The Hammett Street homes area serves as the connection point between the future of the swamp rabbit trail and the Poe Mill neighborhood. Existing homes back up to the existing Poe Mill site and are adjacent to the American Spinning Mill.
221 Hammett Street
221 Hammett Street
213 Hammett Street
HAMMETT STREET CORNER
The Hammett Street Lot sits on the corner of Hammett Streetm Goldsmith Street, and Loom Street. The property encompasses about 16,744 ft2 and currently is the site of a corner market called Siddhi Food Market.
108 Hammett St
201 A St.
204 Hammett St
206 Hammett St 13 Loom St.
107 Talley St
Siddhi Food Mart
CREATING CONNECTIONS THROUGH HAMMETT STREET
ASHLEY PARSONS
The project in Poe Mill focuses on enhancing community through thoughtful development. The area is characterized by a strong sense of community, with residents taking pride in their neighborhood and desiring the best for it. A site off Hammett Street was chosen for its potential, as it will connect Poe Mill to the upcoming Swamp Rabbit Trail extension, linking it to the broader Greenville area. The zoning was changed from R-7.5 to RNX-B to allow for more units and flexibility in design. The plan includes stacked duplexes with two and threebedroom units, aimed at maintaining affordability while attracting interest. Additionally, a live/work building is included to draw visitors and enhance community interaction. The layout creates a large public park space facing the Swamp Rabbit Trail, intended for use by both residents and passersby. Overall, the proposed site plan and duplex designs aim to create density in Poe Mill while preserving the community’s character and affordability.
SITE PLAN HAMMETTST.
RAILROAD
SIXTH AVE.
FIFTH AVE.
FLOOR PLANS
Ground Floor Second Floor
TECTONIC STUDIES
BUILDING ENVELOPE
“The homes are oriented in a way that creates a shared park, providing homeowners and the community a public space facing the Swamp Rabbit Trail.”
THE INDIVIDUAL, THE SHARED, AND THE INBETWEEN
ELLA MOUNTCASTLE
Located in Poe Mill, SC, this housing proposal for the site addresses key issues affordability, sustainability, and community integration, with careful respect to the neighborhood’s scale, character, and growth potential. The site, located in a secluded and overgrown area at the dead end of Poe Mill, offers a unique opportunity for revitalization. Its strategic location positions it as a link between Poe Mill and the future developments across the railroad, including the renovation of the American Spinning Mill and the extension of the Swamp Rabbit Trail. The surrounding area consists predominantly of single-family homes, with plans for two new apartment complexes in the future. Therefore, there is a need to carefully mediate scale and density to integrate this site back into the community while addressing the area’s potential for growth.
American Spinning Mill
Future Poe Mill Development
Sites
Swamp Rabbit Trail Extension
SITE PLAN
Hammett Street
SINGLE STORY. TWO UNITS or ONE HOUSEHOLD
TWO STORIES. (PER MASS) ONE GROUND FLOOR UNIT OR PART OF ONE HOUSEHOLD.
TWO STORIES. (PER MASS) TWO SECOND FLOOR UNITS OR PART OF ONE HOUSEHOLD.
HYPHEN. THE CONNECTOR. CIRCULATION, KITCHEN, COMMUNITY.
FLOOR PLANS
Ground Floor
Total heated: 3,837 sqft.
Unit A: 787 sqft.
Unit B: 666 sqft.
Unit C: 1,471 sqft.
Hyphen: 913 sqft.
Ground floor bedrooms: 4
Ground floor bathrooms: 4
Second Floor
Total heated: 1,836 sqft.
Unit A: 787 sqft.
Unit B: 666 sqft.
Second floor bedrooms: 4
Second floor bathrooms: 3
Total heated: 5,673 sqft.
TECTONIC STUDIES
“This housing proposal addressing key issues of affordability, sustainability, and community integration, with careful respect to the neighborhood’s scale, creates a communityfocused space that fits with the character of the neighborhood while supporting diverse living needs and future growth.”
HAMMETT STREET COMMUNITY COMMONS
JULIA CAMPBELL
The Poe Mill neighborhood of Greenville, South Carolina has a rich history as a former mill village. The Hammett Street corner lot sits at the intersection between the future Swamp Rabbit Trail extension (connecting the greater Greenville area) and the development within the Poe Mill neighborhood. Additionally, this site is a transition zone between established single-family homes and the upcoming mixed-use Poe Mill Development. The vision for this small community cluster is to provide medium-sized (~1300 SF) marketrate housing that meets the needs of families and individuals across various stages of life. The residents of this community enjoy walking, biking, and spending time outside in the community commons.
SITE PLAN
5’ Sidewalk added along perimeter
Created (5) street parking spaces with 10’ curb cut
Alley access for commercial deliveries
Storage unit building with (5) parking spaces in front
Duplex 2
Duplex 1
1st Level: Commercial
2nd Level: Residential
Community
Commons Space
Storage Units
Neighbor’s Property
Neighbor’s Access to Commons Area
Swamp Rabbit Trail Access
Goldsmith St.
