PAST AND CURRENT HOUSING REVITALIZATION AND DENSITY STUDIES FOR POE MILL
As a roadmap for its infill housing analyses and design proposals, the studio referred to one of the neighborhood master plans proposed by the earlier Poe Mill Thriving studio (2023) which itself drew from the 2009 Poe Mill Housing Revitalization Strategy authored by Poe Mill resident Rashida Jeffers. In addition to these resources, students, led by Joel Rogers, performed new density studies to understand and visualize the neighborhood’s capacity for new infill housing.
POE MILL HOUSING REVITALIZATION STRATEGY
Poe Mill: Exterior Building Conditions
RASHIDA JEFFERS
For her 2009 Master’s Thesis1 for Clemson University’s City and Regional Planning program, Rashida Jeffers conducted and documented a very thorough housing revitalization study for the Poe Mill neighborhood. Among numerous other topics, Jeffers, a Poe Mill resident herself, closely examined the conditions of existing houses and properties throughout the neighborhood and made related recommendations for rehabilitation, replacement and infill. The images on these two pages are excerpts from Jeffers’ thesis, and her entire manuscript served as a vital point of reference for both the 2024 At Home_In The Upstate studio and the 2023 Poe Mill Thriving studio. Studio master plan exercises and residential zoning and housing proposals followed closely from her recommendations, with some adjustments made based on changes which have occured in the neighborhood in the intervening years.
1 Jeffers, R. “Poe Mill Housing Revitalization Strategy Greenville County, SC.” Master’s Thesis. Clemson University City and Regional Planning program. 2009.
Building Conditions
The buildings examined during the walking survey were classified as either standard (no repairs needed), minor repairs (or general maintenance such as torn screens and paint), major repairs (structural deterioration such as foundation, walls, or roof), and dilapidated (more cost effective to tear down rather than to repair). The survey did not include an examination of building interiors.
Building Conditions
The buildings examined during the walking survey were classified as either standard (no repairs needed), minor repairs (or general maintenance such as torn screens and paint), major repairs (structural deterioration such as foundation, walls, or roof), and dilapidated (more cost effective to tear down rather than to repair). The survey did not include an examination of building interiors.
The classifications were based on exterior conditions that could be observed from the street such as the foundation, walls, roof, walls, windows, doors, steps, porches, lawn maintenance etc. According to GCRA Senior Construction Specialist, Dan Crumpton, the exterior condition of a residential building generally reflects the condition of its interior. The study area includes 326 parcels of which 24 are vacant, 15 are nonresidential and 287 are residential structures. Thirty-six percent of structures are standard, 24 percent require minor repairs, 30 percent require major repairs, and 10 percent are dilapidated. In short, 54 percent of residential buildings require some degree of rehab work and 10 percent need to be demolished
The classifications were based on exterior conditions that could be observed from the street such as the foundation, walls, roof, walls, windows, doors, steps, porches, lawn maintenance etc. According to GCRA Senior Construction Specialist, Dan Crumpton, the exterior condition of a residential building generally reflects the condition of its interior. The study area includes 326 parcels of which 24 are vacant, 15 are nonresidential and 287 are residential structures. Thirty-six percent of structures are standard, 24 percent require minor repairs, 30 percent require major repairs, and 10 percent are dilapidated. In short, 54 percent of
Poe Mill: Exterior Building Conditions
POE MILL THRIVING
FALL 2023 FLUID STUDIO
Shown here is the Poe Mill neighborood master plan developed and proposed by Team 01 of the 2023 Poe Mill Thriving Studio in the Clemson University School of Architecture. This team ultimately focused much of its attention on the mill site and adjacent properties, and several proposed community facilities and programs are shown here. With that being said, the master plan also highlights areas of the neighborood which were considered as potential opportunity zones for new “middle” housing and increased housing density. These areas correlated with the earlier revitalization study and recommendations from Rashida Jeffers. The 2024 At Home_In The Upstate studio adopted this neighborhood master plan as the starting point for its own housing design and planning studies.
