Adaptive Reuse » Office

LIVESTRONG Headquarters

pete — Tue, 20 Jul 2010 16:43:35 +0000

History
The Gold Coast Paper warehouse was built in the 1950s and served the Austin, Texas, area for a number of years.^[1]

(Re)Developer
The Lance Armstrong Foundation is a non-profit organization dedicated to supporting and creating a “relevant, vibrant cancer movement based on evidence and strategic investment.” The Foundation helps to provide one-on-one support as well as cancer awareness and research funding advocacy.

Lake|Flato Architects was commissioned to develop and realize the adaptive reuse of the old warehouse. The firm focuses their work on six principles: land, light, craft, community, spaces between, sustainability.

The Bommarito Group was selected to provide programming direction, design and local knowledge of the city processes. The firm also acted as the project manager for the consultants hired for the adaptive reuse.

Outcome
After leasing corporate office space for over a decade, The Lance Armstrong Foundation now has a permanent home for the LIVESTRONG offices in East Austin, Texas. The headquarters is part of a larger revitalization effort within the underserved neighborhood of Austin. The adaptive reuse of this warehouse has provided new life and a commitment to the local community.

The renovated space provides a number of private office and meeting spaces as well as large open areas to host meetings for other local non-profits. The work has resulted in LEED Gold certification, codifying the Foundation’s concern for the environment. Additionally, the LIVESTRONG Patient Navigation Center (PNC). The PNC, opening in summer 2010, “will service people with cancer or at risk for cancer, with an emphasis on underserved populations in the Austin area. The PNC will work to improve access to all available support systems ranging from information and education to financial assistance and family support.”^[2]

“One Of A Kind” Central High School Historic Site Going Back On The Market

pete — Sun, 11 Apr 2010 11:56:39 +0000

The former Central High School in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, is ready for a rebirth. The 100-year-old building was previously purchased by SBC Oklahoma in 1982 from the Oklahoma City school board. With the purchase, SBC performed a major adaptive reuse project in order to convert the old educational facility into Class A office space. The late Gothic-inspired building was then bought by Oklahoma Farmers Union Mutual Insurance Co (now called American Farmers & Ranchers Mutual Insurance Co) in 2005, who maintained the building as office space. American Farmers & Ranchers however has been able to streamline its business and no longer needs as much space as the building affords. The 177,000-square-foot building in downtown is now up for sale, with the prospect of another adaptive reuse project to convert it into a residential property.

Ford Point

pete — Tue, 16 Mar 2010 23:56:23 +0000

History
As the largest assembly plant on the West Coast, the Ford Motor Company Assembly Plant in Richmond, California, was a major stimulant to the local and region economy. Built in 1930 and designed by Albert Kahn, Ford became the city’s third largest employer. The plant was converted for wartime production in World War II. After the war, Ford restart automobile assembly, however, that ended in February 1953. The factory was closed down in 1956 due to its inability to meet increased production demands.^[1]

(Re)Developer
Orton Development (ODI) specializes in rehabilitation and redevelopment of existing sites. The firm, established in 1984, has worked on numerous mixed-use projects including properties from: General Motors Corp., US Steel Realty, Lockheed Martin, Simmons Company, British Oxygen Corp., Dillard’s Retail Corp., Del Monte, Hunt-Wesson, and American Standard.

Located in Berkeley, California, Marcy Wong Donn Logan Architects has completed numerous projects throughout California.

Outcome
ODI purchased the site from the City of Richmond in 2004 for $5.4 million, who then hired Marcy Wong Donn Logan Architects to undertake the new program design. The vacant building had been placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1988, but then sustained significant damage during the Loma Prieta earthquake one year later. The City of Richmond invested $20 million over 15 years after the quake and prior to the sale to ODI.^[2]

Stretching a quarter-mile long and including more than 500,000 square feet of space, the adapted Ford Point (as it is now called) is a model of sustainable design. “In an exemplary preservation turn-around, the building that once manufactured exhaust-spewing internal-combustion engines now houses ‘green’ businesses and a popular entertainment venue, all of which are revitalizing the local economy.” It is home to the Crane Pavilion (40,000 sf), a public entertainment venue and the future home of the National Park Service’s Rosie the Riveter Visitor Center. The building’s largest tenant, SunPower Corporation, has installed a state of the art solar voltaic system atop the sawtooth structure of the historic facility.

