Built in 1922, the former Agudas Achim Synagogue in Uptown stopped operating as a religious institution in 2008 — a decade later, it was renovated and turned into chic residential housing units. Synagogue Flats opened in March 2019.- Original Credit: Flats (Flats)
The perks of living in a former religious institution range from the aesthetics to the memorable moments. Currey said she still bumps into people who either went to church at her property as kids or attended weddings there.
Relative to new construction, renovation generally has a higher proportion of labor expense and a lower proportion of material expense. According to the Green Lab report, historic rehabilitation has a 32-year track record of creating two million jobs and generating $90 billion in private investment. These are by no means small numbers, and they reinforce the value of reusing, rather than tearing down, existing buildings.
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A view of the site of the proposed Mystic River Boathouse Park off of Greenmanville Avenue in Mystic.
O’Neill also noted the new direction for the boathouse would satisfy those who feel the project would benefit from a more historical maritime approach. The site falls within the Rossie Velvet Mill Historic District and contains two buildings classified as “contributing resources” to the historic district.
With a secure home in hand, the Playhouse undertook a plan to transform the outdated building into a fully dedicated theater.
A halfpipe occupies the nave of the former St. Liborius Catholic Church in Old North St. Louis. The church has been converted into SK8 Liborious in recent years. RNS photo by Bill Motchan
St. Liborius Roman Catholic Church in Old North St. Louis, listed on the National Register of Historic Places, was once called the “Cathedral of the North Side.” More recently, the massive structure has been appreciated on social media as “the sickest, gnarliest place ever.”
Source: In St. Louis, former houses of worship are retooled to meet the city’s needs – Religion News Service
Last month, Duke Energy moved about 400 employees into its 83,000 square-foot space at Optimist Hall, a renovated former textile mill near NoDa and Optimist Park. Katherine Peralta KPERALTA@CHARLOTTEOBSERVER.COM
Corporations are moving into rehabbed warehouses for similar reasons restaurants are — for the trendy atmosphere. “Developers want to do a cool project. It’s not just about making money,” Klenk said.
Source: Old factories in Charlotte are being turned into restaurants | Charlotte Observer
Rendering via Two Trees
The design will include a barrel-vaulted glass roof inserted into the brick factory building.
Source: Bracing Goes Up at the Historic Domino Sugar Refinery | Brownstoner
The developers set their Los Angeles outpost for the NoMad hotel franchise in the former Bank of Italy, also from the 20s.
These buildings are, of course, compelling because you want to keep them alive and give people reasons to come see them, and certainly you can’t build them today; it wouldn’t be cost-effective. The art of it is finding buildings where you have a response that makes sense, because I always say: If you fight with the building, the building is gonna win.
Source: The Hospitality Industry Is Stepping Up to Reuse Historic Buildings
Great Lakes Brewing Company
Image blending an image from the late 1970s or early 1980s showing the site of the GLBC facility. The current brewpub, in color, is overlaid on top of the original property, which is in black and white. Interestingly, the Lloyd & Keys advertisement on the wall is still visible today, something GLBC’s Pat Conway always references as a “meaningful coincidence.”
But as in many areas across the country, Ohio City is a prime example of craft breweries helping spur redevelopment of various pockets of Northeast Ohio by breathing new life into neighborhoods and repurposing old buildings that have sat empty for years.
“I’m more interested in diving a bit deeper, understanding the real history behind these abandoned spaces, and understanding how a ruin can be preserved and transformed into something altogether new. And I’m interested in the people behind these efforts, which are never easy—going well beyond the developers and architects that tend to get most of the credit.”
Source: Interview: Dan Barasch on Ruin and Redemption in Architecture – COOL HUNTING
Waterstone Properties Group, will transform the old Blue Rock Quarry near the town of Westbrook, Maine, into a 2-million-square foot mixed use village. Wakefield Beasley & Associates, courtesy of Waterstone Properties Group
Rock Row, a project of Waterstone Properties Group, will transform the old Blue Rock Quarry near the town of Westbrook, Maine, into a 2-million-square foot mixed use village including a temporary amphitheater, retail space, and a 25,000-square-foot beer hall.
