2nd ProofTitle: BA: Architectural Design
Job No: CPD0810-27/4028034-061 Chapter 2 final_.qxd:layouts to chapter one 8/18/10 12:12 PM Page 54
Case studyThe design processSHoP Architects PC: 290 MulberryNorth-west corner under
construction
The variations in the undulating brick
façade are all composed from a
single repeated panel mould.SHoP Architects PC was founded in New York in 1996
by Kimberly J Holden, Gregg A Pasquarelli, Christopher
R Sharples, Coren D Sharples and William W Sharples.
Their backgrounds encompass architecture, fine
arts, structural engineering, finance and business
management. They teach, lecture, publish and exhibit
their work internationally. This case study illustrates how
design thinking and digital tools were used to resolve the
complex form and construction of a residential and
commercial building.The projectSHoP Architects’ approach to architectural design is to
consider the project within several different contexts
simultaneously: design, finance and technology. They are
known for their use of emerging computer-aided design
and manufacturing technology to create innovative designs
and to re-connect the design process to the construction
process. By using technology to process complex design
data and construct innovative forms directly from that data,
SHoP Architects can produce bespoke forms more efficiently
and more fluently than would otherwise be possible.
290 Mulberry is a residential building located in the NoLita
district of New York. It is adjacent to the Puck Building,
a distinctively decorative, historic masonry building. The
form and materiality of the building responds directly to strict
local zoning and building code regulations. These limit the
enclosure to projection over the property line by ten per cent
intervals for every 9.3 square metres. This was reinterpreted
by SHoP Architects as an opportunity to design an
undulating skin for the building.
The design focused on creating a single undulating panel
that could be used repeatedly in different configurations on
corners, around windows, and at the base and top, and yet
still give a lively and varied form to the façade. Non-load-
bearing brickwork allowed SHoP Architects to stagger
the projection of individual bricks within the panel, giving
further texture and variation at a more detailed scale. All this
richness had to be achieved within the tight restrictions of the
building codes as well as the structural and constructional
limitations of the materials.Name: 290 Mulberry
Completed: 2009
Client: Cardinal Investments
Location: New York, USA
Programme: Nine
residences, commercial
space located at ground
floor and cellar
Height: 13 floors including
penthouse
Gross floor area: 2,490m^2Text
2nd ProofTitle: BA: Architectural Design
Job No: CPD0810-27/4028034-061 Chapter 2 final_.qxd:layouts to chapter one 8/18/10 12:12 PM Page 54