Businesses, developers, and civic leaders are repurposing existing structures to celebrate history, attract tenants, and serve as a catalyst for future development.
In Flint, Mich., an 1895 brick structure considered the birthplace of the global auto industry has been reimagined as a community resource and showcase of the legacy of General Motors. Located on the city’s riverfront, the former carriage-assembly building now houses offices, event space, a heritage center, and a research library with archives from Kettering University (formerly General Motors Institute).
SmithGroupJJR oversaw the restoration to help GM preserve its heritage with the city and spur economic development. “Across the country, we’re seeing that the historic preservation and restoration of a single building can reenergize an entire urban district,” says Lise Newman, AIA, SmithGroupJJR’s Director of the Workplace Practice.
In Atlanta’s Buckhead neighborhood, the former headquarters of lease-to-own retailer Aarons is being turned into the 309 East Paces Ferry office/retail complex. Former Aaron’s CEO Robin Loudermilk partnered with developers Knox Properties and the Redan Group to redevelop the 11-story tower.
ALSO SEE: BD+C Giants 300 reconstruction giants
Top 160 reconstruction architecture firms
Top 105 reconstruction engineering firms
Top 115 reconstruction construction firms
Balfour Beatty collaborated with architect Lyman Davidson Dooley to implement Lean construction and offsite fabrication of the building’s exterior wall panels. “In a span of 25 working days, we clad the whole exterior, using a third of the workforce required by traditional construction,” says Mike Macon, VP and Business Unit Leader at Balfour Beatty.
Shuttered retail spaces are also ripe for redevelopment. A former Borders bookstore in Omaha, Neb., was transformed into Do Space, a digital library and community education center. HDR worked with civic leaders to explore the library-of-the-future concept. “It’s a community information hub, providing technology access to everyone for free,” says HDR Design Principal David Lempke, AIA.
SEE ALL 2017 GIANTS 300 RANKINGS
Related Stories
Giants 400 | Aug 16, 2019
2019 Healthcare Giants Report: The ‘smart hospital’ is on the horizon
These buildings perform functions like a medical practitioner. This and more healthcare sector trends from Building Design+Construction's 2019 Giants 300 Report.
Giants 400 | Aug 15, 2019
3 ‘Giant’ AEC market trends for 2019-2020
We’re starting to see a shift toward custom research, thanks in part to the influx of data, data tools, and analytics expertise in the AEC market.
Giants 400 | Aug 15, 2019
Top 100 Multifamily Sector Construction Firms for 2019
Lendlease, AECOM, Suffolk, Clark Group, and Gilbane top the rankings of the nation's largest multifamily sector contractors and construction management firms, as reported in Building Design+Construction's 2019 Giants 300 Report.
Giants 400 | Aug 15, 2019
Top 80 Multifamily Sector Engineering Firms for 2019
Kimley-Horn, WSP, Thornton Tomasetti, Jordan & Skala, and DeSimone Consulting Engineers head the rankings of the nation's largest multifamily sector engineering and engineering architecture (EA) firms, as reported in Building Design+Construction's 2019 Giants 300 Report.
Giants 400 | Aug 15, 2019
Top 140 Multifamily Sector Architecture Firms for 2019
Humphreys & Partners, KTGY, SCB, CallisonRTKL, and Perkins Eastman top the rankings of the nation's largest multifamily sector architecture and architecture engineering (AE) firms, as reported in Building Design+Construction's 2019 Giants 300 Report.
Giants 400 | Aug 15, 2019
2019 Multifamily Giants Report: Apartment construction keeps moving along, but affordable housing lags behind
The latest trends and innovations in the $66 billion multifamily construction sector, as reported in Building Design+Construction's 2019 Giants 300 Report.
Giants 400 | Aug 13, 2019
Top 40 Science and Technology Sector Construction Firms for 2019
Skanska, DPR, McCarthy, Whiting-Turner, and Turner top the rankings of the nation's largest science and technology (S+T) sector contractors and construction managers, as reported in Building Design+Construction's 2019 Giants 300 Report.
Giants 400 | Aug 13, 2019
Top 55 Science and Technology Sector Engineering Firms for 2019
Affiliated Engineers, Jacobs, WSP, RMF, and CRB head the rankings of the nation's largest science and technology (S+T) sector engineering and engineering architecture (EA) firms, as reported in Building Design+Construction's 2019 Giants 300 Report.
Giants 400 | Aug 13, 2019
Top 65 Science and Technology Sector Architecture Firms for 2019
HDR, Interior Architects, Perkins+Will, SmithGroup, and HOK top the rankings of the nation's largest science and technology (S+T) sector architecture and architecture engineering (AE) firms, as reported in Building Design+Construction's 2019 Giants 300 Report.
Giants 400 | Aug 13, 2019
2019 Science + Technology Giants Report: Operational flexibility is a must for S+T buildings
The science and technology (S+T) sector is arguably the industry’s most complex because it caters to a diverse clientele with specific priorities and imperatives, according to Building Design+Construction's 2019 Giants 300 Report.
