Adaptive Reuse for Multifamily Housing: Volume 4 ... - InformeDesign

Implications
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Case Study 2: Capitalizing Adaptive Reuse
The Lowry building transformation stands out as an
example of capitalizing on the existing context by
recognizing subtle opportunities in an existing situation.
Originally the Lowry Medical Arts Building,
the Lowry building lost its original vitality with the
dispersion of medical offices into the suburbs. Subsequent
attempts to fill the building with medical or
other office tenants were not successful.
What had been missing was a critical, open-minded
reassessment of the building’s assets. The structure
was adjacent to the most significant parks and cultural
resources in the city, but because it had always
been an office it wasn’t perceived to have a viable future.
The development team understood
that a large part of the
adaptation was connecting the
potential interior life of the Lowry
to the existing, vibrant life
outside. Unit interiors were kept
relatively restrained, focusing
on found qualities—rescuing
the long-covered terrazzo floors,
removing walls that obstructed
An interior of the Lowry.
the spectacular views. Units are
predominately one bedroom, with open kitchens and
storage lofts over bathrooms.
Conclusion
There is a kind of romanticism, a gentle sort of iconoclasm,
in adapting buildings for residential use.
These revitalized buildings are sought after not only
for their amenities and features, but because to live
in one is a statement of one’s interests and values
that endure beyond current trends. Adaptive reuse
is fundamentally sustainable development and offers
a tremendous opportunity to enrich the present by
engaging the past.
The Lowry building, once the Lowry Medical Arts Building.
References and Sources
Older professional references can be of great assistance
when assessing likely construction conditions.
These include Architectural Graphic Standards.
The 5th Edition is a particularly useful version as
it is a snapshot of a transition time between historic
and modern construction technologies.
—Ramsey, C. (1956). Architectural graphic standards
for architects, engineers, decorators, builders,
draftsmen, and students. New York: Wiley.
How Buildings Learn is a good general introduction
to the circuitous paths the lives of buildings can take,
and the implications and possibilities of reuse.
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