Adaptive South, Beyond Loft Apartments in the Post Industrial South

ADAPTIVE SOUTH BEYOND LOFT APARTMENTS IN THE POST INDUSTRIAL SOUTH

NATHAN FITZSIMMONS 1

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ADAPTIVE SOUTH BEYOND LOFT APARTMENTS IN THE POST INDUSTRIAL SOUTHEAST

NATHAN FITZSIMMONS NRF7Z@VIRGINIA.EDU

UNIVERISTY OF VIRGINIA SCHOOL OF ARCHITECTURE

ARCH 7100: DESIGN RESEARCH PROF- MATTHEW JULL TA- MATTHEW SLAATS

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CONTENTS

PREFACE

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CHAPTER I: BACKGROUND

14-21

WHAT IS ADAPTIVE REUSE? INDUSTRIAL SOUTHEAST THE OBSOLESCENCE CHAPTER II: STRATEGIES

22-29

HISTORICAL PRESERVATION RENOVATION INFRASTRUCTURE CHAPTER III: SITES + STUDIES

30-37

WOODSIDE MILL MAIDSTONE MUSEUM EAST WING CONTENTS

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FRAC HOUSE CHAPTER IV: PROPOSAL + DESIGN

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A NEW PROGRAM FOR COMMUNITY CENTER WHAT DOES THE SURROUNDING AREA GAIN? THREE DESIGN PROPOSALS CHAPTER V: MOVING FORWARD

54-59

BEYOND LOFT APARTMENTS ADAPTIVE REUSE IN STUDIO

CONTENTS

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Process of Adaptive Reuse

PROCESS

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PROCESS

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PROCESS

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PROCESS

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Preface

“We are really interested in this process of transformation, addition, expansion, superposition, because for us this is an opportunity of doing more with what we have.”

“We should never demolish, never demolish, because always we have to consider what is already there: this memory, this life that people spend in there even in difficult conditions.”

Anne Lacaton and Jean-Philippe Vassal

To begin my research, it is important to look at a quote from recent Pritzker Prize Recipients Anne Lacation and Jean-Philippe Vassal for their work in adaptive reuse. I believe this quote is humbling because we must think about how in architecture our lives are interwoven with the people, ideas, and structures before us. In my research I want to look at the communal benefits of adaptive reuse in the post-industrial south. The key question to my research is, how can communities and the surrounding environment be enriched by the adaptive reuse of obsolete industrial structures that were once at the center of the community? To answer this question, I will understand the background of the southeast industrial landscape and how the obsolescence began, study strategies that define the adaptive reuse typology, identify past projects or studios that have successful adaptive reuse traits, propose a design project that works to improve a small town with the renovation of a central industrial building, and finally move beyond the research and show how studios can enable students to design with adaptive reuse in mind.

PREFACE

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I am interested in this study because of my upbringing in the southeast and the understanding of the potential of adaptive reuse on obsolete buildings. I believe this topic is important because of the historical resiliency of industrial buildings in small mill towns and growing cities along the Appalachia region and the potential sustainable impact that this typology of design can create. My initial studies began with looking at adaptive reuse, and how the typology is used around the world. I believe that it can be used to enrich and empower small towns and cities to appreciate the historical value of the abandoned industrial artifact. As well as reflect potential solutions that adaptive reuse can have on modern day urbanization issues.

Since I was raised in the suburbs of Greenville, South Carolina I have grown accustomed to the sight of abandoned and maybe condemned industrial mills and factories. In school we heard stories of the large spaces inside the brick covered facades that were haunted and that was why the large fences surround the sites. These out of scale, PREFACE

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for the area, factories are located at the center of towns or past communities that made up the town and now are bordered by lower income housing due to the out of date construction of the mill villages. Most towns or even cities, in Greenville’s case, have relocated their main streets or town squares to a different site where the presence does not obstruct new developments. Therefore, overtime the once center of town has become obsolete and many of these towns and small cities have yet to embrace their cultural and economic past. Instead, the large and historical structures remain condemned holding the past and its resilience inside.

Many developers and cities look to be “progressive” with the re-imagining of these sites. Largely the approach is to sell to the highest bidder and tear down to provide something new to the community. Other offers propose adaptive reuse, as loft apartments, an idea that is hip and revolutionary, bringing in a younger and more gentrified population to a community that has historical placement to the surrounding villages.

This form of adaptive reuse is an almost cookie cutter blueprint for local developers and architects. The ideas and concepts are perceived as sustainable yet do not yield a sustainable community around it.