Adjacent Property Agreement
Duplex Construction
Two Duplexes
Ten Parking spots
Apartment Construction Two apartment units
Structural Alignment
TECTONIC STUDIES
2x6 Advanced Framing
Open Web Joists 24” O.C.
2” x 12” Rafters 24” O.C.
ENERGY ANALYSIS
Young Professionals
Small family, starting to grow
Flexible Commercial Space
Couple
Empty nesters Small family, two kids
“The vision for this small community cluster is to provide medium-sized market-rate housing that meets the needs of families and individuals across various stages of life.”
CONYERS & SHAW STREET CORNER
EXISTING CONDITIONS
HAMMETT ST CORNER
The Hammett Street corner is an ideal site for densification in the Poe Mill community. There are three rental units that currently sit on the lot along with a community church. The promenade primarily consists of hard surface parking and minimal vegetation.
SHAW STREET
Along Shaw Street, there exists this promenade that has been develped over the years. Different community poles and stores have poped up that connect and benefit the community. The soteria Community developement center connects residents by aligning government, churches, non-profi t organizations, and industry and community leaders in order to empower long-term positive change. The coin laundry has served as a reliable backup for community members in need of a place to wash their clothes. Mountain Goat Coffee serves as a great place for the community to relax and converse about their daily activities. The community pole that I am proposing is no stranger to the promenade that already exists.
POE MILL “MISSING MIDDLE”
DANIEL MONTALVO
The proposed development that responds to the “missing middle” includes seven units instead of its original three single-family rentals. To reach this number, a proposal to split the lot into two would require demolishing the three single-family rentals. By rezoning the lot back to the city’s zoning ordinance, we can achieve an amplified open courtyard concept that opens the opportunity for meandering and a better quality of space. The zoning ordinance would be that of RNX-B, which states that the front of the property has a 5-foot setback and a maximum of 40-foot building width. The zoning ordinance also states that a maximum of 8 units can exist on the lot without any bonuses. This project proposes a built space of about 23 percent and an open space of about 77 percent.
Hammett St.
FLOOR PLANS
Ground Floor
Second Floor
Design for Livable Spaces
The following section perspective offers insight into the living spaces in a way that provides a gentle notion of livability and community. The architectural character of the proposed units does not take away from the character of the community but instead provides a precedent on how to better engage the community and promote resilience within the neighborhood. A great shared space is one that respects the language of its precedents and offers a connection to its residents.
Modular Living
Workplace
Max Allowable Width Without the Bonus - 40’-0”
shadow boxes for protection
Filtration
TECTONIC STUDIES
ADVANCED FRAME CONSTRUCTION
2x6 studs @ 24” O.C. This focus is on a more thorough method to punched openings that remove excess cripples studs, a more conservative corner stud, a more efficient way for backing on interior intersections, and top plate connections. ~ 33%
$6.5-$10 savings on materials and labor cost/sf for wall framing
ENERGY ANALYSIS
BUILDING ORIENTATION
Less than 45 degrees from the true north not only opti mizes exposure levels but also respects the cadence of the existing conditions of homes and their relationships to the
R-36
AIRTIGHT ENVELOPES
A compact shell, has a direct effect of energy performance. smaller geometries are useful when trying to insulate, reduce thermal bridging and favored when trying to reduce construction costs and keep airtight.
R-23
R-35
R-13
“Open spaces should not be a luxury; they should be a need and a convenience for all.”
POE MILL: REDEFINING LIVING
KYRA WHITEMAN
This concept for affordable housing priorities efficient, simple forms that can be easily adapted too various site conditions and can also be “personalized” with differences in roof form. Thoughtful massing and orientation can foster a sense of community while maximizing interior private space. This approach encourages sustainable, connected living while maintaining affordability by using advanced framing techniques and solar panel potential.
FLOOR PLANS
Ground Floor
Second Floor
Kitchen/ Living Utilities/ Bath Bed
Duplex: The duplex is the main focus of this “redefining” of Poe Mill. Each individual unit is 25’x25’ at its maximum. When put side by side the whole duplex is 25’x50’ (around 25’ high). This limited footprint was used to mimic the common footprint of 30’x40’, so that the duplex’s mass could fit into the surrounding context. On the ground floor there is a double height entryway opening up to the staircase. The next section of the ground floor is reserved for utilites (half-bath, water heater, and laundry). The kitchen, living, and dining spaces are located at the opposite side from the main entry. On the second floor, the master bedroom and bathroom are located in the space created by the cantilver. The other bedroom sits above the living space while the other full bath is across the way, on top of the half bath on the ground floor.
Studio: For the smaller two residential units on this site, the same footprint for the duplex’s ground floor was used. The kitchen, living, and utility spaces stay relatively in the same areas. The bed is located where the stairs are in the duplex.
Having the ability to use this footprint for both designs allows for cohesion and efficiency.
