-style sofas, stainless steel appliances and granite countertops. The high-rise features private accommodations in traditional four-bedroom/two-bathroom apartment floor plans and shared two-bedroom/two-bathroom floor plans. Unit features include granite countertops, stainless steel appliances, hardwood-style flooring and a full high-end furniture package. ACC specifically designed the double-occupancy units to offer ultimate privacy even in shared accommodations, with privacy walls between each bed, dual vanity sinks and individual compartments for the bath, toilet and sink areas.
Creating an activated streetscape along Chestnut with destination retail was another key goal for the University. Situated between 32nd and 33rd Streets, Chestnut Square provides the gateway experience that entices the neighboring University City residents to explore. The project engages the surrounding community by creating destination retail that is attractive to neighboring constituencies while reinforcing campus identity.
The project's mission of weaving into the fabric of the University and neighborhood has resulted in the best mix of unique and locally-based eateries and services in Chestnut Square's 24,800 square feet of retail space. Included within the retail mix is Philadelphia's second Shake Shack (a popular burger chain out of NYC), highly acclaimed restaurants Zavino, Cozara and Joe's Coffee, and other student specialty retail options. Read more and view the photo gallery.