Westerly House

Project Statement

Westerly House, the sister property to Standard Assembly, expands upon the brand with the inclusion of co-living residences and extensive co-working spaces available to both residents and the public. Located between Wedgewood Houston and the vibrant 8th Avenue Corridor, the mixed-use development features 242 traditional and co-living apartments organized across six residential levels above a two-story podium parking structure.

The eight-story building responds to the site’s sloped topography with an underground garage accessed from Hamilton and Ft. Negley Court. Elevated outdoor living is emphasized through rooftop and courtyard communal spaces that offer expansive downtown views. A material palette of stucco, metal, and wood panels reflects the neighborhood’s creative energy while honoring its industrial roots.
Residential amenities and public spaces at Westerly House embody a relaxed sophistication and timeless style. Terrazzo floors, warm wood finishes, and bold graphics, including large-scale art murals—define the lobby experience. A dramatic double-height breezeway serves as the project’s central spine, guiding guests from the Hamilton drop-off through the lounge and into an intimate yet spacious courtyard.

Westerly House addresses Design for Equitable Communities, Design for Change, Design for Well-Being, and Design for Integration through a series of site and program-driven strategies. The co-living units broaden the range of housing options in Wedgewood-Houston by pairing compact private bedrooms and bathrooms with shared kitchens and living spaces, balancing affordability, privacy, and community. The units are also planned for future conversion into conventional apartments, allowing the building to adapt as household types, resident needs, and market conditions change over time. The site’s approximately 30-foot grade change is used to bench the parking structure into the slope, reducing its presence and allowing the residential building to sit above it. The top of the garage becomes an elevated ground plane with gardens, gathering spaces, and a pool, turning required infrastructure into a shared landscape and amenity for residents. The steel-tube connector form similarly does several things at once: it links the entry and amenity courtyards, organizes circulation, defines a sequence of arrival and movement, and creates a place for large-scale murals that connect the project to Wedgewood-Houston’s maker and artist culture.  Together, these strategies create a project that is responsive to its site, adaptable over time, and grounded in the social and cultural fabric of Wedgewood-Houston.