Adaptive Reuse

The Historic Tax Credit Takes Center Stage at the Timmy Awards

Posted on: December 19th, 2012 by National Trust for Historic Preservation 1 Comment

 

Written by Erica Stewart, Public Affairs Manager

Old Naval Hospital, Washington, DC. Credit: MacRostie Historic Advisors
Old Naval Hospital, Washington, DC.

Each year the National Housing & Rehabilitation Association (NH&RA) celebrates exceptional preservation real estate projects with its J. Timothy Anderson Awards for Excellence in Historic Rehabilitation (or, more casually, the Timmy Awards). Awards are based on overall design and quality; interpretation and respect of historic elements; innovative approach to construction and use of building materials; impact on the community; sustainability; and financial and market success of the project.

This year’s winners take the practice of historic rehabilitation and community revitalization to new heights, featuring exemplary work to restore the past while breathing new life into communities. From a 1920s apartment hotel in Kansas City renovated for affordable senior housing, to unique residential units in a mid-century Quonset hut in a small Virginia town, these projects are sure to motivate and inspire preservationists nationwide.... Read More →

National Trust for Historic Preservation

National Trust for Historic Preservation

The National Trust for Historic Preservation, a privately funded non-profit organization, works to save America's historic places.

Viva La Concha: Mod Motel Recast as Las Vegas’ Neon Museum

Posted on: December 14th, 2012 by Gwendolyn Purdom 1 Comment

 

Original La Concha Motel postcard. Date and photographer unknown.
Original La Concha Motel postcard. Date and photographer unknown.

They say what happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas, but when it has come to keeping the city’s glittering architectural history in place in recent decades, that adage has often been overlooked. So the October opening of the 1961 La Concha Motel’s dramatic lobby as part of the city’s Neon Museum after years of preservation efforts is an especially remarkable triumph.... Read More →

Gwendolyn Purdom

Gwendolyn Purdom

Gwendolyn Purdom is an associate editor at Preservation magazine. A Chicago native, Gwendolyn is passionate about the people and stories behind historic places – the quirkier the better.

Open for Business Again at Pittsburgh’s Market Square Place

Posted on: December 12th, 2012 by Julia Rocchi 9 Comments

 

Several years ago, Market Square Place was just a series of historic buildings on three different streets with different styles and heights, all suffering from decades of neglect. Some saw this as a case for demolition, but the City of Pittsburgh saw an opportunity to promote green urban living.

A public-private partnership brought the historic buildings together into a single mixed-use complex that now boasts residences, retail storefronts, and a YMCA, all with facades that have been restored to their original 1930s appearance. This successful reinvention as a fresh, eco-friendly community earned Market Square Place an Honor Award at the 2012 Richard H. Driehaus National Preservation Awards -- and the approval of the surrounding neighborhood.... Read More →

Julia Rocchi

Julia Rocchi

Julia Rocchi is the managing editor for the National Trust. By day she wrangles content; by night (and weekends), she shops local, travels to story-rich places, and walks around looking up at buildings.

An Eyesore No More: The Resurrection of LA’s Boyle Hotel

Posted on: December 10th, 2012 by Lauren Walser 2 Comments

 


This historic photo from California State Library shows the historic Boyle Hotel in Los Angeles in 1895.

Looking at it just a few years ago, you might have had a hard time believing that the Boyle Hotel in Boyle Heights, a community located just east of downtown Los Angeles, was once the grandest structure in the neighborhood.

When it was built in 1889, the four-story, Italianate-style hotel signaled the city’s growth. The farmland once surrounding the city center was being transformed into new suburban neighborhoods, like Boyle Heights, and the red brick and elegant turret made the new building a popular gathering place for the community.

Over time, it became home to mariachis, who congregated across the street at Mariachi Plaza, playing music and waiting for work.

But by the time the nonprofit East Los Angeles Community Corporation (ELACC) purchased the building in 2006, much of the building’s original splendor had been lost.... Read More →

Lauren Walser

Lauren Walser

Lauren Walser is an assistant editor at Preservation magazine. She enjoys writing and thinking about history, art, architecture, and public space.

Preservation Round-Up: Shipping Container Edition

Posted on: November 2nd, 2012 by Emily Potter

 


A group of offices and homes constructed out of shipping containers.

3 Innovative Shipping Container Homes -- Sustainable Cities Collective

“Some admirable work is taking place in converting shipping containers into attractive residential units. Here are three great examples I first saw on gigmag.”... Read More →

Emily Potter

Emily Potter is a copywriter at the National Trust. She enjoys writing about places of all kinds, the stories that make them special, and the people who love them enough to save them.