While the exterior work was completed some time ago, the owners recently completed the interior work. Here are a few thoughts from everyone in the office after visiting the home:

1. Architects create solutions.  After initially visiting the site a few years ago (see here for the before photo and the story of the project), Aaron and Warren came up with the idea to carve out the center of the house to let light and conversation pass between the two levels.

2. Small additions such as a dormer, a skylight, a light well, and a little insulation can create big changes. These particular additions made a cold, dark uninhabitable space into a hidden gem and cozy bonus room.

3. The project illustrates how it is possible to live both responsibly and comfortably.  The owner utilized a small existing building footprint, created minimal square footage and did not require a large garage. Reducing square footage is the basis of a sustainable house.

4. We enjoyed seeing how the clients put their own touches into the design by using creative finishes and modifying furniture to fit their needs and budget.

5. The existing housing stock of our historic neighborhoods is a key to the vitality and sustainability of our cities.  Capturing even modest spaces in existing houses extends the livability of the home.

Metal fire doors:  These heavy metal clad wood doors were once utilized for fire protection in warehouse buildings.  Installed a century ago on openings throughout the warehouse, they were designed to close during a fire with an ingenious fuseable link that would melt and release the door, slamming it shut over the openings.  Here a fire door creates visual interest in a loft-style penthouse and takes up minimal space.

Photo by Sara Bateman

Another pair of fire doors have found a new life retrofitted on sliding barn door hardware for the creative branding firm Welikesmall on Edison Avenue. The heavy doors glide easily on the track to close off the firm’s think tank.

Photo by Sara Bateman

Photo by Sara Bateman

Sectional door: This 10’ x  21’ wooden stile-and-rail door operated as an overhead door with an out-swinging door built in, most likely for receiving large shipments at the warehouse.  It now suggests a clandestine entry on Edison Ave to the creative work behind.

Photo by Sara Bateman

We’ve been pinning a few images from around the web of salvage materials. Visit our Renewables board on Pinterest to see more reclaimed and upcycled pieces.  Let us know of any favorites you’ve found.

This question was raised during a recent discussion with some local planning and design minds in relation to defining the vision for the Utah Center for Architecture. The architects, planners, landscape architects, urbanists, educators and community leaders that make up the board of the UCFA defined their mission as “a catalyst for creating better places by increasing knowledge of how the built environment shapes our lives, communities and culture.”

One of the bright lights in this group is Dr. Nan Ellin, Professor and Chair of the Department of City and Metropolitan Planning at the University of Utah. Nan is a fairly recent transplant to the Wasatch Front, and has a mile-long biography of scholarly writing on urbanism.

In her book, Integral Urbanism, Nan outlines a model of urban life as an antidote to the problems of poor planning: sprawl, impoverishment of public space and heightened sense of fear as well as a diminished sense of place and sense of community. Nan proposes, “Rather than neglect, abandon, or erase our urban heritage, Integral Urbanism preserves buildings, neighborhoods, and natural landscapes that we value; rehabilitates, reclaims, restores, or renovates what is underperforming and adds what we do not have yet but would like, as informed by effective community involvement.”

Being a part of this discussion of urbanism in Utah was to me a re-awakening of how a small practice architect does contribute to and participate in creating good urban life. The move for Jennie and me from Seattle back to Utah a dozen years ago was grounded in fairly practical concerns: housing affordability, public school choice, quality of life and access to the mountains. But the underlying question of understanding what Urbanism means in the Great Basin in general and Salt Lake City in particular has taken longer to define.

The architectural projects of Lloyd Architects in the last decade have centered on individual buildings, many of which are infill projects in Salt Lake’s urban core and historic neighborhoods. This lens to look beyond the building envelope and critically at the larger context has come about, for example, through engaging in the issues facing the Yalecrest neighborhood where we live, after having moved into a house around the corner from what has become known as the “garage-mahal.”  Work by the Yalecrest Compatible Infill committee in 2001-2003 led to the adoption of Salt Lake City’s zoning ordinance  that now has been extended to encompass a large percentage of the residential neighborhoods of this city. The question “Is Yalecrest a historic neighborhood” in many ways defined my six years on Salt Lake City’s Historic Landmark Commission and continues to be at the heart of nearly all discussions of the role of preservation in our urban life in Utah. In coming posts I’d like to look at how even small projects of existing buildings in our urban neighborhoods tell a story that contribute to “good urbanism.”

