In downtown Salt Lake City, the Frank E. Moss U.S. Courthouse is being transformed into a modern workplace for about a dozen federal agencies. By providing offices for agencies previously housed elsewhere, the adaptive reuse project is expected to realize an annual savings for the federal government of up to $6 million in lease costs.
Built in 1905 as a federal courthouse and post office, the building underwent renovations and expansions in 1912 and 1932. By 2020, the building sat largely vacant. Its unreinforced masonry construction and its proximity to the Wasatch Fault made it the most at-risk building in the U.S. General Services Administration’s entire portfolio, according to a statement from HOK.
The design by HOK and Trivers Associates restores the building’s terrazzo, marbled lobbies and corridors, and wood-paneled courtrooms to their original quality. The project team is working both to preserve the building and to create a “building within a building” that meets the latest federal earthquake risk management standards.
The seismic upgrades include reinforced concrete shear walls and thousands of epoxy dowels added to the existing masonry walls, as well as new foundations and steel collector elements below each floor to tie the original building with two additions.
Costing a reported $116 million, the 250,000-sf project also will provide the latest workplace technology and amenities, including breakout rooms, lounges, and cultural galleries. Wellness features include indoor bicycle parking, showers, and lactation and wellbeing rooms on every floor.
The building, which is targeting LEED Gold certification, will use 50% less energy and 30% less water than a similarly sized building, and it will reduce embodied carbon by 59% compared to a new replacement building. A chilled-beam heating/cooling system will reduce airborne particulates, improve efficiency, and lower carbon emissions.
On the Building Team:
Owner: U.S. General Services Administration
Design architect and architect of record: HOK
Historic architect: Trivers Associates
MEP/FP engineer: HOK, Spectrum Engineers, Henderson Engineers
Structural engineer: HOK, SGH, Dunn Associates
Construction: Big D, Jacobs
Related Stories
Adaptive Reuse | Oct 22, 2024
Adaptive reuse project transforms 1840s-era mill building into rental housing
A recently opened multifamily property in Lawrence, Mass., is an adaptive reuse of an 1840s-era mill building. Stone Mill Lofts is one of the first all-electric mixed-income multifamily properties in Massachusetts. The all-electric building meets ambitious modern energy codes and stringent National Park Service historic preservation guidelines.
MFPRO+ News | Oct 9, 2024
San Francisco unveils guidelines to streamline office-to-residential conversions
The San Francisco Department of Building Inspection announced a series of new building code guidelines clarifying adaptive reuse code provisions and exceptions for converting office-to-residential buildings. Developed in response to the Commercial to Residential Adaptive Reuse program established in July 2023, the guidelines aim to increase the viability of converting underutilized office buildings into housing by reducing regulatory barriers in specific zoning districts downtown.
Adaptive Reuse | Sep 12, 2024
White paper on office-to-residential conversions released by IAPMO
IAPMO has published a new white paper titled “Adaptive Reuse: Converting Offices to Multi-Residential Family,” a comprehensive analysis of addressing housing shortages through the conversion of office spaces into residential units.
Adaptive Reuse | Aug 29, 2024
More than 1.2 billion sf of office space have strong potential for residential conversion
More than 1.2 billion sf of U.S. office space—14.8% of the nation’s total—have strong potential for conversion to residential use, according to real estate software and services firm Yardi. Yardi’s new Conversion Feasibility Index scores office buildings on their suitability for multifamily conversion.
Adaptive Reuse | Aug 28, 2024
Cities in Washington State will offer tax breaks for office-to-residential conversions
A law passed earlier this year by the Washington State Legislature allows developers to defer sales and use taxes if they convert existing structures, including office buildings, into affordable housing.
Adaptive Reuse | Aug 22, 2024
6 key fire and life safety considerations for office-to-residential conversions
Office-to-residential conversions may be fraught with fire and life safety challenges, from egress requirements to fire protection system gaps. Here are six important considerations to consider.
Reconstruction & Renovation | Aug 19, 2024
Movement to protect historic buildings raises sharp criticism
While the movement to preserve historic buildings has widespread support, it also has some sharp critics with well-funded opposition groups springing up in recent years. Some opponents are linked to the Stand Together Foundation, founded and bankrolled by the Koch family’s conservative philanthropic organization, according to a column in Governing magazine.
Adaptive Reuse | Aug 14, 2024
Adaptive reuse revives a former warehouse in St. Louis
The Victor, as the building is now called, has nearly 400 residential apartments.
Adaptive Reuse | Aug 14, 2024
KPF unveils design for repositioning of Norman Foster’s 8 Canada Square tower in London
8 Canada Square, a Norman Foster-designed office building that’s currently the global headquarters of HSBC Holdings, will have large sections of its façade removed to create landscaped terraces. The project, designed by KPF, will be the world’s largest transformation of an office tower into a sustainable mixed-use building.
Modular Building | Aug 13, 2024
Strategies for attainable housing design with modular construction
Urban, market-rate housing that lower-income workers can actually afford is one of our country’s biggest needs. For multifamily designers, this challenge presents several opportunities for creating housing that workers can afford on their salaries.