Ultimately, I want to relate the research back to my hometown and to areas that have frozen in time because of the obsolete nature of the industrial past. Problems like low-income housing, cultural vandalism, urban sprawl, and gentrification, are all issues that we as designers must create solutions to today to benefit the future. I believe that adaptive reuse can be used beyond the popular model of high-end loft apartments to impact the way our local communities express themselves and the past culture that is represented in the fading light of obsolescence. We as designers and students must recognize the impact that reusing has for a sustainable future and global culture. This mindset does not start in the workforce but in our classes and studios we attend in university. To develop the typology there needs to be more background and research into the problems, solutions, and potential of adaptive reuse. It is clear today that there needs to be a new practice and awareness for the memories of past conditions.

PREFACE

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PREFACE

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Chapter I.

Background

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What is Adaptive Reuse?

Adaptive reuse is a large topic that can cover many typologies of architecture and urbanization. It is important in this research to focus on the typology of industrial buildings but also investigate the strategies of adaptive reuse and the potential design conflicts that have been previously solved. In Hugo Chan’s “Alternative Realities,” he interrogates how different policies and approaches retain, restore, and adaptively reuse buildings. The research provides a catalogue of adaptive reuse projects as well as the policies and techniques behind the architectural design. In my own research, i will identify the obsolescence of industry in the south and the need for an adaptive reuse intervention to improve the resiliency of small cities and towns.

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Industrial Southeast

The focus of industrialization in the southeast is along waterfronts and railways all over the Appalachian region and toward the coast. In South Carolina, for example, the textile industry dominated the economy due to its locality toward the cotton crop and access to railways to spread the product. Most of these textile mills in the Greenville and surrounding area were built in the early 1900’s and were soon followed by a community of workers who moved into the mill villages. The owners of the textile mills commissioned the mill villages to house the workers and families in the area, this also resulted in a community that produced its own shops and town. Each was a tribe unto itself complete with housing, stores, currency, sports leagues, and churches.

At the peak of this period in southern history, the mills employed nearly one out of every four people living in the southern country. It is revolutionary how this lifestyle of community and tribal connection thrived to create towns and even cities from their early city plans and layouts. Today, much of this history is shown from museums to murals informing the current residents about the past lifestyle in the south. Yet, there is a disconnect from the history and knowledge to the sites that were once the center of the communities. The place of work was a gathering place, where knowledge and life were shared within the workers. At some moments there were even political movements in the mills to improve working conditions or wages. The mills held a lifestyle of community but also struggle that should not be left abandoned or demolished.

BACKGROUND

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BACKGROUND

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BACKGROUND

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BACKGROUND

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The Obsolescence

By the early 1960’s, the southern textile industry was outmatched by the growing competition overseas with much cheaper labor and material costs.

As a result, mills and factories began to close their doors and many of the families that occupied the mill villages began to vacate the towns for larger cities with more work opportunities. This began a dramatic transformation of the mills and surrounding villages. Yet, some of the residents stayed and found work within the area so their families could stay rooted in the community they had grown in.

What is now left are large properties that sit in the middle of residential communities with little integration with the community. Previous owners, spanning a sometimes unknown amount of time, have left the structures and properties obsolete. The buildings once holding a center piece for the area become eye sores and closed to the public. Furthermore, the land itself can sometimes become a burden to work with as time moves on from the unregulated material use of local textile mills. Many mills were known to discard and pollute the surrounding area without knowledge of what that would eventually lead to. This resulted in the creation of brown fields and in some cases polluted waterways that sit adjacent to the mills.

Over time many of the children of the resident mill workers moved out of the area and as the older workers died the mill villages houses deteriorated.

Over time the mill villages became economically and ethnically diverse, and included communities that did not relate to the past or the area around it.

The history of the villages began to lose its meaning and the communities developed their own identity beyond the mill village.

BACKGROUND

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BACKGROUND

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Chapter II.

Strategies

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BUILDING LIFE CYCLE

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Historic Preservation

The notions of historic preservation and reuse do not pair together well for some architects and scholars. In adaptive reuse, some architects believe that historical buildings should stand identically to the way they were before. I believe this to be a good in theory but the building dies away with the stale nature of a preserved artifact. Furthermore, adaptive reuse has the ability to modernize or adapt the use and maybe appeal of an urban artifact that has the historical connection to the area around it.

Historical preservation is the basis for adaptive reuse, whether the building is industrial from the 1960’s or religious from the 1800’s adaptive reuse can take what is historically developed and modernize the appeal or use of the structure. Allowing an old obsolete building to have new life breathed into it brings new users or purpose to a structure and shines new light on the history and memories of the site. For example, the Leszcynski Antoniny Manor Intervention is a reprogram of the former farm buildings in Poland to a healthcare center for the elderly. The building reuses the historical setting and materials while livening the interior and roof to add the necessary program.

