Adaptive Reuse of Historic Structures  is the recycling and repurposing of historic buildings.  In other words, using an old site or building for a purpose other than that for which it was built.  This urban planning method is a vehicle for reversing the trends of decline for structures who have fallen behind in our fast-paced sprawling development style. The reuse of old buildings is the ultimate in recycling. Having already withstood the test of time, these old buildings structures are ripe for adaption to new uses. Rather than just bulldoze a significant building, those interested in preservation much prefer alternatives such as restoration of original exterior features and adaptation of the interior for a different purpose. To quote Myrick Howard, President of Preservation North Carolina, "There are few activities that are more job-intensive and return more dollars to the local economy that historic rehabilitation.  You can't outsource renovation.  Returning a historic building to new utility requires more labor and higher skills than new construction, and more money is pumped back into the community.  It just makes so much sense to reuse our historic buildings."

Some interesting statistics- things to think about:  From an article "Reuse of Historic Buildings to Address Climate Change" by Linda Reeder. AIA.  It takes an incredible amount of energy to construct a new building. Constructing a new 50,000 square foot commercial building takes the same energy as driving a car 20,000 miles a year for 730 years.  It takes about 65 years for an energy efficient new building to save the amount of energy lost in demolishing an existing building. As a group, buildings constructed before 1920 are more energy efficient than those constructed from 1920 through 1999.

 

Currently we are seeing a renewed interest in this process, but it is not a new concept. Rather it is one that is centuries old.  One of the oldest examples is the Temple of Antoninus and Faustina within the Roman Forum.  The temple was originally built in 140 AD as a monument to Antoninus's deceased wife Faustina.  It has had many incarnations since that time- most of them religious. It was converted to Roman Catholic in 7th Century. Became Universitas Aromatorium in 1429 (College of Chemists and Herbalists).  It is still sometimes open to the public and contains notable artworks.  There is a university museum and archive next door. Thousands of years of continuous use from one structure.

 

Another very recognizable and successful example of reuse is the Tate Modern Gallery in London.  This building began its life as the Bankside Power Station.  The power station closed in 1981 & reopened in 2006 as Tate Modern.  There are various galleries in the large space. The 5 story Turbine Hall which formerly housed electric generators, and the Tanks – 3 large underground oil tanks have been refurbished into galleries.  Formerly off-limits to the public as the Power Station, it now serves nearly five million visitors a year.

 

We can all bring to mind an old church conversion, a chic restaurant in an old factory, a quaint bed and breakfast in a magnificent old home, a warehouse district that now hosts wonderful boutiques and art galleries, or a small house

museum.  One exciting new trend in our center city districts as they become "reurbanized" is the conversion of large commercial or religious sites becoming loft apartments for the influx of millennials born between 1980 and 1997 who want to live in the heart of the action.  This group is the largest and most diverse generation in the country's history.  Millennials seek varied authentic experiences and old and historic places fill the bill for them. They want to the convenience of being able to walk to restaurants, shops and entertainment venues.  Since they are so environmentally aware, they want a smaller carbon footprint and to be able to walk, bike or take public transportation to work every day.  Reclaiming city streets and making them more amenable to walking and mass transit helps neighborhoods thrive again.

In several cities the large churches that are no longer in use are being converted to chic apartments.  One example is Sanctuary Lofts in Philadelphia. Located in the 180-year old Greater St. Matthew Baptist Church, it is Philadelphia's first church conversion into loft-style rental apartments. Each brand-new loft residence boasts distinctive design elements from this re-imagined church, ranging from “cathedral ceilings”, no pun intended, to restored stained glass window treatments. Old world craftsmanship blends with contemporary design, sophisticated, European-styled cabinetry, and stainless-steel appliances.

 

I recently conducted a walking tour of downtown Norfolk, VA which has seen a huge increase in conversion of its historic district.  We were fortunate to have a representative of the development corporation accompany us on the tour.  What a treat to see these wonderful old hotels, a former Navy YMCA and a large office building in their new guises. The Wainwright Building in the Freemason Historic District, began its life as the headquarters for the Seaboard Air Line Railway. Built in 1925-1926, the nine-story, 92,000 square-foot, steel reinforced concrete building is "V"-shaped and faced in textured yellow brick with numerous stone decorative elements in the Late Gothic Revival style. The main entrance and lobby are the highlight of the interior with nearly all of the historic features intact including a ribbed vaulted ceiling, a large completely brass entry wall and doors, and granite walls and flooring.

 

The Rockefeller, the former Navy YMCA donated to Norfolk by John D. Rockefeller and known for many years as the Union Mission, has an incredible lobby restored to its original elegance.  The railings on the lobby staircase are carved wood, not wrought iron, floors are marble.  Can you image the craftsmanship that it took to do these? Apartments were carefully placed to retain many of the original hand painted murals, the gym floor with its basketball markings, etc.  This building recently won a very prestigious award for Design Excellence as I am sure you can understand.

