Project Description
Preservation of existing materials, adaptive reuse, and community
sensitivity all play an important role in the transformation of this
turn-of-the century warehouse in a mixed-use industrial neighborhood.
The judges were impressed that the entrants could take a “derelict
building that had very little going for it and turn it into something
exceptionally designed.”
Through careful placement of offices and
a restaurant, over 75% of the building’s original post-and-beam
structure has been maintained. Skylights and windows, behind a
perforated zinc skin (see "Warehouse to Wowhouse"),
enable cross ventilation and admit light. A 30kW photovoltaic array
produces more than 80% of the building’s annual electricity load. On the
roof, drought-resistant plants lower the roof’s surface temperature,
increase the building’s insulation value, and filter pollutants from
storm water.
By transforming half of a large parking lot into a
garden and a dining courtyard for the restaurant (awaiting a LEED
Platinum rating for tenant improvement), Aidlin Darling was able to
fulfill the client’s desire to connect with the local community.
—Stacey Freed, senior editor, REMODELING.