Makley Place

Approach

This new urban infill mixed-use development is perfectly set for city living on a site between The Ohio State University to the north and the thriving Short North Fine Arts district to the south. The five-story building facing 5th Avenue includes a host of clubhouse amenity spaces and two retail spaces on the ground floor topped by 134 luxury apartments which include a mix of studios, one and two bedroom units. In addition, the building includes approximately 16 workforce housing units that were provided through an incentive program with the City of Columbus.

As part of this project, the area to the north of the main building features 44 condominiums in 12 buildings, including townhomes with enclosed garages and one-bedroom flats with detached garages. Attractive to a variety of residents including medical students and staff from OSU Wexner Medical Center as well as others looking for city dwelling, the site is close to a bike path and bus lines, making it an optimal location to live.

For both the high density multifamily project and the condo units to the north, the goal was to integrate the entire development into the existing fabric of the neighborhood by referencing the architectural styles, character, proportions and details of the neighborhood. During the design phase of the project, the MA Design team and development team invited local residents to be a part of the process, influencing the design. Because of this input, the design of the building became an “E” shaped plan with the open ends facing south to 5th Avenue. The voids of the “E” capture sunlight into two courtyard amenity spaces for the residentials to interact, while reducing the mass of the building along the street to make it more pedestrian friendly.

The amenity spaces for residents include indoor spaces that open up to these outdoor courtyards. Various seating areas allow for a variety of activities including socializing, working or participating in the many organized activities that the community provides. The larger top-floor residential units have large walk-out balconies that offer amazing views in all directions.