Porch/ Public Entry
TECTONIC STUDIES
26% less lumber used
Trusses Connect
Trusses Seperate
The structure of the duplexes is optimized to meet the effciency of the building’s overall form and planning. Advanced framing techniques are used to minimize the amount of lumber used, in turn lowering construction time and cost. Window placements align with this particular framing system in order to minimize the use of extra unnecessary studs. A 25’ by 25’ fink truss system is used to frame the roof. This system can be rotated over either unit of the duplex to add visual interest to the buildings.
“The design project focuses on creating efficient adaptable designs that can be applied across various contexts within Poe Mill, ensuring scalable, sustainable, and efficient development.”
POE MILL LIVING AND WORKING
JOHN TREJO-CHAVEZ
The Old Mill at Park Place in Greenville, South Carolina, once a thriving hub in the textile industry, has seen its surrounding neighborhood decline but has benefitted from revitalization efforts led by churches, community centers like the Soteria Community Development Center, and local businesses fostering youth engagement and community connections. A proposed Live-Work housing typology along Shaw Street seeks to enhance this revitalization by providing spaces for both residential living and small business opportunities, while incorporating energyefficient building techniques and drawing inspiration from methods of compactness, and functional designs similar to the Rutledge Homes by Boyd Architects.
SITE AXON
ShawStreet
ConyersStreet
FLOOR PLANS
Ground Floor
Second Floor
FiberCementBoard
Stucco
TECTONIC STUDIES
Advanced Framing
Advance framing has been proven to be more thermally efficient. These techniques maximize the material usage and potential for less waste.
2x10 Roof Rafters
2x6 Wood Stud @16” OC Advance Framing
18” Floor Trusses
2x6 Wood Stud @16” OC Advance Framing
ENERGY ANALYSIS
CLOSING REFLECTIONS
Following the completion of the studio’s final project review, students packaged their work into design competition submissions for blind review by a jury of outside architects / educators. This was in keeping with the aim of treating this “At Home” studio as a pilot for potential future student competitions around the themes of Weyerhaeuser’s 3x30 Sustainability Ambitions: climate, affordable and workforce housing, and support for communities. The following are reflections from the At Home_In The Upstate competition jurors. A big Thank You to these jurors, to Weyerhaeuser, and to all of the contributors to this studio and project.
“Given the speed with which “affordable” portions of Greenville are being swallowed-up and redeveloped by monied interests, the Poe Mill Studio exercise offered a few bright moments of opportunity for thoughtful development amidst an existing, low-scale neighborhood fabric.”
-Evan Mann | evan mann architect
“The ‘At Home in the Upstate’ housing studio asked students to think beyond the design of an individual dwelling to consider the impact of increased density and economic growth on the people and culture of the historic Poe Mill neighborhood. Across the student projects, I was impressed with the range of research and design exploration that spanned multiple scales, from urban planning strategies and alternative living situations to architecture that played with variations on familiar building types and off-the-shelf wood framing. This approach showed the student’s ability to begin grappling with the complexities of implementing thoughtful housing design.”
-Jessica Collangelo | University of Arkansas | Somewhere Studio
“It was a pleasure to review all fourteen student designs. Competitions are exciting in large part because they generate a wide range of responses to a given problem. Some strategies we saw are deeply invested in the realities of a particular place; others focus on design tectonics and project implementation; and then there are the formal and conceptual provocations. For an architecture student, a housing design studio is often their first time tackling a problem that is at the same time practical and aspirational. With housing, from intimate material detail to large urban systems, there are so many things that are at stake when thinking about the future of Poe Mill. And so each student was challenged to not address all of the issues at hand, but to make informed decisions and work with intention and imagination.
What I enjoyed most about the problem setup is each project operated at a block scale intervention rather than a one size fits all solution for the entire neighborhood. This really contributes to the idea of producing a more diverse cross-section of housing typologies under the umbrella of middle scale. We saw accessory units in one project, almost multi-unit apartment blocks in another, and other middles between the small and large. To me, this is a very good thing when the time comes to meet with the Poe Mill community. The students, informed through their site and case study analysis work, are demonstrating here that the ultimate solution for Poe Mill will need to include both detached and semi-detached strategies. Also, these differences point to the importance of integrating landscape scale design strategies which will provide boundaries and connections across the larger site. One could build a lot of units, but the students show ways that the space between neighbors is as important as the buildings.
It is highly commendable to the students that they not only addressed urban design questions, but each of them designed units that achieved spatial and technical resolution. This is where the collaboration with Weyerhaeuser and the in-house Clemson WU+D Institute really shines through. The students were able to identify material systems and progress a design idea in dialogue with light-frame and engineered wood products. What’s important here is the ability to connect spatial thinking and how a building would be put together. Often times, we see a student design project be agnostic to how it would be constructed, but in the case of this competition we see designs that use it as a constraint and opportunity. There was a good balance of projects that are committed to this exercise as a means to learn and apply best practices, and there are others that, in their naivety, take exciting risks. The awarded projects in the competition are the ones that took constraints and made them opportunities for tweaking a residential typology.”