“The rebirth of the Ford Assembly Building serves as an extraordinary example of how historic preservation can be a catalyst for community revitalization, economic development and sustainability,” says Richard Moe, president of the National Trust for Historic Preservation. “This is a building that California can be proud of—and that architects, developers, politicians and business owners across the country should study as a model of innovative, environmentally responsible reuse.”^[3]

Georgetown Green Plans To Buy The G&B Mill Site

pete — Sun, 14 Mar 2010 18:11:16 +0000

The outlook appears promising for the redevelopment of the former Gilbert & Bennett wire mill now that a new redeveloper has agreed to purchase the site. Georgetown Green plans to close on the purchase from Georgetown Land Development Company in June 2010. Callen Cooper, CEO of Georgetown Green, sees the G&B mill as the perfect combination for transit-oriented development, green and clean technology, and affordable and senior housing. The 2004 master plan for the site, born out of a collaboration between the town, neighboring towns, state and federal officials, will continue to be honored under the new owners. The plan calls for adapting the 55-acre site for housing, office, retail, performing arts space, offices for the Weir Farm Historic Site, as well as a new railroad station. Housing will include single-family homes, townhouses, condominiums, affordable and senior housing. While adaptive reuse will be a focal point of the project, it will be used only where feasible.

More details about the project are available here.

Abandoned Site In Leander Gets New Lease On Life

pete — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 17:04:21 +0000

An 80,000 sf whirlpool factory in Leander, Texas, is undergoing a major transformation. When Aquatics Industries Inc. shut down in 2009, the city lost 101 jobs and gained a vast abandoned lot. The $5 million project to adapt the factory hopes to revitalize and renew the site while at the same time bring back lost jobs. Once completed, the mixed-use building will be home to a community theatre, a private elementary and middle school, and retail and office tenants. The metal buildings, dating back to Aquatics founding in 1983, are part of the first phase of the project and will become the retail/office component. Way Off Broadway Community Players has signed a 10-year lease to take 10,000 sf in the adapted space. This cultural piece will be joined by Sterling Classical School who will add an educational aspect to the mixed use project. The renovated site should have a bright future thanks to its ability to adapt, low rent, and various uses.

Developers Can Look To Boston Jail For Inspiration

pete — Mon, 08 Mar 2010 03:40:22 +0000

The old St. Louis County Jail in Duluth, Minnesota, is about to come out of dormancy. The sale to private developer Jail Holding LLC should close April 16th. It will mark a long time coming in adapting the vacant jail. Once considered for the wrecking ball, the building plans include office, conference and storage space. As the project gets underway, Renalls suggest that the developer look to the Suffolk County Jail in Boston, Massachusetts, for inspiration. That jail, shut down in 1990, went through an extensive five-year conversion and is now home to a premier New England Hotel and three hip bars/restaurants. While a much larger and expensive project, the conversion demonstrates the potential the St. Louis County Jail can offer.

Sand Studios and Residence

pete — Mon, 08 Feb 2010 15:14:28 +0000

History
Built in 1943 as part of the redevelopment of South Park into a light industrial area, the warehouse was utilized for a number of decades.^[1] South Park had originally been created 1852 as an exclusive residential district in San Francisco. The area began to “decline” after the construction of Second Street opened the area to a wider demographic. This resulted in the wealthy residents moving to Nob Hill in the late 19th century. Much of the neighborhood was destroyed during the earthquake of 1906. This vacant land then found a new purpose as a light industrial district.^[2]

(Re)Developer
Larissa and Jeff Sand purchased the warehouse in 2003 to relocate their family and business Sand Studios. Larissa is a designer who studied architecture at the University of California, Berkeley, while her husband, Jeff, is an industrial designer.^[3] Their firm, Sand Studios, combines minimalist design with material expression, refined details and atmospheric lighting.

Outcome
The warehouse was saved from demolition when a development company planning to replace the building with new condominiums had lost its financing. Larissa saw the opportunity to reuse the structure and provide a new home for her family and business after a fire forced them out of their previous location. The 8,500-square-foot masonry-and-timber post-and-beam structure is located on a 3,730-square-foot corner lot just one block from the neighborhood’s oval park. The three story structure was divided into the family’s residence on the top floor, the studio office on the second floor, and the studio’s machine shop on the ground floor. The ground floor also now includes a 2,500-square-feet gallery space that may be used to rent out for retail uses in the future.

