Architecture and design firm Ultramoderne recently asked the question: What would Frank Gehrys 1980s concept of cheapskate architecture look like right now? Coprincipal Yasmin Vobis elaborated: With construction as expensive as it is today, how can standard construction methods be at the core of a progressive approach to architecture? And how can this attitude allow architecture to be more generally accessible to the public at large? The studio provides one answer with its latest two-family residential project, Friendship. Ultramoderne applied ingenuity and enlisted community collaboration in the development of a new sustainable blueprint that can be used toward future projects. The 4,300-square-foot duplex occupies a previously vacant lot next to I-95 on Friendship Street in central Providence. Although similar in size to the areas surrounding triple-decker homes, Friendship grabs the attention of passersby with its black corrugated-metal facade. The sleek exterior is a quiet base on which the windows and light monitors are placed across the building. The latter offer a unique anatomical view of the buildings structural bones as they exhibit the wood framing behind translucent acrylic panels. In one location, the device is used to reveal a hint of the bright pink fiberglass to the street. These touches offer a playful, abstract sensibility to Friendship while also contributing to the buildings high R-value.Friendship is similar in size to the areas surrounding triple-decker homes. (Courtesy Ultramoderne)Ultramoderne coprincipal Aaron Forrest shared with AN that Friendship began when he received a tip from the project builder that the design team could obtain discarded materials from local construction projects and use them for Friendship. Although Forrest was initially skeptical, this idea ultimately spurred the projects success. In the end, all of the wood flooring, tile, and skylights were sourced this way, and it allowed us to get a much higher level of finish in the project than the budget would otherwise have allowed, he explained. The newly gained experience and strategy from Friendship will be used for future endeavors, Forrest added, including a new 12-unit multifamily project with the same developer. Friendships black corrugated metal facade, with a peek at the pink insulation. (Courtesy Ultramoderne)Vobiswho teaches at UC Berkeley, as does Forrestreflected that the process of creating Friendship changed how Ultramoderne designs. We had to reexamine the basic ingredients of architectureits organization and typical construction methods in this cityin order to find a generosity in the spatial design while also keeping things as cost effective as possible, she said. This challenge and constant exchange with the client was ultimately also the most rewarding part of the project and has made us rethink the way we approach projects in the future. Ultramoderne, with structural engineer Brett Schneider, also explored the creative potential of mixed-material architecture through studio courses, and the results were recently published by Birkhauser in the book Heterogeneous Constructions.The team used discarded material for skylights, wood floors, and more.(Courtesy Ultramoderne)Translucent acrylic panels offer a glimpse of the wood framing. (Courtesy Ultramoderne)All over Providence, the phrase What Cheer can be found in businesses and on government paraphernalia like the citys seal. It stems from the original greetingWhat Cheer, Netop!extended from the Narragansett Native Americans to city founder Roger Williams in the early 1600s. Translated from Narragansett and English, it means, Hi, neighbor or Greetings, friend. Ultramodernes Friendship takes up the kind part of this ethos. The sensibility is even formal, as seen in the loosely symmetrical layout of the two homes mirrored across a demising wall. Below, they share a garage, and above, a rooftop terrace, which encourages engagement among residents.(Courtesy Ultramoderne)Ultramoderne created a loosely symmetrical layout for the two homes, as seen in the long section. (Courtesy Ultramoderne)Like the future neighbors of this Friendship project who might encounter each other on the outdoor deck, sometimes we need a nudge to make things happen. In the case of Friendship, a little push in a different direction went a long way and ultimately answered Ultramodernes initial question: Innovative architecture is still possible in todays economic climateit just requires a new approach.Project SpecificationsDesign architect: UltramoderneArchitect of record: UltramoderneStructural engineer: Boulay ConsultingCivil engineer: MJF Engineering AssociatesGeneral contractor: BSPVL ConstructionWindows: DoorwinGlass: ACRYLITE Resist