Fair Oaks Apartments

Fair Oaks Apartments is a mixed-use redevelopment that transforms an existing one-story industrial storage building into a vibrant residential community along the Fair Oaks Avenue corridor. The project combines the adaptive reuse of the existing structure with a new four-story, L-shaped addition, forming a cohesive U-shaped building that defines the street edge while creating a private interior courtyard for residents. This thoughtful redevelopment strengthens the urban fabric of the neighborhood while introducing much-needed housing in a growing area of Madison.

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The new addition provides 80 apartments organized around the central courtyard, with 69 underground parking spaces discreetly integrated into the building and accessed from Gateway Place. The existing building is carefully repurposed to include approximately 2,250 square feet of commercial space along Fair Oaks Avenue, activating the street frontage while residential community spaces face inward toward the courtyard, creating a layered transition between public and private uses.

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Architecturally, the building draws inspiration from the surrounding neighborhood’s blend of residential and industrial character. The design utilizes a simple, contemporary expression that reflects the scale and materiality of nearby structures while introducing a refined residential presence. Exterior materials include masonry with a manufactured cut stone base paired with horizontal fiber-cement siding, creating a durable and visually balanced façade that ties the existing building and new addition together.

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The building’s street presence is reinforced through carefully placed entries that enhance pedestrian engagement. The main residential entrance is located along Fair Oaks Avenue at the junction of the existing structure and the new addition, while a secondary entrance anchors the Gateway Avenue frontage. A series of townhome-style entries along the street façades further break down the building’s scale and create a welcoming, residential rhythm at the pedestrian level. Complemented by enhanced streetscape landscaping and the sheltered interior courtyard, Fair Oaks Apartments creates a thoughtful balance between urban density, architectural character, and neighborhood-scale living.

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