Adaptive Reuse » residential lofts

The Candy Factory Lofts

pete — Sat, 13 Mar 2010 14:44:21 +0000

History
Dating back to the 1930s, this warehouse is located west of downtown Toronto in the West Queen Street neighborhood. It previously had been used as a Ce De Candy Company factory, the makers of Smarties.^[1]

(Re)Developer
Quandrangle Architects undertook the conversion of the warehouse. The firm focuses on the rehabilitation and conversion of existing buildings, as well as historical restorations and renovations.

Outcome
Creating new loft residences out of the factory, the building now provides a great housing option in a neighborhood of restaurants, art galleries, and bars. The six-story post and beam loft building now houses 121 loft units. Some of the amenities enjoyed by the residents include 24-hour concierge service, a party room, a guest suite, fitness room, roof terraces and wide hallways.^[2]

Garden Street Lofts

pete — Wed, 03 Feb 2010 00:59:10 +0000

History
Located at 1425 Garden Street in Hoboken, this 1919 building once served as both a storage warehouse and coconut processing plant. The factory processed coconuts to be used as shredded toppings on Hostess snowball cupcakes.^[1]

(Re)Developer
The developer of the conversion was Lawrence Bijou or Bijou Properties. The firm focuses its efforts on acquiring and transforming under-performing properties and converting them into first-class buildings. Along with this, green building practices are implemented.^[2]

SHoP Architects was brought on to lead the conversion project. The Manhattan-based firm includes architectural and construction divisions. Their projects span the US as well as in China and South Korea.^[3]

Outcome
Bijou and SHoP successfully finished the conversion project in 2009, resulting in 30 luxury condominiums and a sedum ground-covered, grassy roof for carbon monoxide emissions. The mixed residential high-rise is the first such building in New Jersey to also receive Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Gold certification which it was awarded in 2010.^[4]

The construction process utilized environmentally-friendly strategies and materials to repurpose the old factory, so as to create a reduced carbon footprint for its tenants. With the reuse of the building being the ultimate green aspect, the building also includes: cleaner, filtered fresh air; low-VOC paints and finishes; high ceilings and large windows for more natural light and reduced heating/cooling needs; sedum-covered green roof; energy requirements purchased from wind and other alternative energy resources.^[5]

The project is helping transform an area once known for its industry into a healthy environment for families looking for ways to reduce their environmental impact.^[6]

Yale Steam Laundry

pete — Thu, 28 Jan 2010 20:03:39 +0000

History
The old commercial laundry building is located in the Mt. Vernon area of Washington, DC. The century-old building is marked by numerous architectural details on its facade.^[1]

(Re)Developer
The adaptive reuse project was a joint undertaking by developers IBG Partners, LLC and Greenfield Partners. IBG is a privately-held firm that focuses its developments in Washington, DC, New York, Baltimore, and Charleston, SC. Greenfield is a private real estate investment firm located in South Norwalk, Connecticut.

John Ronan Architects is located in Chicago and caters to landscape design, interior design, furniture design, graphic design and planning.

Outcome
The entire project includes the adaptive reuse of the steam laundry building which resulted in 16 lofts as well as the construction of two towers for an additional 343 lofts.^[2] “The architects elected to adapt the building into an amenity-infused condominium, leaving much of the original brick and concrete in place. Even the oddly spaced floor framing was allowed to remain.” This adaptive reuse project received an AIA Chicago 2009 Design Excellence Award. The existing piping and columns remained, retaining a sense of asymmetry.^[3]