Halfway Point Between Proposed Development & Poe Mill du/ac
24.05
lae S o lu t ion (GVL2040Suggested) du/ac
GVL 2040 (Pareto Optimum)
26.00 du/ac
Pareto Optimized “sweet spot” whereby certain combinations of height and density, with certain inclusionary percentages, can make economic sense to the private sector.
GVL 2040
PART 2: ELEMENTS | HOUSING
Due to the proximity of Poe Mill to Greenville city limits and its plans to already have major development similar to the “Nodes” system developed in the GVL 2040 document, it is reasonable to assume much of the same data holds true for this area. An ideal development in Poe Mill will likely have to fall in the range of 6.00 - 26.00 du/ac.
MISSING MIDDLE HOUSING
With the ideal range being established between 6.0026.00 du/ac, this narrows down the typologies of “missing middle” housing considerably. Based on lot size, depth, vehicular access, zoning requirements, and area character, we can choose what typology is most likely to succeed on a given site.
Existing Poe Mill Site
The Fabric of Poe Mill
A TYPICAL BLOCK
A typical Poe Mill block has several distinct features. The first, and most obvious is the saltbox roof style that makes up the majority of the homes in the area. Leftovers from the old mill towns of the 19th and 20th centuries, these forms are consistent with mill towns across the state. With this form, the homes are traditionally two stories in height and almost always have a front porch tacked on to the front. The form of the gable also tends to always slope down towards the road, even on the middle blocks creating almost a square ridge line all around. Additionally, large trees have grown in the backyards of many of these homes, creating a green “spine” throughout each Poe Mill Block.
Saltbox Roof + Porch
Mid-Block
Large Spine Roof Switch of Trees
STUDENT DESIGN STUDIES
INFILL HOUSING CONCEPTS FOR POE MILL
MILL SCHOOL LOT
EXISTING CONDITIONS
Mill School Lot
The mill school property sits at the end of a block bordered by 4th Avenue, B Street, and 3rd Avenue. The property encompasses about 40,000 ft² or around 4,000 ft² short of an acre and has remained undeveloped since the original mill elementary school was demolished. The site descends sixteen feet from the southernmost corner to the northernmost with neighboring houses resting on substantial foundations reached with four to five steps. Local homes are onestory with tall saltbox roofs reminiscent of their planning by northern mill developers. Most houses include a functional, full-width front porch that often serves as a “garage” for additional storage. Individual driveways and street parking are both used to store cars, but no enclosed garages are visible.
506 4th Ave Individual Owner
507 4th Ave New Son Realty LLC
509 4th Ave
Sirrine Holdings LLC
233 B St
Upstate Family Rentals
4th Ave Joint Tenancy
B St Joint Tenancy
3rd Ave Individual Owner 208 3rd Ave Overhill LLC
POE MILL EXPANDING
JOEL ROGERS
Poe Mill Community Housing proposes a model of building homes that leverages both emerging technologies like modularization as well as setting up a model of housing where extended families and communities can come together to help house one another.
This is done through building homes that fit the “Missing Middle Housing” typology, combining elements from Townhomes, Duplexes, and Cottage Courts to create appropriately dense neighborhoods. Each lot is designed to accommodate a duplex as well as an attached ADU. The intent is that a 3 Bed 2.5 Bath Market Rate home as well as a detached 1Bed 1 Bath ADU of similar market rate quality can be owned outright by one owner, with the other attached part of the duplex being rented out at an affordable rate, or even built and sold at an affordable price. This model has already been trialed in Poe Mill and is gaining traction with community members as a potential way to help serve the community housing need.
