Located on 14 acres in Madison, Wisconsin at University Avenue and Segoe Road, Madison Yards at Hill Farms is envisioned as an authentic new downtown destination, providing opportunities for shopping, entertainment, working, and living. The mixed-use development consists of six individual blocks including office, retail, residential, parking, and a Central Green, connected to the surrounding neighborhood context through a network of private roads and open spaces. KTGY worked with Summit Smith Development and Gilbane Development Company to design approximately 450 residential units, spanning across EO Apartments (Block 2), as well as Blocks 3 and 4 of the Madison Yards site.

Originally planned as a hospitality component within the community, recent shifts in the hospitality market led to changes in EO Apartments to include additional residential units. Anchored by a Whole Foods grocery store, the mixed-use residential tower rises 15 stories at the eastern edge of the Madison Yards development to provide 273 units, with studio, one-bedroom, and two-bedroom units, ranging in size from 570 to 1,300 square feet. A multi-level parking garage, located between the residential building and grocer, provides parking for both retail and residential uses. Further connectivity for vehicular, pedestrian, and bicycle access ties the Block 2 site to the surrounding community.

The EO Apartments building design predominantly features in glass window walls and insulated metal panels. A syncopated rhythm of metal panels layers over the regular grid of the primary glass curtain wall, creating a layered skin on the upper levels of the residential tower and framing the urban design aesthetic. The floor-to-ceiling glass maximizes daylight into the units and outward views to the east and west of the surrounding Madison community. Gray masonry veneer wraps the base extending outward from the tower and anchoring the building to the site.

With more than a level of grade change along the length of the long, slender building, the EO Apartments tower steps down at the north end of the site. A half-level of units and utility functions nestles into the site below the main ground level, connecting the units down toward the sidewalk and maximizing the built area. The residential lobby sits up at the high side of the site, within walking distance from employment centers, retail shops, and entertainment areas and connecting to Madison’s active bike trails, pedestrian paths and public transportation system.

A rooftop amenity deck at the north end of the 15th floor overlooks Lake Mendota and downtown Madison, featuring a glass screen wall and trellis with accent lighting for daytime and nighttime enjoyment and providing stunning views of the Madison skyline.

Team
Owner | Developer: Smith Gilbane (a joint venture of
Summit Smith Development and Gilbane Development Company)
Architect: KTGY
Interior Designer: Mary Cook Associates
Landscape Architect | Civil: JSD Professional Services, Inc.
Structural: Pierce Engineering
Mechanical: Capital Mechanical
Electrical: Pieper Electric, Inc
Plumbing: Dave Jones, Inc.

Typology
High-Rise Apartments

Facts
Density: 95 du/ac
Unit Plan Sizes: 570 – 1,300 sq. ft.
Number of Units: 273 du
Site Area: 2.9 ac
Number of Stories: 15
Parking: 273 spaces (1 sp./unit)
Construction Type: IA