Building Size (finished space only):  11,500 square feet

Site Size:  18,900 square feet.

The project began when the owner (an architect turned developer for this project) co-located home and office into an urban environment that included an underutilized lower level repurposed into a co work office space.

The historic warehouse structure is one of a handful of "survivors" of a former railyard in what was a gritty, industrial edge of town.  It is presently situated on a prominent intersection demarcating the entrance to downtown.

Time and numerous misguided alterations had left the structure in a state of ill-repair.  However, the owner appreciated the building's historical relevance and grasped its capacity to catalyze a neighborhood revitalization.  The owner serving as the general contractor also allowed more control of the budget and of design opportunities in this atypical project.

The history and clues of past industrial machining inspired a concept where original building components are reinvigorated and exposed in their original character while contemporary industrial warehouse and machinist elements are integrated in honest expression.

A century of misguided building remodels were stripped away by removing layers of paint, uncovering original brickwork, and refinishing overlain floors into authentic distressed hardwood and polished concrete floors.  The existing building fabric was kept intact and repaired whenever possible.

New construction is respectful of the existing structure, a nuanced dialogue between new and old.  In some locations, the two are carefully delineated.  In others, modern interventions take a back seat to historic character.  Throughout the building, transparency and compatible finishes allow space to flow freely.  The interior layout takes cues from the expansive floor space of the original warehouse.  Original exposed brick walls, wooden floor assemblies, exposed roof structure, and polished concrete floors provide a rich backdrop for each space.

To maintain the characteristic feel, use of new materials was limited to a simple palatte of translucent glazing or polycarbonate, mill finished steel, reclaimed second-use plywood, wood pallets, and painted gypsum.

Adaptive reuse strategies have augmented this 1917 structure in preparation for another 100+ years of relevance.  The project tells an important story about the role historic buildings can play in anchoring urban revitalization and the story has been preserved and shared in a documentary, a book, and has been published in ArchDaily.

Since completion, the project has helped catalyze redevelopment of other neighborhood buildings which have followed the project's lead in respecting the existing fabric and expanding the mixed-use of the district.