The Shevell Building is a three-story, 15,000 sf historic preservation project located at the corner of Elm Street and Lewis Street in downtown Greensboro, North Carolina. Originally constructed for the Shevell Furniture Company in 1898, the building housed the company’s offices and retail areas on the first floor, and furniture production on the second and third floors. Lindsey Architecture collaborated with the owner/developer to convert the long vacant space into offices and retail facilities as part of the ongoing redevelopment of the south end of downtown Greensboro. The goal was to preserve and modernize the building, working within the Department of Interior National Park Service’s Guidelines for Historical Preservation, which made Shevell a challenging but rewarding project.

The Shevell Building is a load-bearing masonry structure with a wood post and beam structure within. Eye-catching bands of granite trim, well-preserved terracotta and granite cornices give the façade a distinctive appearance. Lindsey Architecture’s design plan included a comprehensive rehabilitation of the exterior façade, and the restoration of the first floor storefronts and entryways to maintain its historic look. The renovation of the building’s exterior also consisted of refurbishing the original iron fire escape, replacing the windows with energy-efficient reproductions, and bringing the original leaded glass clerestory windows back to their original glory. The interior renovation created a central lobby from the Lewis Street entrance, which was originally the employee entrance to the office and manufacturing areas. 

2017 Small Project of the Year - NAIOP NC
2016 Preservation Award - Preservation Greensboro