Brightseat

Brightseat, a Scandinavian and modern farmhouse-inspired build-to-rent community, delivers a stunning set of attainable “tiny” cottages — ranging from 600-square-foot one-bedrooms to two-story three-bedrooms — and condominium-style homes to Landover, Maryland. Although small, architects utilized tall ceilings, volume spaces, large expanses of glass and windows to add a spacious feel to these cottages. The L-shaped floorplans wrap around a welcoming courtyard, allowing the full width of each lot to be used. Architects combatted the site’s challenging topography by strategically placing residential units along the steep perimeter to allow for walk-out basements, terraces, decks, porches, and parking. To meet a density of 12.15 units per acre on this geometrically unique site the homes were clustered around green spaces and internalized walkable greens to eliminate roadways that would have taken away from the buildable spaces. As the first build-to-rent development in the county, the architects were able to maintain flexibility and innovate to meet zoning codes and civil engineering requirements, allowing Brightseat to pave the way for future build-to-rent communities in the Landover locality.

• Smita Anand - Principal