Tall & Urban News

A 283-unit luxury apartment community in the Northeast submarket of Minneapolis, Minnesota called Rafter has been completed, architectural design firm Cuningham Group has announced.

Cuningham has its headquarters in Minneapolis.

The building was retained by Mortenson Development in cooperation with US Bank to undertake the architecture, concept design, and interior design of the 26-story, 407,530 square-foot (37,860-square-meter) project, which also includes 6,000 square feet (557 square meters) of retail space.

The strategy behind the design was to deliver an aesthetic and amenities for today’s luxury apartment residents, while creating a feel and lifestyle that is distinctly Northeast Minneapolis.

According to Jeff Schoeneck, Cuningham Group's live studio leader, Cuningham’s concept centered on delivering a true ‘love letter’ to Northeast Minneapolis—a fresh, modern design that emulates and seamlessly integrates into the surrounding community, preserving significant elements of its industrial, working-class history.

"Rather than developing an oasis that would differentiate the property from the more raw and artistic aspects of the neighborhood, The Mortenson Development team and the entire design team recognized an opportunity to craft Rafter as a place that echoes the existing Northeast Minneapolis community," said Jeremiah Johnson, AIA, NCARB, Cuningham’s lead designer on the project.

Inspired by numerous historical and industrial spaces, including the nearby General Mills elevators, Johnson explains that the Cuningham team created a simple  material palette to blend in to the area’s unmistakable historical context and fit comfortably, even at its large scale.

"One significant strategy was the use of paneling to create a distinct look that fulfilled the developer’s request for a varied and active façade, while keeping costs to a minimum,” says Johnson, who explains that the property is integrated into the surrounding streetscape via the brick base, and the tower’s exterior is a blend of white and textured charcoal concrete that creates a look reminiscent of modern ceramic arts. By using 15 different molds then rotating and shifting them across the building’s façade, our designers created a diverse, dynamic look that maximized variation while minimizing the number of forms required.

Ultimately, 442 precast concrete panels totaling 540 tons were used to cover the building.

According to Cuningham’s Lead Interior Designer on the project Stephanie Thompson, Rafter’s interior spaces are also defined by a rich variety of materials - including rough, board-form textures on the ceiling; smooth, exposed concrete columns; and polished concrete floors.

Strategic use of warm wood tones helps balance the concrete, creating an environment that is simultaneously striking and welcoming.

 "It was important to our team and to all project stakeholders that Rafter reflect the neighborhood’s status as a vibrant artists’ community. We achieved this by designing and bringing to life an intimate, interconnected space that now highlights the local art showcased within it," said Stephanie Thompson, Cuningham’s Lead Interior Designer on the project.

Photographs, paintings, and sculptures by local artists are placed throughout Rafter’s shared spaces and on every floor.

The property’s lobby boasts a metal screen wall designed by local artists and a reception desk crafted by Keith Wyman of Concrete Pig - comprised of welded steel, slabs of walnut, and black pigmented concrete - that is equal parts function and sculpture.

Thompson notes that the Cuningham team also saw an opportunity to utilize the space as an ongoing, evolving celebration of the Northeast community’s thriving Arts District.

The project team hired two artists-in-residence, offering each a year lease in exchange for their art, while a shared makerspace allows all residents access to the neighborhood’s artistic spirit.

Rafter is located at 333 Hennepin Avenue East in Minneapolis, Minnesota and features luxury, pet-friendly, studio, one-, two- and three-bedroom apartment floor plans, including penthouse options.

A seven-story, 279-space attached parking structure serves both retail and Rafter residents.

For more on this story, go to World Architecture News.