Source: Rock Row: Gravel quarry in Portland, Maine, getting second life as walkable urban village – Curbed
Douglas fir steps with amphitheater seating ascend from the entry to the cafeteria. Photography by Connie Zhou.
Google and ZGF Architects had already worked together on six projects, but this would be the largest effort that either had ever undertaken in the realm of adaptive reuse. “The outcome was unknown when we embarked on the project,” Google project executive R.G. Kahoe says. “But we knew we could do something amazing, a moon-shot idea, as well as being the correct stewards for the building.”
Source: Google’s New LA Office Takes Flight Thanks to Hangar Transformation by ZGF Architects
Nomad Pizza (Princeton, New Jersey) Photo: Courtesy of Nomad Pizza/Michael Slack
These venues are not only serving great food but they also are retaining much of their original gas station architecture, too.
Source: These are America’s 7 Most Beautiful Gas Station Conversions – Architectural Digest
Dating back to 1910, the building rises 12 storeys and encompasses just over 126,000 square feet (11,706 square metres).
The team sought to preserve original elements where possible, such as high ceilings, wooden flooring and ornate detailing.
Source: Fogarty Finger revamps New York office with glass and cosy wood
[Photo: Stijn Bollaert/courtesy Civic Architects]
The design is an extraordinary example of adaptive reuse, transforming a decaying industrial building for constructing and storing trains into a place for learning and storing books–while retaining the existing industrial materials, flaws and all.
The building housing trains in 1939. [Photo: courtesy Civic Architects]
Source: LocHal is a gorgeous library in an old train warehouse
Exterior of the Stehli Silk Mill off Martha Avenue. LNP Photo
“People are under a misconception that the property is run down. That’s not the case. The bones are solid. The roof was 100 percent replaced,” he said.
This space was originally outfitted by acclaimed Parisian industrial designer Raymond Loewy, the mind behind the 1955 Coca-Cola contour bottle, the 1959 TWA twin globes logo, the 1963 Studebaker Avanti, and the 1962 Air Force One livery. Max Touhey
To access the guest rooms, patrons enter through space-age flight tubes—which you may remember from the film Catch Me If You Can. Clean lines meet a touch of glam in the rooms, which feature leather upholstery; a pop of primary color; Hollywood-style vanities; and custom walnut, brass, and glass details.
Source: The TWA Hotel Turns an Abandoned Airport Terminal Into a Midcentury Dream – Dwell
Mark Nichols, a Portland-based remodeler, works on framing the second floor walls of the Blair Building in downtown Washougal, in October 2016. The upper level of the historic building on Main Street has been transformed into four studio apartments with modern amenities. (Contributed photo courtesy of Heidi Kramer)
Local couple Bruce and Heidi Kramer spent three years rebuilding the second floor of a nearly 100-year-old structure known as the Blair Building.
Source: Building the Blair Lofts | Camas-Washougal Post-Record
“The most destructive thing is to demolish a building” says Nicholas Grimshaw
Grimshaw’s new Via Verde development will also offer adaptable homes. Photo is by Esto
“I’ve got very passionate about it lately. I’ve even suggested that when architects submit a building for planning permission they should be asked to suggest ways in which it can be used for alternative things in the future,” he continued. “The more of that that goes on in the world, the better place the world will be.”
Source: Nicholas Grimshaw interview on reusing buildings and micro homes
Above: The recently installed kitchen—in what had been the officer’s mess—is far from new looking. In keeping with the exterior, the couple went with a crepuscular matte charcoal for the cabinets, left the storm-ravaged brick walls exposed, and kept signs of 21st-century life largely under wraps.
the HMS Owl, a World War II air squadron control tower, fit the bill: it had been left derelict for decades and Justin and Charlotte took on its restoration
Paramount Assets bought 36-40 Clinton St., pictured above, and 30-32 Clinton St.
