Adaptive Reuse

A Modern Use for a Modernist Gem in Palm Springs

Posted on: March 22nd, 2013 by Katherine Flynn

A rendering of the Palm Springs Art Museum Architecture and Design Center, Edwards Harris Pavilion. The museum is tentatively scheduled to open the fall of 2014.

When Sidney Williams and the the Palm Springs Art Museum staff decided to invest in an old bank building downtown for a new architecture and design center, it helped that the museum and the bank already had something in common -- both were designed by the same Modernist architect.... Read More →

Katherine Flynn

Katherine Flynn is an editorial assistant at Preservation magazine. Her work has appeared online at the Washington Post and in Consequence of Sound, a music and culture blog.

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First-Class Green: A 1934 Post Office Redelivered as a LEED-Certified Office

Posted on: March 18th, 2013 by Dennis Hockman 1 Comment

Use of solar panels. Credit: Doty & Miller Architects
An array of solar PV panels added in 2004 to the Bedford, Ohio post office. The panels are mounted in such a way that they act as shades during the summer and allow sun in for natural heat during the winter.

The 1934 post office in Bedford, Ohio, was recently renovated as office space, so when Preservation magazine was looking for adaptive reuse post office projects for a photo essay, it was a natural candidate. But as we learned more about the renovation, we knew that just a caption and a photo in the magazine wouldn’t be enough.

While working with Chuck Miller to learn more about the post office his firm Doty & Miller Architects adapted as its offices, I found out that in 2007 the renovation earned a LEED Gold certification from the U.S. Green Building Council -- the first Gold certification in the United States for a freestanding architect’s office.

Always intrigued by the balance of preservation and sustainability, I circled back with Miller to find out how the firm went about greening the building. ... Read More →

Dennis Hockman

Dennis Hockman is editor in chief of Preservation magazine. He’s lived all over the United States but currently resides in Baltimore where he is restoring a 1918 center hall colonial.

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Human Energy (and Historic Tax Credits) Help “Re-Boott” Historic New England Mill

Posted on: March 1st, 2013 by Guest Writer

By Robert Verrier, FAIA, NCARB

Boott Mills, before and after its adaptive reuse

Human energy is the force behind successful economic development -- even when that energy began centuries ago. Along with my partner Michael Binette, I saw the power of this fact unfold around Boott Mills in Lowell, Massachusetts, one of the oldest surviving cotton textile mill yards in the United States -- and an engine of the city’s rebirth.

Tax credit incentives were a key to the city’s success, helping restore one of America’s most dramatic historic sites while also injecting vitality and pride into a now-flourishing neighborhood and tourist attractions. It’s also a good case study in what a community can achieve with tax incentives, foresight, and positive energy.... Read More →

Although we're always on the lookout for blog content, we encourage readers to submit story ideas or let us know if you've seen something that might be interesting and engaging for a national audience. Email us at editorial@savingplaces.org.

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A Modern Take On Serving Veterans At Leavenworth Building 19

Posted on: February 28th, 2013 by Katherine Flynn

The exterior of the new medical records facility at night. Credit: Rick Kready/The Pioneer Group
The exterior of the renovated building, now a VA medical records facility.

Leavenworth Building 19 in Leavenworth, Kansas doesn’t look much different on the outside from when it was built in 1886, but that’s the idea. It has the same Romanesque Revival architecture, the same charming red brick exterior, and the same row of dormer windows lining the slanted roof.

On the inside, though, Building 19 is every inch a state-of-the-art office building, chock full of modern amenities and bright white lights. It’s come a long way since its days as the dining hall of the Home for Disabled Volunteer Soldiers, a campus built in the 1880s to house Civil War veterans. In 2012, the repurposed building was recognized with a Preservation Honor Award from the National Trust for Historic Preservation.... Read More →

Katherine Flynn

Katherine Flynn is an editorial assistant at Preservation magazine. Her work has appeared online at the Washington Post and in Consequence of Sound, a music and culture blog.