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THE CHESTNUT BUILDING INFUSES A MIX OF LIVING AND COMMERCIAL SPACES INTO THE HEART OF BRANFORD

A key corner in Branford, CT, at the historical crossroads of industry, commerce, and a residential neighborhood was an ideal place to create commercial and medical spaces at street-level, with apartments on a second floor.

THE NEIGHBORHOOD

At the northern end of Main Street, historically made up of shops and storefronts with apartments above, lies Chestnut Street. Chestnut lies across the street from the historic Branford Lock Works (1862), and at the beginning of a residential neighborhood.  The Town of Branford zoned this area for mixed use and suggested new buildings incorporate the scale and materials of the surrounding residential structures. Early on, we worked closely with Branford’s various boards to create a building that would blend into the fabric of  the shoreline town.

THE BUILDING’S VOLUMES

The building, designed in five volumes, seeks to humanize the scale of each user’s space. The main floor can be divided into as many as five tenant spaces, and the second floor houses four apartments.

At street level, located directly off the sidewalk are entrances to each of the five spaces. This arrangement provides each tenant access to passersby or  the rear parking lot.

DOWNTOWN LIVING

The four second floor apartments are a simple composition of rooms along a hallway leading to a large open living/dining space located under the corner gables of the building. This configuration provides privacy to the bedrooms and bathrooms while adding extra light and space to the living areas.

Downtown Branford mixed-use living allows residents to live within walking distance to dining, shopping and local businesses.   Downtown residences are also within a quick bus or bike ride from the commuter train station that services the Connecticut shoreline, as well as the New Haven to New York rail line.

 RESULTS

The Chestnut Building has been heartily welcomed by the community and has added much-needed living and commercial space to Branford’s stock of Main Street buildings.

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Click here for drawings and more information on the Chestnut Building.

See our Fuzion Portfolio Page, for images and information on the first-floor interiors.

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