Magnificent Masonry

A simple dog-toothed pattern enriches the brick façade at Griffon’s front door and windows, creating a play of light and texture that highlights the building’s craft while distinguishing the front entrance. By turning the brick just forty-five degrees from the building’s surface near its windows and along the walls of its covered entry, Griffon shows the delightful power of small interventions.

Though it is an addition to an existing building, the new portion of Griffon looks like a contemporary neighbor that complements the original through its difference. Seeming only to touch the exterior wall of the original, it creates a storefront and new, mixed-income apartments that span the old and new portions of the building. Providing affordable housing in Over-The-Rhine, one of Cincinnati’s most sought-after neighborhoods, its design affirms the value of lower income residents and preserves space for them in the quickly developing neighborhood. It also connects its residents to surrounding parks, transportation, and other amenities, encouraging a healthy, active lifestyle within a more equitable community.

For more examples of GBBN’s experiments in masonry, visit the case studies on Willkommen and the Willkommen Wavy Walls.