We saw this as an excellent opportunity to reposition two historically significant assets to the benefit of both the City and residents alike.
Source: Century-old Properties in Newark’s ‘Billion Dollar Triangle’ to Get Face Lift | TAPinto
Richelieu Dennis, founder and chairperson of Essence Ventures, attends the 2018 Essence Black Women In Hollywood Oscars Luncheon on March 1, 2018 in Beverly Hills, California; the rear view of the Villa Lewaro, the mansion of the country’s first self-made female millionaire, Madam Walker, is seen Oct. 19, 1998, in Irvington, N.Y.
Photo: Leon Bennett (Getty Images for Essence), Ed Bailey (AP Photo)
Villa Lewaro was a frequent meeting place for the leading lights of the Harlem Renaissance—but nearly 100 years later, Dennis hopes to honor the beauty mogul’s innovative and entrepreneurial spirit by transforming Walker’s historic estate into a training center and retreat “designed to support black women entrepreneurs in their efforts to turn their ideas into flourishing enterprises,” according to the Independent.
Source: Will Madam C.J. Walker’s Home Cultivate New Black Women Moguls?
House on 310 Bladen Street (Photo: Historic Wilmington Foundation)
Historic Wilmington Foundation (HWF) says a turn-of-the-century bungalow will soon be moved and become a restaurant.
Source: Historic Wilmington home to be moved, become restaurant – WWAY TV
Working together, the family revitalized the farmhouse with a floor plan that includes reception spaces, meeting rooms, art and design exhibition galleries, experimental rooms, living spaces, and areas that can be set up for photography shoots.
Source: A Creative Family Transform an Old Spanish Farmhouse Into an Incredible Home – Dwell
CHRIS KENDIG
Enter “Infill Philadelphia: Sacred Places/Civic Spaces,” the exciting new partnership between Partners for Sacred Places and the Community Design Collaborative. Its purpose is to generate innovative design concepts and solutions for the re-activation of underutilized spaces in local historic sacred places.
Source: How saving Philly’s historic sacred spaces can make the city stronger | Opinion
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The HouseZero project at Harvard retrofitted a pre-war home on campus, creating a model of energy efficiency. Michael Grimm
“We’re shattering the belief that you need to build new buildings to be efficient,” Ali Malkawi, a professor of architectural technology who leads the CGBC program, told Curbed. “We want to show how this can be replicated almost anywhere, and solve one of the world’s biggest energy problems, inefficient existing buildings.”
Source: Harvard’s HouseZero project wants to revolutionize green building – Curbed
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Kathleen Nyberg/Courtesy of McMenamins
Opening in April as McMenamins Elks Temple, the historic building will become a 45-room hotel, a 700-capacity music venue, a game room, three restaurants, a brewery, and several small bars—including one hidden below the sidewalk. One cafe will have outdoor space along historic Tacoma plaza the Spanish Steps.
Source: Historic Tacoma Elks Lodge will reopen as a McMenamins complex in April – Curbed Seattle
© DIALOG
Souleles also notes that “the bones of the building are really, really good.” You don’t often hear this; there is always an excuse, such as the floor plate isn’t efficient or the ceilings are too low. However, as embodied carbon gets recognized as an issue, these excuses don’t stand up to scrutiny – because, as we keep saying, the greenest building is the one already standing.
Source: Good bones are a good place to start for net zero carbon MacKimmie Complex in Calgary | TreeHugger
A campaign is running to save the abandoned home in Staten Island of the Central Park architect. Image: New York Landmark Conservancy
“We recognise the importance of restoring this landmark site so that it can eventually offer programs to New Yorkers and visitors alike,” says the Conservancy.
Source: A campaign aims to save the home of the Central Park architect
Courtesy of Google
As if that weren’t enough to draw your eyes upward, there are several dozen beautiful wooden “glu-lam” arches that climb the walls, which were built in 1943, when the hangar was originally created (the building was used by Howard Hughes to construct the H4 Hercules, known as the “Spruce Goose,” which famously flew only once for less than a minute).
