JAX Apartments

JAX Apartments is located in the Holland neighborhood, part of the Northeast Minneapolis Arts District. Prior to development the site was a vacant lot.  The 4-story multi-family apartment building includes several ground level units with walk-out entries intended to activate the streetscape. The exterior appearance of the building is dominated by a bold and angular red stripe that creates a large frame over the northwest corner and entry before taking a vertical drop and then continuing as a functional canopy over the first-floor walkout units. On each end, the red stripe turns into a waterfall of red metal panels that create a dramatic façade on the north and south elevations of the building. The larger red façade on the north end is intended to be a complement to the historic red brick church across the street.

The project matches the boldness of its exterior look with bold strategies for affordability, the environment and support for the neighborhood arts community. First, the smaller size of the units allows some of the units to be within financial reach for a broader range of tenants including single occupants and small families. While not unique to this project, smaller ‘micro’ units are relatively new to the Twin Cities market and with the combination of access to transit and neighborhood amenities, an individual could get by without a car and find this lifestyle more affordable than paying for larger space and parking that is not needed.

More unique to this project is a green-blue roof system that was made possible by a grant from the Mississippi Watershed Management Organization (MWMO). The green-blue roof hybrid is the first of its kind in the Minnesota region. The multi-tiered green-blue roof system collects water on the roof, and through smart-valve control drains, holds or releases water onto the second-floor hybrid green-blue roof. The water filters through the hybrid roof and then drains into the underground stormwater harvesting cells. These cells filter the stormwater and some of it is reused to supply the site irrigation system. The green-blue roof system saves 92,000 gallons per rain event from entering the Mississippi River while providing a native habitat for urban birds, bees and other animals.

Finally, since this project is within the Northeast Minneapolis Arts District it was crucial that the project catered to and supported the local arts community. Art is a major factor and draw of the amenities of the building. A shared art studio located on the first floor includes a work area with large tables and lockers, a wet area with a pottery wheel and even a kiln. The art studio holds a very visible position on the street corner with large storefront windows that allow people on the street to see activity within. Adjacent to the studio, the lobby has an art exhibition wall with a hanging strip intended to display art by tenants and other artists in the neighborhood. In addition to space for creating and displaying art, the design of the building incorporates Northeast made art, including custom tiles, a large mural in the lobby and custom metal screen walls that provide privacy at the walk-out units.