Did you know about the impact historic
preservation can have on a city? Historic buildings, despite their aesthetic
appearance and symbolism, can pose challenges in today’s modern society and
people’s evolving changes. Look at New York decades ago, many of the buildings
were once large factories made for different purposes such as manufacturing. Today,
that is no longer the case, our city’s workforce evolved and those buildings changed
to become more useful for the times they are now in.
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| Old factory buildings in New York |
With the purposes for those buildings are
no longer relevant and functional, this is when adaptive reuse kicks in. The
old structures are adapted for a new use and have new life breathing into it.
Adaptive
Reuse Saves Cities
Jorge Mastropietro, loves designing in
these types of neighborhoods because he appreciates historic districts and
wants to update their buildings to fit today’s modern needs. In his project 526
Manila, he had the opportunity to alter the primary function of the structure
while retaining some of the architectural details that make the building unique.
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| 526 Manila Townhouse |
The original house, an 1880 townhouse, was
a 4-story brick building. JMA’s mission was to create two different 2-bedroom
duplex apartments. JMA adapted the existing space to the new needs of modern
life but kept the charm of the original style in its façade.
The house is situated between five similar
row houses from the same period, which is the reason why the front elevation
has only been restored and is further kept untouched.
Adaptive
Reuse Reduces Energy and Resources
It is beneficial for architects to reuse an
existing structure and shell because it reduces the need to manufacture and
construct the building with new materials. Thereby, reducing the need for
additional natural resources and the energy required to use them.
Depending on the integrity of the building,
it is more affordable and easier to renovate or to add on to existing buildings
rather than to build new. The economic savings may differ from project to
project.
Our 526 Manila
project is a building that has great presence in the community due to its location,
as well as its row style streetscape.
When JMA was working on the 526 Manila renovations,
we made sure the interior also included changes to fit today’s needs. For
instance, the environmental issues today have skyrocketed. Therefore, we used
eco-friendly materials like bamboo floors, high efficiency appliances, and
double pane windows. To provide views, the wall of the east façade (rear) on
the first three levels, were opened and replaced by sliding windows partitions.
In the lower apartment, the living area, kitchen and living room, were
installed in the parlor level in order to get the best views. The
living spaces were opened up to the exterior and the unrestricted views span from
the front to the back of the house.
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| Stairs by the entrance at 526 Manila |
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| Designed by JMA |
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| Interior at 526 Manila |
I think preservation and adaptive reuse
should be a subject that is important to everyone. These historic buildings
have a spirit to them, when they were first built; they represented the people
and how they lived. For an architect to dismiss a building’s story is a shame
because the entire city loses a part of its culture. I love architecture because each building
creates a narrative for our lives and the narrative always has the chance to
change as time moves forward.
Citations
Sarafides,
Athena. “Creating Sustainable Communities. A guide for developers and communities- Building Reuse and Adaptive Reuse”. NJ Gov. New
Jersey Department of Environmental Protection. Web September 2007
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