FOUNTAIN SQUARE
ESSELMAN ALLEY HOUSE
NEON Architecture
The alleyways of downtown Indianapolis hold enormous potential, and homeowners are realizing it. The Alley House is our response to this growing request.
Complimenting the architecture of the existing home while creating its own identity, this home provides a welcoming experience for guests arriving from the alley, or walking up from the back yard by engaging the lot’s unique corner condition. With accessory units like this becoming more frequently sought after, it’s a welcome opportunity to explore a smaller footprint for the modern urban home.
Q&A
DESIGN CHALLENGES
The challenge of the carriage house is to produce a work of architecture that stands on its own while also acknowledging the owner's primary residence. The Esselman Alley House sits in a unique place in Fountain Square, surrounded by a mix of both residential and commercial, on the intersection of two alleys, forcing the design to respond to a number of changing and unique conditions.
The carriage house typology is increasingly becoming a new regular in our urban neighborhoods, and the balancing act of cost with the requirements and desires of the end project is always a delicate one, and the Esselman Alley House is no different. The design needed to be one that is open, spacious, connected, efficient, and contextual. The use of exterior circulation, site-specific organizational strategies, and simple design moves allows the Alley House to create a new architecture at the alley that invites its guests in.
WHAT ARE YOU MOST PROUD OF?
The compact footprint and efficient flow of space demonstrates that you don't need maximum square footage to achieve a sense of openness and spaciousness. Our response to the architecture of the existing home while still defining the Alley House as its own unique space serves as an example for how we can continue to think about adding density on existing city lots, all while creating a new streetscape along our alleys.
DON’T MISS THIS
The balcony overlooking the alley and Virginia Avenue as well as the views toward the downtown skyline.
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DESIGN INSPIRATION
The reference to the architecture of the existing home was quite important, as well as the response to the site conditions, the corner alley condition, and the commercial corridor of Virginia Avenue.
TAKE AWAY
Architecture and design can serve to create new ways of occupying our city. With the continued increase in housing costs, the Alley House, for NEON, serves as a continued study in scale and livability, demonstrating that our homes do not have to be big to live big.