Situated within an established urban neighborhood and adjacent to a railroad spur, the site was originally dominated by a 1960’s era industrial building which the community was unwilling to see demolished. As a result, an innovative strategy for adaptive reuse was developed which involved “carving” landscaped courtyards out of the original steel frame/bar joist structure and positioning open and garage parking along the rail line. Within the complex, bedroom level mezzanines are constructed of precast concrete planks bearing on steel stud demising walls with major living areas characterized by high ceilings, painted industrial framing and articulated fireplace walls. At the exterior, existing perimeter masonry walls are simply cut to receive dramatic over-scaled windows. Block masonry, corrugated galvanized siding, aluminum windows and colorful canopies all serve to playfully reinterpret the industrial aesthetic.
