Williams Terrace

Williams Terrace Senior Housing is the first dedicated housing for low-income seniors in the city of Charleston, South Carolina. DBA collaborated with local firm McMillan Pazdan Smith to create this gracious senior building, which finally replaces affordable family housing destroyed in a 1989 hurricane.

The design team worked closely with the Housing Authority of the City of Charleston to create a dynamic building that meets the challenges of the site — located in a high-velocity flood zone — and respects the gracious built fabric of downtown historic Charleston.

The building’s ground-level “screen porch” fronts the new public park and connects directly to it via a shaded public sidewalk. This allows for an active ground floor despite the City requirement that no permanent uses can be located at ground level. The restriction arises from the  being a flood zone, with a velocity component, so all at-grade uses need to be impermanent and able to be swept away cleanly in case of a hurricane.

Williams Terrace takes inspiration from Charleston's Single Houses, characterized by their open-air piazzas, which function in a similar way to porches. We interpreted this concept with wide, open-air corridors that function as external circulation as well as gathering and social spaces for senior residents. These deep porches provide opportunities for connection and are lined with seating to encourage interaction among residents.

Taking a cue from the historic louvered shutters found on Charleston’s piazzas, we included sliding screens to allow residents to adjust the amount of shade desired. These dynamic louvers make for an ever-changing façade. The lime-washed brick exterior offers another connection with Charleston’s historic past.

To avoid flood damage, the community room is located on the roof, which frames wonderful views across historic Charleston. The homes, porches, and rooftop community terrace enjoy views across the new park toward the Charleston harbor.

The one bedroom apartments are version of the southern "shotgun" typology: living areas fronting the circulation porches, the "piazzas," with bedrooms facing out. This allows for great social interaction for the senior community, and through ventilation in every unit.