 

Three of the hotels which were constructed to support the Jamestown Exhibition in 1906 have been beautifully converted to residential use while retaining their original mosaic patterned tile floors, marble walls, brass elevator doors, etc.

 

Freemason Abbey, built in 1873 also stands in downtown Norfolk, still an active part of the culture.  Thanks to the vision of developer Jerry Collier, who saw the potential of a dilapidated structure in need of repair in 1987, the former church conversion was conceived.  This vision was transformed into reality and once again the building feels new, exciting and full of life as a meeting place for all to enjoy.  How appropriate that many couples become engaged over dinner or celebrate a rehearsal dinner in the former church.

 

Why should we save and reuse these old structures?  In the case of inner-city areas, they are already a vital part of the cityscape - integrated into the existing architectural landscape.  Removing them not only is very costly but once a building is gone, often the replacement costs are so great that space never gets in-filled and it soon becomes a blight on the area with increasing crime making it no longer safe for the inhabitants. To quote David J. Brown, Chief Preservation Officer of the National Trust, "Future generations deserve to be able to immerse themselves in this rich story we all share."

 

Many "sustainable features" can be found in historic buildings. Although this term is relatively new to come into use, these include passive heating and cooling as a result of site orientation and natural ventilation, natural daylight, and use of durable local materials. This concept extends too into regional architectural treatments of buildings.  As we know, buildings in the South sport taller ceilings, larger and more windows - all in a bow to the higher temperatures and humidity.  Let the heat rise to the higher ceiling, more windows for more air circulation. In the Northern areas of the country, buildings tend to have lower ceilings and fewer windows in order to retain heat.  Reusing existing buildings saves energy by avoiding new construction and diverts demolition waste from landfills. New construction increases greenhouse gas emissions considerably. “The greenest building is the one already built,” as Carl Elefante, AIA, says, is a concept embraced by the National Trust for Historic Preservation (NTHP). Removal of these existing buildings adds literally tons of waste to our landfills.  The demolition of a 50,000 square foot building creates 4,000 tons of debris - enough to fill 26 railroad cars or a train nearly a quarter of a mile long.  These dense old-growth materials are irreplaceable- wide plank flooring, windows with hand crafted glass, hand crafted moldings, stained glass.  Even old windows can be restored and are as energy efficient as the ugly new vinyl ones.    Not to mention that we are losing the last vestiges of regionally or nationally famed architects.

 

Some Federal and State Tax Credits are still available for restoration and renovation projects, making it easier for owners to save these pieces of history.  Department of Historic Resources offices in most states can provide interested persons with application forms and detailed information regarding the process. While this is a lengthy and complicated process (one friend likened it to a Masters Dissertation), it is well worth the effort required. In the case of large commercial buildings, the process is even more protracted.  Such issues as the original lengths and breath of hallways, door placement and original materials determine the sizes of apartments and rooms, window replacement or retention, etc.

 

We are fortunate that many small "main street” towns have recognized the potential of revitalizing their downtown areas.  Main Streets are the core of the community and the traditional center for cultural, social and economic activities.  No more abandoned boarded up buildings. Instead, they are once again hubs for business and are revenue producing centers of activity. Cape Charles, VA, Titusville, FL, Laurel MD, and Smithfield, VA, Franklin, VA, Edenton, NC to name just a few, all have wonderful shops, trendy cafes and accommodations to draw tourists.  These tourist dollars refill the town coffers with needed funds in the form of taxes generated by local businesses and increase local employment while providing enjoyment for those who visit.  I was asked to assist Titusville FL in hosting an event showcasing the shops on historic Washington Street, to acquaint and educate the public in learning why we should preserve our built environment.  The event included a walking tour and my lecture on Adaptive Reuse. Participants discovered that restaurants, breweries and galleries have replaced many of the old businesses.  These new businesses serve to draw locals as well as tourists downtown and revitalize the area with new money and interest.

 

I have also had the privilege to work closely with the director of the historic Pritchard House in Titusville, FL.  This historic house museum allows visitors an opportunity to experience the furnishings, accessories and lifestyle of the early 20th century in Titusville. A cherished professional privilege for me. was to meet Mary Schuster who lived her entire life in this house.  When I talked to her, she had just had her 100th birthday.  She was a lovely Southern lady and I know she is missed in Titusville.  These are the kinds of experiences and memories that are available only because of the foresight and labor of those who save these structures and open them to the public.

 

Let's look at some of the other projects that have recently been completed around the country. There are many unique projects involving Adaptive Reuse that are worth mention.