Here are a few buildings or shells of former buildings that tell a story in two- or three acts.  This first building served as an auto repair facility nearly a century ago.

Recently renovated, it is now home to welikesmall, an interactive design consultancy here in Salt Lake City.

This building in the Central City historic district was originally home to a young family in the 1920s.  A few owners later, the home had fallen into neglect by the late 20th century.

After several months of rehab work, the building now houses our offices.

Setting

Clients: A married professional couple, Adam & Lee, who lived in the house for several years prior to starting their remodeling project.

Background: Because of the home’s location within a local historic district and a previous owner’s detailed listing of modifications over the years, Adam and Lee were able to find out many details about their property.  The home is considered a contributing structure within the neighborhood, and is typical of a pattern book design from the late 1800s with its simple front porch and clipped gables. John Cahoon, one of the first pioneers to arrive in the Salt Lake Valley, was the first owner of this home in 1891.  When Adam and Lee bought the home, they discovered in a drawer a handwritten list of dates and modifications undertaken over the past century. The advent of the automobile led to the addition of a one-car garage in 1916;  a coal furnace was installed in the early 1940s and the notes indicate that the attic bedrooms were added “after fire” in the late 1940s.  While obviously not wanting to restore the home to its original condition, they did want to restore the home to its original simplicity and beauty, making it compatible with the streetscape and pattern of the historic neighborhood.

1977 / Utah State Historical Society Preservation Research Office

Challenges: Multiple additions and modifications had altered the original home. Aluminum siding was added in the 1950s along with other non-conforming elements. The home was poorly insulated and had an upper floor area that was uninviting and largely unusable in warm summer months.  Its location within Salt Lake City’s Avenues Historic District required compliance with design guidelines and Historic Landmark Commission approval. A non-conforming side setback also necessitated a separate zoning approval process.

Possibilities & Solutions:  Due to the underlying historic integrity of the  home and the significance of the original owner, the renovation qualified for the Utah Historic Preservation Tax Credit as well as the Utah Heritage Foundation Revolving Fund Loan Program.  A number of measures were taken to restore the character of the original home.

All of the aluminum siding was stripped from the home, revealing original brick construction on parts of the exterior. Previous additions to the house had not been done in brick, so these areas were finished  in wood siding and fiber cement siding. The front porch ironwork was replaced with wood.

The single pane windows from the 1940s on the street face were kept and re-glazed as needed, with the aluminum storm windows removed and replaced with hanging wood sashes for interchangeable screens and glass.  Windows off the street face were replaced with Low-E true divided light wood-clad windows.

A non-historic aluminum awning was replaced with a more historically compatible covered roof.

Over the rear of the house skylights were added to bring light and ventilation to the stairwell and upper floor of the house. Passive ventilation and daylighting were the keys to improving energy efficiency and sustainability for the home.

There’s a persistent myth that paint colors are regulated in local historic districts. They are not. Adam and Lee selected base and trim colors that expressed the different elements of the house. A warmer white color for the brick that had been previously painted, and a warm red hue for the painted wood siding and eave trim highlight the original detail and help distinguish the original brick structure from the added enclosed porch.

End Notes: Adam notes that “complete strangers come up to us as we are working in the yard to tell us how much they like the house…..We are so very pleased with how it came out in both how dramatic the exterior transformation was and how it looks–it is a house that just feels good to come home to.  It has gone from a forgettable house to, in our opinions, the best looking house on the block.”

After photos: Sara Bateman Photography

As we’re gearing up for 2012 and making plans, we can’t help but look back at the past year, reflect, and note a few milestones:

1.  The year 2011 marked a time of working with existing space: every project completed during the past year was either a renovation or addition to an existing building or house. This may be a commentary on the recession and financing crunch of 2009-2010 where existing building projects had more luck finding financing than new construction. Or it may have just been the chance we had to work in some of Salt Lake’s more interesting historic neighborhoods and old buildings.