STRATEGIES

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STRATEGIES

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Renovation

One of the key issues facing the architecture and built environment is the carbon burden that already exists. The challenge is how to reduce our carbon footprint and achieve zero net, which means that new buildings need to be much more energy-efficient. Even with the process of building new we are above zero net. Therefore, we must consider addressing the carbon footprint of existing buildings and designing from what we are already given.

Renovation provides us with the opportunity to reuse what we are given with the chance to reconsider the purpose or aesthetics of a building.

Renovation is a cost efficient process that does not need to recreate the shelter of a building. Most of the work is done on the interior and is additions to the project.

STRATEGIES

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STRATEGIES

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Infrastructure

Infrastructure is the backbone to design and planning. With infrastructure already in place, we are given constraints to design with and a healthy historical resiliency to the project. Projects that can combine the old and new in a visible aesthetic can create a dialogue for users to notice the historical past of a site and create curiosity for many to explore. The typology of infrastructure can be in many forms. From building around the preexisting structure, to building within the shelter of the exterior of a building. A developed historical site does not need an extended site plan because of the resilient context. With infrastructure a foundation is set for the new program and the community is accustomed to the site.

STRATEGIES

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STRATEGIES

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Chapter III.

Sites + Studies

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Woodside Mill

Greenville, SC

One of the key issues facing the developing Greenville city is the lack of attention to the underdeveloped and abandoned neighborhoods. These neighborhoods mostly consisted of the older mill villages and surrounding land that was developed during that time. With the lack of care and attention the property values dropped as the local residents moved out, therefore, minorities and poorer residents began moving in and developing their own communities. Similar to the mill villages before.

Now, as the city begins to push its boundaries outward and urban sprawl becomes more of an issue. The gentrification of these mill villages is developing to the point that the now locals are moving further from the city due to the rent and land prices rising. A major concern for adaptive reuse, is the fact that renovated loft apartments are a key cause for the rise in gentrification of the outer communities of the city. As i drive through the city, it is clear what the cause and effect of gentrification is based on the typologies of buildings and construction in these areas. After a new apartment complex is developed there is a rise in bars, overpriced restaurants, gyms, and activities that charge for entry. These programs are worrying because they do not cater to the local community and if not immediately, will soon drive the locals out.

SITES + STUDIES

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SITES + STUDIES

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Maidstone Museum East Wing Hugh Broughton Architects

Maidstone, Kent

Hugh Broughton Architects describe this project as, “demonstrating our ability to create imaginative, sensitive, and environmentally responsible architecture within a historic setting.” The east wing is an addition and renovation of the 1561 Museum Manor house. The original building has undergone multiple expansions which help create an eclectic arrangement of spaces and layers. In the newest edition, the east wing stitches together the older buildings with the new and detail oriented intervention. This project is an example that the adaptive reuse typology does not need to be reminiscent of the past if the addition can be cohesive and reflective of what was there before. It draws on the context of the historical building to endure time and join the preexisting structures that came before.

SITES + STUDIES

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SITES + STUDIES

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FRAC Houses Lacaton & Vassal

Dunkerque, FR

On the site of Dunkerque port in an old boat warehouse, architects Lacaton & Vassal designed a translucent addition to the singular large open floor warehouse. The buildings house a collection of art that is exhibited on the ground floor of the original structure and the above floors of the addition.

The internal volume of the original structure is grand with large windows to bring light into the space. In the duplicate hall, the structure is juxtaposed to mirror the form but not complete with the original. Inside there are more platforms that provide gallery space and fit a flexible program within the independent structure.

SITES + STUDIES

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SITES + STUDIES

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Chapter IV.

Proposal + Design

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What is adaptive reuse beyond loft apartments?

How does adaptive reuse improve and enable a resilient community?

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Glenwood Cotton Mill Community Center

Easley, South Carolina is a small town developed from its history around the Glenwood Cotton Mill. As the city grew it shifted city development from the mill to the main street along the railroad which runs through the center of town. Even after the shift there remains a physical connection between the main street of Easley and Glenwood mill.

The proposed adaptive reuse of the cotton mill is a community center that would bring the history community of Easley to the small town.

Within the community center, the program would be developed around a market in the center that would bring together Easley’s agriculture and craftsmanship that the small town takes pride in. Furthermore, this would be an opportunity to relocate a library to make the mill a central complex for the town similar to what it was in 1901.

PROPOSAL + DESIGN

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PROPOSAL + DESIGN

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PROPOSAL + DESIGN

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PROPOSAL + DESIGN

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Potential Layout

PROPOSAL + DESIGN

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PROPOSAL + DESIGN

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Woodside Mill Affordable Housing

Due to the rise in gentrification and urban sprawl, there is a lack of affordable housing in and around the city of Greenville. This is a problem that is overlooked by the current developers and politicians, but will soon be a problem that can not be ignored. Greenville is a small but growing city and with the rise in people moving from large to small urban cities, the homeless crisis will be at Greenville’s limits very soon.

