lake

As the new home to a steel-fabricating design firm, this 1900s masonry structure has been transformed into a light-filled space incorporating both studio and workshop.

The original brick building was transformed from a two-story structure to just one, infilling a portion of the basement and allowing for towering ceiling heights ideal for steel fabrication, however the office function required more space. To resolve, a new volume of comparable proportion and matching, symmetrical, rhythmic fenestration, was sleeved-on to the front of the building. Highlighting where these volumes intersect, the elevated mezzanine includes flexible collaborative space with views of both workshop and studio, while the utility core, tucked below, provides services to each.

Careful attention was given to preserve the integrity of the original façade. Intentionally celebrating the brickwork at the cornice and openings, the new addition slips past and just below the top of the historic masonry structure, veiling the arched window at the moment of overlap. Along the roofline, within the addition, a full-width skylight delicately engages the existing masonry, allowing daylight to wash the previously street-facing elevation with afternoon sun.

In all, the design aims to balance past and present in visual clarity.