On Edison Avenue,  one of downtown Salt Lake’s re-emerging mid-block streets, we had fun working on the adaptive reuse of an old warehouse space for the wildly creative Super Top Secret, an interactive ad agency based here in Salt Lake City.  It’s not every office renovation program that includes a skateboard ramp and elevated work lounge…

In December we wrapped up work on the Keyser Building, a warehouse building in the Granary district that is the new home for a dynamic growing business relocating to Salt Lake City, the US Translation Company. The 24,000 s.f. three-story building is both a historic renovation and a sustainable re-use of an existing concrete frame and brick structure.  I noted in an article published last fall on USGBC’s website: “Truly the greenest building is one that has already been built…. This building has a great history and we can return it to its original roots while adding all the amenities of a modern office space without the impact of constructing a whole new structure.” (US Translation blogged a bit about the remodeling process of the historic building here.)

2. Lloyd Architects headed to Seattle for its first ever full office retreat in April. For the Lloyd Architect team, this was more than a chance to see some buildings and catch a Mariners game. Aaron, Justin and Tom each selected a notable building type which we sketched, photographed or analyzed, (and we did spend a chilly evening at Safeco field).We also had a great visit with Bob Hull and David Miller at the office of Miller/Hull, where I worked while attending graduate school at the UW (now over 20 years ago). Their sustained passion for the power of architecture to communicate ideas and seeing the consistency of the tectonic quality of their work were inspiring. I was also reminded by Bob about their practice of more than 30 years of weekly scheduled design reviews within their office. I recommitted to  make that happen at Lloyd Architects.

I also re-connected with my friend and mentor Tom Bosworth, who continues to guide the architecture studio Bosworth Hoedemaker, and remains a steady influence in the design dialog of residential architecture in the Pacific Northwest.

We did have our own design charette for a high bank waterfront patio  with our hosts out at Richmond Beach. Many thanks to Rick & Julie Stevenson!

3. In May we headed to New Orleans and the National AIA Convention, where we reconnected with friends and colleagues of CRAN, the Custom Residential Architects Network, comparing notes on emerging practices of building information modelling (BIM) and design build practices…

and where Jennie & I logged a number of miles walking the city, noting neighborhood patterns and streetscapes of the Garden District. In December we were in Phoenix at Reinvention, Residential Architect Magazine’s annual conference. Visting and discussing design ideas with the best practicing residential architects was an encouraging reminder that the distressed US housing market remains a poignant backdrop for some very interesting design transformations taking place in cities and neighborhoods throughout the West and beyond.

Reviewing the extent and diversity of our experiences and projects as well as looking at what we have “on the boards” are cause enough for me to keep, if not starry eyed optimism, at least a sense of gratitude for the opportunity to be an architect and work with great clients, bright young architects in training, and contribute in some way to the quality of the built environment of the Wasatch Front and beyond.

During the early phases of the project, we attended the national AIA convention in Los Angeles.  Warren and I participated in a tour of warehouse spaces that had been converted to housing andretail use.  (Can I just say how much I love the architectural tours at the AIA conventions? It’s inspiring to see thoughtful architectural solutions in urban neighborhoods.)  About that same time, we also took a trip to Portland  and explored the Pearl District, a beautifully executed urban renewal project in the heart of that city. It’s encouraging to see the revitalization of downtown areas in our major cities and the rediscovery of the original fabric of our earliest neighborhoods.

What’s the story with this building?  At the turn of the 20th century,  businessman Malcom A. Keyser built the Fireproof Store Company in downtown Salt Lake City.  Over several decades, the building housed a variety of businesses, including a recording studio and storage units. Located near the Gateway Shopping District in Salt Lake, the 140,341 square-foot condominium project now houses 55 residential units and two commercial spaces, while retaining the original historic building. The lofts include five existing floors with the addition of a sixth floor and mezzanine with steel and timber framing.

I think it turned out beautifully, if I do say so myself:

The Yale Avenue Ray House, built in 1915 was one of Utah’s earliest examples of Prairie Style homes with its extended hipped eaves, horizontal belt course,  and ganged windows. The influence of Wright is unmistakable. The current owners, Mike & Jenny Pulsipher, gave us the challenge and opportunity to design an addition that would respect the original house while providing needed space for their family. The solution included south-facing covered balconies and a new master bedroom over a new family room space, all oriented toward a contained backyard.

