Vermilion Lofts

TEAM: SO Studio
CLIENT: Vermilion Lofts, LLC
LOCATION: Lafayette, Louisiana
COMPLETION: 2019
AWARDS: AIA Louisiana 2023 Award of Merit, Current InDesign Merit Award 2023

This mixed-use building for downtown Lafayette sits at a significant gateway point into the downtown district and the national historic district of Freetown. The twenty-four dwelling units are designed as a mass that is being fractured into two by one of the stairs, and then one side is lifted and filled in by commercial space. The side that is left at ground level is then used for accessible dwellings while the program of the commercial space and the exterior stair is left more porous than the dwellings, revealing the sculptural quality of the building.

All circulation occurs on the inside of the block, surrounding a courtyard space, creating a traditional Louisiana architectural form. There is a direct access stair to Vermilion Street, which is the best pedestrian route into the heart of the downtown district. The center of the block also has parking available for tenants. The existing buildings are reused; the two-story moved to Jackson Street as a duplex with a new front that better engages the street while the metal building reused at another location.

The upper dwelling mass is clad in white metal panels with hidden fasteners that mimic the wood lap siding buildings in the area, especially in the historic Freetown district across Johnston Street. The fenestration on this upper portion is darker, creating a contrast with the white panels. The commercial spaces and the open stair are clad in large dark gray bricks with aluminum storefronts and aluminum-coated stairs and gates.