Clayton Arvin

Artists for Humanity Cincinnati

Fountain Square Adjacent, Cincinnati, Ohio

Biofacades Studio Cumulative Project:
Design a facade and interior program for the retrofit of the building previously intended as a Macy’s shopping center to serve as a home for Artists of Humanity, a nonprofit organization intended to serve artists and the community as a whole. The site is adjacent to Fountain Square, a community hub and premier public space for the area.

Artists for Humanity Cincinnati will be transparent in both appearance and function, and it’s integration into the community of Cincinnati will be apparent. Each inhabited interior space will be enhanced by a biophilic sunspace complemented by both direct and indirect connections to natural elements and systems, including a sunlit valley carved around the intended tower footprint through the most relevant spaces. Green walls will complement both interior and exterior space.
The building will house a variety of functions, including studios, offices for partners, event space, gallery space, and street-level retail. It is important that the facade address these interior functions while considering important exterior influences, most notably the Fountain Square plaza, which is a center of public activity. Biophilic elements incorporated into the facade complement this activity as much as they complement the function of the building itself.

Fall 2020