The addition met the requirements for the Utah Historic Preservation Tax Credit as well as the Yalecrest Compatible Infill Overlay zone.

Salt Lake Modern recently hosted a tour and lecture at the Yale Ave house.  It was my first opportunity to personally see how the flow of the house works for parties and larger groups. I loved seeing people enjoying the upper balconies and the backyard. It was the perfect setting to hear Architectural Historian Peter Goss describe so eloquently the setting for Taylor Woolley’s return to the West from his time with Wright, and to see, nearly one hundred years later a bit of a Taliesin-like “house in the landscape” as Woolley may have envisioned from his days in that special place in the Wisconsin countryside.

Here are before & after photos of the back of the house:

Another helpful resource  to those considering a remodel is a publication put out by the Utah Heritage Foundation. Celebrating Compatible Design: Creating New Spaces in Historic Homes features beautiful photos and drawings of homes throughout the Salt Lake City area that have utilized good design to create functional, contemporary homes that are compatible with their surroundings and retain the historic character of the home.  The book explains the hows & whys of good design and looks particularly at compatible additions, dormers, and garages. If you’re considering a remodel in Salt Lake, you will want to get a copy of this book.

I walk down Floral Street (roughly 50 E and 250 S) and look at all the historical remnants  that have the feeling of a back alleyway. Ornate lion heads now blackened and worn look down on me from several stories above. An old water tower watches over the area from the top a building. It makes me feel like I have stepped back to the turn of the 19^th century. New graffiti battles for room with old advertisements painted on the sides of the aged brick exterior walls and I wonder what the future is for such an interesting place.

Salt Lake City is taking great steps toward breathing life back into the downtown area. After WWII many people moved from the city to the suburbs. Many historical buildings were removed to make room for parking areas and newer, bigger buildings. Salt Lake is now making efforts to build housing in the downtown core to energize the city in the evening and nighttime. Streets that were dormant for decades are coming back to life because of these efforts in recent years. Creative new owners on the mid-block streets of Edison and Floral are revitalizing historic buildings and adapting them for new uses.

The Redevelopment Agency is working with private developers to revitalize the area between Floral Avenue and State Street. The renovation will include housing, retail shops, restaurants and even a small theater that historically occupied the site. An inside walkway will lead from State Street to Floral Street, lined with shops and restaurants, and will terminate with a large outdoor plaza on the Floral Street side. This will make it possible to travel from the Gallivan Center to the Broadway Center without having to cross any intersections.

Bringing back these important mid-block streets will help make the city a more walkable and enjoyable place like it was almost a century ago.

On week one of the Clear The Air Challenge we at Lloyd Architects are re-connecting with our bike-friendly streets.  I am glad to have 600 East on my morning and evening commute path.  Perhaps one of the greenest streets in Salt Lake City, the 9-block stretch of 600 East from South Temple to Liberty Park is a great place to see from a bicycle or on foot.

Now 600 East is not the street you would want to be on if you were running late for school in the morning. The signals at 100 to 500 South are better timed for people pushing shopping carts with kids in tow than for cyclists in a hurry.  However, from 900 South at the stately entrance gates to Liberty Park, as you walk or bike northward along this tree-lined boulevard that is the backbone of the Central City Historic District, you experience a rhythm of porches, bay windows, and dormers that you miss from behind the windshield.

With a rich stock of “Victorian eclectic” houses lining its northern and southern edges, the street has one of the few remaining landscaped parkways in the city. The grass medians are a lasting benefit of Utah Light and Traction Company’s construction of a consolidated streetcar system that included a “mammoth car barn [which] had a capacity for 144 double truck cars.”

The mission-style trolley barns now known as Trolley Square have come to define this street as truly the original Transit Oriented Development of our City.

The latest remake of Trolley Square which now includes the noontime organic salad mecca Whole Foods just got a huge boost with the announcement that Sam Weller’s Bookstore will relocate its home to Trolley in the near future.

What streets have you re-discovered away from the windshield?