Saltbox Form
Subtract Porch
Accent Roof Form
SITE PLAN
The overarching goal was to layout a site masterplan that respected the existing vegetation on the site as much as possible while also reaching the desired density range of 16-23 du/acre. The market rate footprints are between 1,440 - 1,750 sqft and the affordable between 544 - 560 sqft. Which unit is considered “affordable” and “market rate” is entirely up to the owner/developer. In this case, the affordable unit shown is the second, smaller portion of the duplex. The duplex is slightly larger on the market rate unit at the ground floor while both units are identical on the upper levels leading to increased efficiencies in construction. They are then joined by a semi-private outdoor patio on the upper level to lend a variety of outdoor spaces to each unit design.
4th Ave.
3rd Ave.
FLOOR PLANS
Ground Floor
Second Floor
SECTION PERSPECTIVE
LONGITUDINAL SECTION
In the longitudinal section one can see the pre-fabricated nature of the building on display. A variety of truss systems are utilized to ensure maximum off site prefabrication is possible. This also serves the dual purpose of allowing ducting to run through the floor / ceiling system. The outdoor condensing unit is placed up on the raised roof and the air handler is located in the attic and a chase links it to the floor system for distribution, keeping the majority of the ducting in conditioned space (90%+)
section perspective building
pre-engineered roof truss system
rooftop condensing unit
TECTONIC STUDIES
pre-fabricated roof trusses
floor truss carries cantilever
pre-engineered I joists
advanced framed walls
21,423 lb/ft3 CO2 embodied carbon dioxide equivalent
ENERGY ANALYSIS
One major resource used in the design of the project was the utilization of cove.tool, an energy modeling software that allowed me to better understand the environment around my building. This resource allowed me the ability to fine tune my roof design to better capture solar radiation specifically on my roof, this was done with the intention that all buildings have at least the opportunity for rooftop solar installation, which I found to have the largest and most reasonably affordable EUI impact on a potential affordable housing project.
Section
The exterior cladding of the home for the walls is intended to be as simple as possible for the area, utilizing a system like board and batten siding and steel roofing and siding, materials commonly applied to homes in this area. Additionally, prefabricated elements are used where possible, like in roof and floor systems to expedite construction. Insulation is kept just above code minimum in this section in order to qualify for EnergyStar rating here in SC and receive lower cost power from our local provider.
Assembly
Prefinished Metal Fish Scale Shingles
#30 Felt Underlayment
1 1/2” Zip Insulated Roof Panel (R-6)
Prefabricated Wood Truss with (2) Layers of R-13 Batt Insulation
5/8” Gypsum Wall Board
3/4” MicroCLT Finish Floor
18” Prefabricated Floor Truss System w/R30 Batt Insulation
1/2” Zip Panel w/ Integrated Weather Barrier (Ext)
1/2” Ext Painted Plywood (Ext)
1x2 Ext. Painted Furring Strips (Ext)
5/8” Gypsum Wall Board (Int)
Assembly Floor 02 Assembly
1x2 Ext. Painted Furring Strips
1/2” Ext. Painted Plywood
1/2” Zip Panel w/ Integrated Weather Barrier
2x6 @ 24”o.c. w/ R19 Kraft Faced Batt Insulation
5/8” Gypsum Wall Board
“Poe Mill Community Housing proposes a model of building homes that leverages both emerging technologies like modularization as well as setting up a model of housing where extended families and communities can come together to help house one another.”
POE MILL DUPLEXES
HAMILTON SPRAWLS
The two goals for the Poe Mill Duplexes project were to design to maximize density, relatability, and comfort and to reduce energy consumption to maximize affordability, eco-friendliness, and marketability.
Duplexes provided the best balance between affordability and density while remaining reminiscent of the surrounding single-family homes. The “shifts” between the two halves of the duplexes emphasize individuality and pride in owning one’s home. Conversely, the idea of the front porch encourages community as an essential feature of the neighborhood and a transition zone from the public sidewalk to the private home. Maximizing front porch space greatly influenced the floorplans: to fit three bedrooms on the first floor while retaining usable front porch space, small cantilevers were introduced, additionally providing shade and visual depth.
