Story of Change: 738 Bryden

STORY OF CHANGE

738 BRYDEN COLUMBUS, OHIO

time that generic architectural structures are popping up throughout the Midwest, “Inweaunderstand the importance of adapting a 100-year-old, timeless structure. ” SCOTT GEITHER, WSA STUDIO DESIGN SPECIALIST

BRYDEN PRESERVING CULTURE When faced with the challenge to adapt an abandoned girls’ school rooming house in Olde Towne East into a 12 unit apartment building, WSA Studio was able to coordinate players, prioritize community-based goals, and preserve this beautiful, iconic structure that enriches Bryden Road and the overall Olde Towne East community.

After built structures become abandoned, adaptive reuse breathes new life into an old building; it is a solution to some of the modern problems of the built environment. The key to success at 738 Bryden Road was a creative approach indulging the bones of the original structure. Much of what is seen from the outside is a physical replica of the building’s history.

We learn from these examples, and when they are combined, we have a city, a campus, a neighborhood, a district, or even a state. Buildings like 738 Bryden Road, and their inherent historical richness, contribute to society and establish our understanding of place. This is why respecting the heritage of buildings and anticipating their future demands enriches the fabric that is.

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MAP OF OLDE TOWNE EAST

HISTORY OF OLDE TOWNE EAST Historically, the Olde Towne East neighborhood is known for its creative, artsy, and intelligent residents. As one of Columbus’ earliest suburbs, its prominence approached parallel to the evolution from street car to automobile transportation as it is pocketed alongside the National Road. It’s no surprise that many of the city’s most affluent residents called Olde Towne East home.

The rise and arguably the fall of Olde Towne East are similar in nature. As the Interstate Highway System was introduced in the 70s, Interstate 71 was built. Along with more traffic lanes, Interstate 71 physically divided the neighborhood from its center causing an apparent shift in demographic populations. In an honest progression, home ownership lacked, but the presence the neighborhood denotes is still very alive. Bryden Road is at the heart of the neighborhood and the revitalization movement is apparent, framing the neighborhood with an affluence of historic integrity, resilience, and an approachable invitation to new residents.

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HISTORY OF 738 BRYDEN ROAD 738 Bryden Road anchors the western corner of Bryden Road and S. Garfield Avenue in the Olde Towne East neighborhood. The building is a historic landmark and truly serves as a relevant, recent example of the various choices that come with historic preservation projects.

The building was built in the early 1900s as a lodge for the Columbus School for Girls. It was made up of nearly 30 individual lodges for the students and the school’s leaders. The building remained in the same form for the majority of years and in the early 1950s, an addition was built to supply the cafeteria. With a varying degree of guesses, it is believed that the building was vacant from the late 60s until recently. It had been neglected over the years and was deteriorating while it shuffled around from developer to developer in hopes of restoration. None were successful until 2015, when Solihull Development Group acquired the building with the proper vision and a team that was up to the match.

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FIRST FLOOR

SECOND FLOOR

THIRD FLOOR

INTERIOR DILEMMA: DOES IT STAY OR DOES IT GO? To convey the honesty in the relationship between the building’s interior and exterior, the brick walls were repaired and exposed in each of the twelve apartment units. The stairwells were already stunning with 100-year-old wood railings and trim quietly begging for attention. Found underneath all the years of decay was proof that something beautiful comes from dust: a mural by a self-taught folk artist, Grandpa Smoky Brown.

This vivid mural was painted directly on plaster and saved to embrace the various layers of meaning that time had awarded to this landmark.

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CODE AND HISTORIC ADAPTATION OPPORTUNITIES The project harnessed the Ohio Building Code Chapter 34 process, which allows the architect to apply various life safety design solutions in lieu of a strict application of the code. This allowed the design to support modern apartment living strategies while preserving the historic integrity of the building. Budget was able to be allocated for a new slate roof, new wood windows, and a new front porch which matches the original. Special care was taken to design and implement new concealed gutters, which was a unique design feature of the original building.

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738 738 bryden bryden rd. rd. renovation renovation

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BRICK PAINTED BRICK PAINTED MINDFUL GRAY MINDFUL 7016GRAY SW SW 7016

WINDOWS PAINTED WINDOWS DOVETAIL PAINTED DOVETAIL 7018 SW SW 7018

TRIM / PORCH PAINTED TRIM /WHITE PORCH PAINTED EIDER EIDER WHITE 7014 SW SW 7014

EXTERIOR EXTERIOR PAINT PAINT SCHEME SCHEME SOUTH ELEVATION SOUTH ELEVATION

EXTERIOR PAINT SCHEME EAST ELEVATION

EXTERNAL FACADE Extensive research of the existing conditions from the original construction was conducted as a way to replicate the historical fatures of the building. This included the front porch and entry, exterior paint color, and the slate roof.

COMPARTMENTATION The change of use for the building required our team to apply Ohio Building Code Chapter 34. The team creatively applied strategies to compartmentalize living spaces through rated corridors and rated horizontal assemblies.

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ACCESSIBILITY The existing conditions of the building were deemed non-accessible. As a way to save the historic integrity of the build, an additional access point was added through an external elevator on the rear of the building.

THE BONES On the interior, the team repaired and exposed brick walls throughout the twelve apartment units to convey an honest relationship between the building’s exterior and interior. The structural components of the foundation were unsafe and unstable, therefore, proper safety precautions were put into place. Foundation walls were raked and joints were re-grouted to add additional living space.

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WHY…IN CASE YOU WERE WONDERING The answer is always community. On some level, each project that comes out of WSA Studio begins with the idea that each one contributes to a community. Not Community, necessarily, in the sense that it’s Columbus centralized; community in the sense that each project helps create the sense of one, whether it’s a part of Columbus or a sub-community all its own that brings people together. In projects like this, and this one specifically, there is an importance that radiates. Preserving buildings that were once so alive is vital because there is such a rich history.

We do a lot of adaptation, since our building stock in the region has far outlasted its original use.

Each project presents a series of choices. Do we translate the character of the building to feel new or do we celebrate the integrity of the original structure?

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We have done both and can guarantee the decision-making is a struggle. We are typically torn, since we see value in each consideration and we work hard with owners to discern a path.

The success of a project like this relies on many factors, one being the dedication and value for preserving “historic integrity� that our team believes in so deeply. In a time that generic architectural structures are popping up throughout the Midwest, we understand the importance of adapting a 100-year-old, timeless structure and relish the chance to work with dedicated teams to bring these buildings back to life. Through research of materials and products, and working closely with Historic Commissions, we are able to restore structures and extend their useful lives in service to society.

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WSA STUDIO IS AN IDEA We are the proven idea that good design prevails over obstacles. Our founders started this firm because they saw an opportunity to fill a void with their instincts. It’s nearly 50 successful years later and the reason they took an idea and ran with it is the same reason we’re all still here: good design can change the way people experience the world.

Our culture is both light and intensely passionate.

This is the reason we form such close relationships with our clients. We want to make a difference with and for people who want to do the same. We want to design a space that supports and facilitates the strengths of an innovative, smart client. We want to know we made a difference and gave someone the potential to see something a little differently, a little more creatively. That’s when we’ve done what we set out to do.

CONNECT: @WSASTUDIO

982 S. FRONT STREET | COLUMBUS, OHIO 43206 | 614.824.1633