Ada Lovelace was a 19th Century writer, mathematician, pioneer, and the initial inspiration for Ada’s Technical Books and Café. The impetus for the project was to create the “book retailer of the future.” Achieving this vision required an adaptive-reuse and addition and a pioneering approach to the neighborhood bookstore. The challenge would be to convert a dilapidated single-story craftsman into a refurbished small scale mixed-use project. Our clients were dedicated to creating a balance of history and modern, sustainable and forward thinking, so we imagined a building like an aged book cover with crisp clean pages on the inside.

The goal with the project was to retain the existing neighborhood character of the building while providing a great retail environment that also functions as a comfortable and inviting café space.  We were able to utilize over 60% of the original structure for building reuse and salvaged all of the existing framing lumber for key fixtures within the space. Contrasting re-used building materials with high-gloss interior finishes helps tie the building into the mission of a bookstore that sells books on technology.