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
K-12 Schools | May 13, 2024
S.M.A.R.T. campus combines 3 schools on one site
From the start of the design process for Santa Clara Unified School District’s new preK-12 campus, discussions moved beyond brick-and-mortar to focus on envisioning the future of education in Silicon Valley.
Adaptive Reuse | May 9, 2024
Hotels now account for over one-third of adaptive reuse projects
For the first time ever, hotel to apartment conversion projects have overtaken office-to-residential conversions.
MFPRO+ Special Reports | May 6, 2024
Top 10 trends in affordable housing
Among affordable housing developers today, there’s one commonality tying projects together: uncertainty. AEC firms share their latest insights and philosophies on the future of affordable housing in BD+C's 2023 Multifamily Annual Report.
Retail Centers | May 3, 2024
Outside Las Vegas, two unused office buildings will be turned into an open-air retail development
In Henderson, Nev., a city roughly 15 miles southeast of Las Vegas, 100,000 sf of unused office space will be turned into an open-air retail development called The Cliff. The $30 million adaptive reuse development will convert the site’s two office buildings into a destination for retail stores, chef-driven restaurants, and community entertainment.
Adaptive Reuse | Apr 29, 2024
6 characteristics of a successful adaptive reuse conversion
In the continuous battle against housing shortages and the surplus of vacant buildings, developers are turning their attention to the viability of adaptive reuse for their properties.
Mixed-Use | Apr 13, 2024
Former industrial marina gets adaptive reuse treatment
At its core, adaptive reuse is an active reimagining of the built environment in ways that serve the communities who use it. Successful adaptive reuse uncovers the latent potential in a place and uses it to meet people’s present needs.
Mixed-Use | Apr 9, 2024
A surging master-planned community in Utah gets its own entertainment district
Since its construction began two decades ago, Daybreak, the 4,100-acre master-planned community in South Jordan, Utah, has been a catalyst and model for regional growth. The latest addition is a 200-acre mixed-use entertainment district that will serve as a walkable and bikeable neighborhood within the community, anchored by a minor-league baseball park and a cinema/entertainment complex.
Adaptive Reuse | Apr 5, 2024
McHugh Construction completes restoration of Chicago’s historic Ramova Theatre
Adaptive reuse project turns 1929 cinema into a live performance venue, adds a brewery and a taproom, and revives the Ramova Grill in Chicago’s Bridgeport neighborhood.
Adaptive Reuse | Mar 30, 2024
Hotel vs. office: Different challenges in commercial to residential conversions
In the midst of a national housing shortage, developers are examining the viability of commercial to residential conversions as a solution to both problems.
Cultural Facilities | Mar 26, 2024
Renovation restores century-old Brooklyn Paramount Theater to its original use
The renovation of the iconic Brooklyn Paramount Theater restored the building to its original purpose as a movie theater and music performance venue. Long Island University had acquired the venue in the 1960s and repurposed it as the school’s basketball court.