Source: Inside Google’s Playa Vista Offices: Haunted Stairwells, Paper Airplane Pads | Hollywood Reporter
One of the highlights at LX Factory, a mixed-use adaptive-reuse complex in an old textile factory, is Rio Maravilha, a cheerful, colorful bar whose upstairs terrace affords staggering views of the Tagus River. Echoing the cool ambience, the cocktails here are creative.
The fog bridge connects the entire park. When the mist lifts, visitors can see the East River below. (Daniel Levin)
According to Lisa Switkin, senior principal at JCFO, “Integrating the artifact walk with custom furniture made from reclaimed wood from the Raw Sugar Warehouse creates a unique experience where people come into contact with remnants of the original refinery and have an up-close relationship with those artifacts.”
Source: Brooklyn’s Domino Park blends industrial chic with careful pacing – Archpaper.com
Located on Morris Avenue between 3rd and 4th Streets, the three-story Building 127 was built to make boat parts for the Navy.
According to the corporation, the building’s ground and second floors, which has loading infrastructure, would be a good fit for a medium-to-large scale manufacturing company. With its super tall, vaulted ceiling, the third floor would be great for a design company looking for a showroom and space for prototyping.
Source: Historic building at Brooklyn Navy Yard to be restored as modern manufacturing space | 6sqft
“I was trained as both an architect and architectural historian,” Merlino says, “and have always been drawn to older buildings and the layered narrative of history they embody.” Her book, “Building Reuse: Sustainability, Preservation, and the Value of Design” was published this year by UW Press.
All of the renovated buildings retain parts of the original construction. In 102 The Mill, these deliberately exposed frameworks are complemented by industrial-inspired lighting fixtures and minimalist, streamlined furnishings. Timber floors and warm fabrics help imbue the former factory with a sense of cozy warmth.
Credit: Urban Nouveau
Practice Urban Nouveau has devised a radical way to save Stockholm’s Gamla Lidingöbron bridge from demolition: turning it into apartments and a linear park.
The Alcatraz Photography Studio in Berkeley, Calif., transformed a century-old box of a building used as a Halloween costume store into an artistic space. PHOTO Billy Hustace Photography
The project team was encouraged by the client and designers to reuse and expose original building materials. The team preserved the wooden floor covered with colorful paint drips, giving the space a unique character. This sustainable approach was noticed by the judges, who appreciated the “simplicity, beauty and attention to detail” of the small project, noting that such renovation and adaptive reuse “could be considered a lost art.”
St. Charles Hospital in Aurora, Illinois, was a skilled nursing facility when it shut down in 2010, the same year the Art Deco building was added to the National Register of Historic Places.
With the senior population and demand for senior housing guaranteed to grow over the next 20 years, yesterday’s offices, hotels, schools and commercial buildings can be repurposed into the senior housing of tomorrow.
Source: How Adaptive Reuse is Helping Create the Senior Housing of Tomorrow – Senior Housing News
RE–USA: 20 American Stories of Adaptive Reuse A Toolkit for Post-Industrial Cities by Matteo Robiglio, JOVIS Verlag GmbH, 2017
Robiglio analyzed his observations and turned them into an “adaptive reuse toolkit” that can be used by cities but is really addressed to concerned citizens intent on reviving their neighborhoods. Consisting of eight steps and addressed to “you and your family,” the processes outlined are intended to chart a path of redevelopment and acknowledge and build upon the industrial legacy by emphasizing adaptive reuse.
Source: Book Review: RE-USA 20 american stories of adaptive reuse – UrbDeZine NYC
Experiential passageways for cars and pedestrians will connect to the different buildings on site. (Courtesy S9 Architecture)
ATCO brought on S9 to collaborate on the adaptive reuse of the complex’s 12 main buildings and connect them through experiential passageways. In between each structure, the team will lay out gathering spaces for people to eat, hang out, or put on events.
