Items Tagged ‘Richmond’
Ford Point
Project Name:
Ford PointLocation:
Richmond, California, USACompletion Date:
August 2009Original Use(s):
factoryNew Use(s):
office, performance spaceProject Description:
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]
[1]National Parks Service
[2]Architectural Record
[3]National Trust for Historic Preservation
Images courtesy of Architectural Record.
Green Building And Adaptive Reuse Under One Roof
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Green Building And Adaptive Reuse Under One RoofLocation:
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City & Guilds founder David Gammino is undertaking a new development project that will utilize historic tax credits and green building techniques. The building at 408 N. 3rd Street in Richmond, Virginia, was originally built in 1912 as a stable for horses and storage for funeral carriages. Gammino intends to repurpose it into an 18,000-square-foot apartment building with indoor parking. He intends to pursue LEED certification but is finding that meeting both the requirements for LEED and historic tax credit is difficult. “For instance, to be LEED certified the building most meet certain efficiency standards, however historical rules dictate that original brick walls can’t be covered with insulation. The original steel ceiling beams also must remain exposed and the area can’t be used for insulation. Gammino’s solution is to put seven inches of insulation board on the ceiling, when normally only a couple of inches are used. Also the building will have a green roof, which is covered in vegetation that helps insulate the building as well as reduce storm water runoff.” Gammino plans to have the apartments ready to lease this spring.
Office Sense: Pods for Lawyers?
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Office Sense: Pods for Lawyers?Location:
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An early 20th century industrial building has been turned into the new Richmond location for Gregory Kaplan Law Firms. Richmond BizSense put together a walk-through video of the space featuring Rick Gregory. Aside from recycling the building, a number of elements within the office itself are recycled including the cubicles.
The Malthouse
Project Name:
The MalthouseLocation:
Richmond, Victoria, AUCompletion Date:
1996Original Use(s):
grain silosNew Use(s):
apartmentsProject Description:
History
This building originally served the community of Richmond as large grain silos.
(Re)Developer
The old grain silos were redeveloped by Nonda Katsalidis of Fender Katsalidis Architects in Southbank, Victoria.
Outcome
Unofficially referred to as the “Crown of Thorns” thanks to the new capping, these large towers are now home to a number of apartments. They are a stark contrast to the surrounding area of low-rise housing. With a single apartment per floor, the added structure contains the living areas while the original silos house the sleeping and services spaces.[1]
[1]Fender Katsalidis Architects
Images courtesy of Grollo and Wikipedia.
The Ripple Effect
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The Ripple EffectLocation:
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Richmond LISC followed up on The Impacts of Targeted Public and Nonprofit Investment on Neighborhood Development report. That report reviewed the Neighborhoods in Bloom policy which directed public and nonprofit investments to specific communities with the aim of attracting and sustaining additional private capital. Based on the policy and report, Richmond LISC determined that such targeted programs create a ripple effect. This includes higher property values in and outside the targeted area, decreased crime, increased tax revenue, and new business investment. “As the gap between development costs and market values shrinks, private investments return to formerly isolated neighborhoods.”