When Thayer Manca Residential (TMR) purchased the Atwater Clearing Apartment Community, owner Ryan Sheridan was “inspired by its idyllic lakeside setting and park-like landscaping.” But the property showed its 30+ years of wear since it was built in 1986 and residents were finding more appealing homes elsewhere. TMR is a multifamily investment firm that specializes in value-add opportunities. Atwater Clearing provided the perfect canvas for a renovation and repositioning plan that would breathe new life into outdated community common areas and amenity spaces.

Paul Michael Davis Architects (PMDA) was tasked by TMR with delivering a modern, clean, and functional renovation of the complex’s main entry driveway, clubhouse and common amenity areas to make the property stand out as a unique community. Working with a limited budget, PMDA, Landscape Architect Dan Dizazzo, and Contractor Inglewood Construction developed a system of vertical wood screens to serve a variety of purposes in the renovations. The screens are used inside and out and serve both specific functions and as aesthetic.

Functionally, the vertical slats, constructed of stained cedar outside, serve as fencing and an automobile entry gate, which add a sense of security. PMDA also employed the cedar slats on the exterior cladding of the clubhouse and a nearby mail shelter. Paul Michael Davis noted that his design team, “installed the wood screens in locations that had high visibility and foot traffic by the residents. They celebrate the places that already served as focuses of common use, and also act as a tectonic theme throughout the property.”

The screens continue indoors to adorn the walls of the clubhouse entry hall but are constructed from a more refined vertical grain fir material.  A new window in this space is covered by the exterior screen, blending the indoors and outdoors and celebrating the layers of old and new.

Project Team

Architecture: Paul Michael Davis Architects

Architecture Design Team: Paul Michael Davis, Design Principal; Graham Day, Project Designer; Terence Wong, Junior Designer; Tiffany Chow, Junior Designer

Landscape Architect: Dan Dizazzo

Structural Engineer: Ellisport Engineering, Inc. – Stephen T. Kicinski, P.E.

Contractor: Inglewood Construction Inc. – Denis Holzknecht, Project Manager

Photography: David Lee