Source: Charlotte is converting an old Model T and missile factory into workspaces – Archpaper.com
Elevator Alley is a complex of hundreds of grain silos—now filled with breweries, event spaces and more—along the Buffalo River. PHOTO: JIM SCHWABEL/ALAMY
In recent years, cultural institutions, visitor bureaus and artists have turned the elevator complexes into money-making attractions, from museums and luxury hotels to shopping venues and art installations.
Source: Grain Silos: From Empty Relics to Cultural Landmarks and Luxury Hotels – WSJ
Courtesy of Lovett Commercial Rendering of 1818 Washington St. in Sawyer Yards
Repurposing old buildings continues to be popular in the Inner Loop. The latest sizable one combines two things millennials love — art and breweries.
Ironside Newark exterior. Photo by Jared Kofsky/Jersey Digs.
“Given the historic nature of the building and the prior uses in the building, we quickly recognized that the bones were irreplaceable and therefore repurposing it for its intended use as loft-style office with street-level retail would be a great second life if you will for the building,” Sommer explained, adding that “we’re seeing a tremendous amount of velocity on both fronts.”
Source: Inside Ironside: How a Former Newark Warehouse is Being Brought Back to Life | Jersey Digs
Bisnow/Julie Littman Bisnow’s Bay Area Construction and Development event held in The Fairmont in San Francisco
“Everyone wants brick and timber, but there is only so much of that and a lot of it’s been taken,” Build Inc. President and partner Lou Vasquez said during Bisnow’s Bay Area Construction and Development event. While the temptation might be to tear down an old building, especially if it costs too much to restore it, there is inherent value in restoration, Vasquez said. “You can’t buy that character. You can’t build that character,” he said.
Source: Demand Rising For Offices In Historic Buildings, But Supply Limited
Combating blight and replacing the tax base: Unutilized structures are creating blight in markets across the U.S. And local governments are losing revenue from both declining sales and property taxes as retail stores close and prior growth industries such as financial services contract. How can cities replace lost sales and property tax revenue from closed stores and branch banks? Ironically, the solution is what local communities least understand and most resist: reusing a structure or property. It is a fe
Source: Adaptive Reuse: Turning Blight into Bright | CCIM Institute
Courtesy Brøchner Hotels
The concrete building’s heritage-protected exterior facade has a grid of horizontal metal blades while inside cast concrete is left exposed along with concrete floors and original terrazzo stairs.
Source: Copenhagen transformer station is reborn as Hotel Herman K
Describing the structure as a “Sleeping Beauty,” Schulze says that the redevelopment of the Old Main Post Office is not only significant for representing a major adaptive reuse and revitalization of one of Chicago’s great buildings, but it’s one that is expected to help breathe new life into the sleepy stretch of the South Loop and West Loop Gate.
The entrance to the office. Photo: Supplied
The premises, a previously unused diesel generator room, have indeed become a spectacular showcase for the virtues of salvaging both cast-off plant room space that might otherwise languish, and materials that would have ended up in landfill.
Source: Entire Sydney office fitted out with recycled materials and furniture wins sustainability award
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A window bank unearthed during the restoration process.
The building lived many lives before being decommissioned—barracks, courthouse, offices—and like archaeologists, building crews were able to uncover some original building components that had been long covered up. Vinyl flooring had been placed over terrazzo tile in the original mess hall. A utilitarian wall turned out to be hiding a whole bank of historic windows.
Source: Inside Mercy Housing’s restoration of Building 9 at Magnuson Park – Curbed Seattle
Above: The main work space is flanked by two satellites: a cloakroom and elevator to the right of the stair, and, on the opposite side, an open panty.
The wide-plank flooring is original, newly lightened with a soap and lye finish. The black metal long-armed sconces were designed by the architects.
Source: Plain English contemporary dream kitchen in a converted London schoolhouse