SITE AXON
SITE PLAN
FLOOR PLANS
BUILDING SECTIONS
Saltbox roof form reminiscient of existing mill houses
Custom trusses permit vaulted ceilings in bedrooms
Alignment of roof trusses, joists, & studs maximizes strength
Insulated header
Header hanger removes need for jack studs, instead using 2x2 nailers
Single top plates connected w/ metal plates save material
Two-stud corners save material & maximize insulation space
USAGE DATA ENERGY ANALYSIS
5 residents/unit
R-31.35 roof
R-21.39 walls
Energy Star plumbing fixtures
Single-zone, air-sourced heat pump
Electric, tankless water heater and a
Local electricity rate of $0.126/kwH the estimated energy use intensity is 26.37 EUI
with electricty costs/unit of $1,868.16/yr
Federal Residential Clean Energy Tax Credit
30% of purchase & installation costs
Not subtracted from state energy incentives
SC Solar, Hydropower, & Geothermal Tax Credit
25% of purchase & installation incentives
Max $3,500 annual credit up to 10 years
Resilient Power Project Technical Assistance Fund
$9,500-15,000 for solar feasability studies
Provided for affordable housing through Clean Energy Group
Insulated header
Header hanger removes need for jack studs, instead using 2x2 nailers
Ladder blocking saves material
Alignment of roof trusses, joists, & studs maximizes strength
Single top plates connected w/ metal plates save material
Two-stud corners save material & maximize insulation space
The Poe Mill Duplexes are designed to maximize density, relatability and comfort, while providing affordablity and reducing energy consumption.
POE MILL REDEFINED: COMMUNITY AND HOUSING SOLUTIONS
KAMAND TAHERKHANI
The project aims to address critical gaps in the housing market by offering afforable, well-designed homes that are both private and communal. Thoughtful attention to space efficiency, cost-effective building methods, and sustainability ensures that these homes will be within reach for families seeking stability and belonging in a neighborhood that thrives on connection.
The design focuses on diversity - not only in the people who will call these homes their own but in the living options themselves. By incorporating both single-family townhomes and attached ADUs (Accessory Dwelling Units), the project allows for multi-generational co-living and flexible living spaces. These homes are designed to grow with their residents, offering options for families to expand, shrink, or adapt their living arrangements over time.
Transition from a duplex with a garage to a stacked duplex with an attached ADU BAYWOOD BOYD ARCHITECTS
SITE AXON
BStreet 3rdAvenue 4thAvenue
FLOOR PLANS
SINGLE-FAMILY STACKED DUPLEX
Second Floor Plan
Two-storey House
Designed for a single owner with an attached ADU (Accessory Dwelling Unit). The owner can reside in the main house and rent out the ADU for additional income.
Ground Floor Plan
SINGLE-FAMILY DUPLEX
Second Floor Plan
Stacked Duplex
Each storey is dedicated to a separate family, offering privacy and independence. The attached ADU provides rental opportunities or additional living space.
Ground Floor Plan
TECTONIC STUDIES
Roof
Salt Box Roof
High exposure to sunlight
Framing
Advanced framing
2 x 6 Wood Studs
Primary Unit: Truss
ADU: Rafters
Second Floor
Exterior Material: Fiber
Cement
Black & White
Ground Floor
Exterior Material: Fiber
Cement
Black & White
ADA accessible
ENERGY ANALYSIS
sDA + RADIATION
Baseline EUI
kBtu/ft²·yr
R-Value:
yr
BUILDING ELEVATION
Communal Space
Revitalizing the Neighborhood
The communal space in my Poe Mill neighborhood design is a small but vibrant hub created to encourage socialization and interaction among residents. It features chess tables that invite engaging activities and friendly competitions, suitable for people of all ages. Thoughtfully incorporated vegetation enhances the space with natural beauty, providing shade and creating a calming atmosphere.
“This development transforms a vacant lot into a vibrant, inclusive neighborhood where equity, opportunity, and pride are central”
