Jim Bramlett & James Van Horn

Originally a bustling industrial center at the turn of the 20th century, Atlanta’s Westside has transformed over the past decade from a decaying relic of the railroad era into a thriving commercial, arts, and entertainment district. Its compact street grid, central location, and authentic feel have attracted young, creative, well educated professionals seeking an urban lifestyle away from the office parks and garden apartments of the sprawling suburbs. Recent business development in the neighborhood caters well to this demographic, with an influx of technology startups, art galleries, design shops, and innovative restaurants. The accompanying housing development, however, has not matched in creativity or originality.

This project aims to fill a void in the West Midtown housing market, which largely caters to students form nearby Georgia Tech but lacks attractive options for the young professionals who work, shop, dine, and unwind in the neighborhood. 925 Brady is an iconic condo tower that brings density and urban walkability to an underdeveloped area at the edge of the Marietta Street retail district. At the transition point between the sparsely developed industrial area just across the railroad tracks and the Westside’s dense commercial landscape, the project activates the street with a reimagined, pedestrian-friendly intersection anchored by a two-story grocery store at the base of the tower. The market extends the existing urban edge onto Brady Avenue and provides a much-needed public amenity to the neighborhood.

The tower above consists of 40 one-, two-, and three-bedroom townhouse-style units that extend the full width of the building, providing ample daylight, cross-ventilation, and skyline views to residents. Most units open onto either public or private “dogtrot” terraces punched through the building mass, and residents also have access to a lawn and a reflecting pool for storm water detention on the roof of the grocery. Photovoltaic panels are used extensively to reach the project’s ambitious net-zero energy goals. The panels serve as an integral part of the tower’s cladding and shading system and lend a sense of verticality to its tall, broad form.

Model Studies

Final Boards

Detailed Images