Impressionist Claude Monet transformed what was once an abandoned space into “Giverny” – a self-contained paradise of gardens and deliberate design that became Monet’s home for more than 40 years, as well as inspiration for much of his work.
With the interchangeable lines of art and life imitating one another, why wouldn’t Monet (or anyone for that matter) want to stay decades in such a place? It’s a question architect and developer Jason Boyer, founder of artHAUS, has been eager to answer.
As an architect for 20-plus years, Boyer found himself at a crossroads during the recession at the close of 2011.
“I had two choices,” Boyer explains, “I could either accept a job out of state, or stick it out.”
Having already relocated from Chicago to attend ASU and then establishing a life and family in Phoenix, Boyer decided to stay put. It wasn’t long after he made the decision to stay that the concept of artHAUS was born.
“I wanted to do something with architecture that complimented the surrounding area and culture,” Boyer explains. “It’s not simply about a home sitting in the arts district; it’s about someone making an intentional choice about where they live, in line with other life goals.”
A proponent of the “Art of Living,” Boyer wanted to marry the intentional-living evolution he witnessed from a new age of home buyers with the concept of amenity utilization in a ready-made area like midtown — packed with museums, restaurants, studios and locally owned businesses. His want turned into reality in artHAUS, comprised of 25 urban one-, two- and three- level townhomes ranging from 560 to 1,800 square feet.
Don Keuth, president of the Phoenix Community Alliance, introduced Boyer to the project’s location on North First Avenue. The property was a remnant parcel from the relocation of the Arizona Opera.
The site was a perfect incubator for realizing Boyer’s three goals in the development of artHAUS: 1) A great location — a mere five-minute walk to the light rail and local amenities; 2) Intentional design and architecture to compliment the surrounding area; and 3) Sustainability through design, ultimately leading to an attainable price point.
Boyer’s three initiatives have already attracted several future tenants including Christen Castellano.
“As I researched the project, I realized that living at artHAUS would provide me with a living space and local environment that allows me to be fully committed to the things that matter most,” Castellano says. “artHAUS provides me the opportunity to be balanced and happy both personally and professionally, while at the same time to be fully immersed in my community; and after all, the ability to connect and create one’s life on those three levels is ‘The Art of Living.’”
Construction of artHAUS is set to wrap up in May, 2016.