 

The Vendue a boutique art hotel in the heart of Charleston's historic French Quarter Art District.  This series of buildings began their lives as warehouses in 1785.  The name refers to the "vendue masters" or auctioneers who worked in the area.  During the Civil War, the buildings became a warehouse for blockade runners.  Later they evolved into warehouses for the fishing industry.  Purchased in 2012 by Avocet Hospitality who completed a $5.5 million renovation, the hotel reopened in 2014.  The public areas of the hotel serve as an ever-changing art gallery with works from local artists.  The current owner retained a portion of the building that once served as the offices of the South Carolina Gazette, operated by the first female newspaper publisher in the US.  Today, with a gracious bow to its past, its known as "The Press", serving Starbucks coffees and snacks.

 

The Craddock-Terry Hotel in Lynchburg, VA is the former Craddock-Terry Shoe Company.  Begun in 1888, It operated as the fifth largest show manufacturer in the world and was the only shoe factory below the Mason-Dixon line making 100,000 pair per day at its peak. The current owner is the great grandson of John W. Craddock who began the company located on the banks of the James River.  It took nearly five years to restore the two buildings including having to replace the entire roof system.  Included in the interior design of the hotel are shoe motifs such as room designations, a wonderful shoe chaise in the lobby and your continental breakfast can be served in your room in a reproduction shoe-shine box.

 

The Hotel Emma in downtown San Antonio, TX has had a very interesting history.  It is now a very chic boutique hotel, but it began its life as Pearl's Brewhouse in 1894.  The hotel is named in honor of Emma Koehler who ran the brewery after the death of her husband, the founder, in 1914, though the prohibition years until 1933.  There were in fact three Emmas who were connected to the building.  Emma Koehler, a nurse, called Emmi, who was hired to help her after an accident in 1910, and Emmi's tall blonde friend also named Emma.  Apparently, Mr. Koehler had an affinity for Emmas.  He had affairs with both Emmi and the tall blonde Emma, setting them up in a house in town- for his convenience no doubt. After an argument in the wee hours in November 1914, blonde Emma shot him to death.  She was subsequently found not guilty by an all-male jury.  Such were the times.  What a story to share with today's guests.

 

The Arcade Providence, the nation's oldest indoor shopping mall built in 1828, in the historic heart of Providence, RI has recently undergone a major renovation creating retail space on the ground floor and 45 micro-living condos on the second and third floors.  The condos range from 225-800 square feet but include all the modern amenities.

         

Another interesting project is one located in the historic heart of Uptown Charlotte, NC.  The building was constructed in 1927 as a 20 story bank.  Now known as Tryon Plaza, the new owners have successfully converted the building

into office condominiums. During the restoration, they retained as many of the original Art Deco elements as possible.  The original elevator bank and doors were restored. The Executive Board Room which is part of the conference center for the building still retains its original paneling, gorgeous hand-crafted glass chandelier and beautifully patterned wood floors.  The amazing sandstone archway which was adorned with intricate carvings by Italian artisans still welcomes visitors and owners to the building.  Elegant hallways give way to thoroughly modern amenities including a conference center, concierge service, owner's lounge fitness center and generous storage units.

 

Savannah GA’s Art Moderne style Greyhound bus station built in 1938 is enjoying a rebirth as a fine dining restaurant called “The Grey”. New owners retained its porthole windows and terrazzo flooring, including the well-worn spot in front of the former ticket window. A replica of the blue and white Vitrolite exterior involved labor-intensive hand cutting and installation of the glass. Its Southern influenced menu has received national attention.

 

A five story former Farmers & Merchants Bank that opened in 1924 in Kinston, NC has been converted to The O’Neil, a boutique hotel which opened in 2015.  A 16-ton vault, door swung open, contains a coffee maker and free bottles of Mother Earth beer inside a retro refrigerator. The limestone building with big ornate pillars out front and an analog clock on the corner sets the tone for this exciting new hotel.  The building was the home to the first registered elevator in North Carolina.  A second-floor room with bright red walls and Chinese flair includes bunk beds in a small vault. The owner maintains his private quarters on the top floor.

 

Schmidt Artist Lofts in St. Paul Minnesota has been created from the Schmidt Brewery.

 

There are hundreds of adaptive reuse projects actively being renovated around the country. Many more than we have time to explore here but, I hope that you will consider the importance of the preservation work that is being done in both small towns and larger cities.  Visit house museums, take walks through restored downtowns, immerse yourself in the past - both recent and ancient.  Maybe you will even think about purchasing an old house or commercial space and putting it into service again so it can continue to contribute to the built environment. The possibilities are endless.

 

The definition of adaptive reuse according to MIT is "to prolong the period from cradle-to-grave for a building by retaining all or most of the structural system and as much a possible of other elements, such as cladding, glass and interior partitions."