Adaptive reuse could provide the opportunity to develop a new affordable housing complex that could cater to many families that are looking to stay in a community and within walking distance of the city. The woodside mill has a strong infrastructure that would need little to no structural improvements, which would reduce the cost to developers. The complex would be able to support around 400 living spaces in a variety of sizes for families and single apartments. An advantage of the history of the mills is that adaptive reuse can include all the amenities of the mill village like schools and shops. So that the affordable housing scheme is a self sustaining community similar to the old village.

In this project, adaptive reuse is designed beyond the materials and forms of the building. The woodside mill would be reusing the sustainable social structure of the old mill villages that once created the city of Greenville.

PROPOSAL + DESIGN

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PROPOSAL + DESIGN

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PROPOSAL + DESIGN

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PROPOSAL + DESIGN

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Pendleton Oil Mill Gallery

The oil mill is an abandoned structure that is unlike the larger mills in the area.

Stationed adjacent to the railway, the mill was a refinery and warehouse for the oil needed by the local industry and machinery. Structurally the mill is condemned to be demolished for an empty site and a new development.

While this is not ideal because the character of the building and history is what are attractive design traits for adaptive reuse. The form of the building can be a reference for the new structure and design to acknowledge in an art gallery to represent the local artisans in the Upstate. In the original structure, we can see the diverse use of materials which were added over time based on need and new construction. The materials used in the building can be an inspiration and reused for the new facade and materials, to reference the past.

PROPOSAL + DESIGN

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PROPOSAL + DESIGN

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PROPOSAL + DESIGN

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PROPOSAL + DESIGN

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Chapter V.

Moving Forward

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Beyond Loft Apartments, What is Next in Adaptive Reuse?

The struggle for adaptive reuse is the social dilemma of moving past the cash cow that is loft apartments. For developers, renovating mills and factories into loft apartments is a profitable and low risk program that is popular in many growing southern cities. As a result, there is a high gentrification rate on the outskirts of these cities and the displacement of strong communities is breaking the social structure.

So where does adaptive reuse go from here? What can architects and communities do to encourage the development of a more diverse adaptive reuse typology?

The shift in ideology needs to start with the consideration for the community.

A convincing argument could be the adaptive reuse of the program and purpose of the past to influence the future program. The urban resiliency of the past history has the power to carry a new face of the building over time so that we design buildings that are long lasting. These community programs can help integrate the new building into the community with adaptive reuse.

MOVING FORWARD

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MOVING FORWARD

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Adaptive Reuse in Studio

While it may seem progressive to demolish in order to build from a blank slate, adaptive reuse is a progressive typology of architecture in its own right. The narrow vision of architecture as the creation of new space or revolutionary space is encouraging the unsustainable habits that many technologies and research is attempting to solve.

This is why academia needs to embrace the typology of adaptive reuse into the curriculum so that we as young architects have the tools to embrace this type of design and construction. In studio, we start designing and site planning with the desire to be connected with the community around the site and have a cultural resilience that will help us create form and a proper function for the building. However, we never consider the option of design with the current man-made conditions. We work with site topography and existing buildings outside of the site but we wipe clean the current site conditions without remorse. Adaptive reuse has the historical resilience, sustainable initiative, and preservation of community that we look for in every design. Studios have the ability to explore what is next for the typology and bridge different worlds of architecture together. These goals are achieved and are needed to push adaptive reuse to be a viable option in more cities. The future of architecture strives to build a bridge between preserving the past and planning for the future.

MOVING FORWARD

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Competition Projects By: (Top) Anastasia Ulyanova

(Bottom) DongYoung Kim & Minjae Seok

MOVING FORWARD

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MOVING FORWARD

September 2021

August 2021

July 2021

June 2021

May 2021

Week 1 Mapping

Site Visits and Inspiration

Research Peer Reviews

Site Visits

Gather Research

Research Connections

Week 3

April 2021

Site Discovery

Week 2

March 2021

Schedule of Research

Finals Design Research Book Due

Week 5

Start of Semester

Week 4

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May 2022

April 2022

Advisor Discussion

Advisor Discussion

Prelimary Research Review

Design Phase

Presentation Prep

Advisor Discussion

Finalize Design Process

Start of Semester

March 2022

February 2022

january 2022

December 2021

November 2021

October 2021

Finals

Final Advisor Discussion

Finals Thesis Presentation

MOVING FORWARD

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Physical Modeling

Advisor Discussion

Advisor Discussion

Advisor Discussion

INDUSTRY

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COMMUNITY

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Bibliography

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