Ample skylights and windows provide plenty of daylight and natural ventilation. Larissa focused on reusing as many of the original building materials in the renovation. Any elements that needed to be replaced were accomplished through natural and/or recycled materials. A central two-story atrium was added to bring light into the 7-foot-10-inch-high office and allows workers to observe the shop below.

“The Sand Studios restoration project is a welcome addition to a neighborhood that has survived natural and economic catastrophes and struggles to overcome myriad new real estate developments. With its side doors rolled open, the building emits the lively sounds of buzzing machines and friendly banter. Activity animates the place day and night. The Sands have not only revived a spot that might have become another generic condo, they’ve infused it with a spirit of innovation, rehabilitation, and reuse that embodies San Francisco’s history of enterprise and recovery.”^[4]

Chelsea Market

pete — Wed, 27 Jan 2010 02:45:52 +0000

History
Opening in 1913, the 11-story full-block structure from 10th to 11th Avenue and 15th to 16th Street in the Chelsea district of New York City became the most prominent part of the National Biscuit Company Complex. Designed by Albert G. Zimmerman, the complex was built on landfill. By 1958, Nabisco (National Biscuit) was had moved its operations to New Jersey. The buildings were sold in 1959 and had spotty use for the next few decades.

(Re)Developer
Irwin B. Cohen organized a syndicate to purchase the complex. The purchase was successfully done in the 1990s and the conversion began.

Outcome
The adaptive reuse of the complex began by converting the upper floors for office tenants. The building has become a hub for technology companies. The ground floor was reconfigured and a long interior arcade was created as home for food stores. “To walk through the Chelsea Market is to stroll through a sort of postindustrial theme park, carefully festooned with the detritus of a lost industrial culture, interspersed with food stores and restaurants.”^[1] The rebirth of the Nabisco building ushered in a new beginning for the Chelsea neighborhood as new ventures and residences have made their own home in surrounding old factories.

Fields Corner Municipal Building

pete — Mon, 25 Jan 2010 20:14:10 +0000

History
Built in 1874, this building served multiple purposes. It housed the Boston neighborhood’s District 11 Police Station as well as the first branch public library in the United States. It was designed in the Victorian Gothic style by George Clough, the first official architect for the City of Boston. The building was closed down in the 1970s and then experienced a number of fires in the 1980s. It is now currently listed on the National Register of Historic Places.^[1]

(Re)Developer
The Fields Corner Community Development Corporation (FCCDC) is dedicated to facilitating the availability of housing and promoting economic development in order to enhance the environment for a healthy residential life in the Dorchester area of Boston, Massachusetts. FCCDC was formed by a coalition of neighborhood organizations already active in improving their respective neighborhoods: Clampoint Neighborhood Association, Dorchester Gardenlands Preserve and Development Corporation, Dorchester Neighbors Organizing Neighbors, Freeport Adams Development Corporation, and Meeting House Hill Improvement. Incorporated on April 11, 1980, its purpose was to plan and stimulate development in the Fields Corner Community to encourage further growth of the area as a residential community and to maintain a stable business community. FCCDC indicated in its Article of Organization that it would accomplish this mission by promoting business ventures and providing assistance to neighborhood groups which are involved in designing and planning activities within the Fields Corner target area.^[2]

Outcome
The City of Boston had planned to raze the building, but FCCDC successfully blocked the action in court. Subsequently an intricate package of financing to rehabilitate the property was brought together by the Fields Corner CDC, who acted as developer on the construction. The property reopened in 1985 with 13 units of affordable rental housing on the second and third floors and commercial space on the first floor. Additional funding was required to renovate the old jail in the basement to a space suitable for a restaurant.^[3]

The adaptive reuse of this old municipal building within the heart of Fields Corner is a great step to rebuilding and strengthening the community. Rather than losing its character to the wrecking ball, Fields Corner CDC has successfully shown that there is opportunity in the abandoned building as well as within the community itself. The great mix of uses within the renovated building will ensure constant use and activity for years to come.

Lee Corporate Center

pete — Mon, 11 Jan 2010 22:11:58 +0000

History
Built in 1971, the building originally was used as a warehouse for Kay-Bee Toys.^[1]

(Re)Developer
The project was jointly developed by the Lee Community Development Corporation and Berkshire Housing Development Corporation (both non-profits). It is currently owned by Lee Industrial Realty Corporation.

Outcome
The partnership was successful in taking the vacant warehouse and repurposing it as a multi-use complex. The site is now the location of offices and light industry. It achieved its desired plan to help create new jobs in Lee.^[2]