Bridge Square Building Design Team Honored at AIA Rochester Annual Design Awards Gala
The 2013 AIA Rochester Award for Design Excellence Mayor’s Award has been presented to the Bridge Square Building at 242 W. Main Street. “The jury finds that this project adds to the growing vitality of the Cascade District while retaining and enhancing the historic character of the building and district. By restoring window and door openings, the design team opened the building to the public, allowing passerby to enjoy the bright, lively interiors. By repurposing this former factory and by reusing existing materials, the team showed a concern for both the built and natural environments. The impact of this project goes well beyond its immediate context, as it joins several other developments that are bringing new life to our community,” said Peter Siegrist, AIA, LEED AP, Senior Planner, City of Rochester.
Mayor Richards presented the award to Peter Wehner, AIA, Associate and Senior Project Architect of Passero Associates at the AIA Rochester annual Design Awards Gala on June 1st at the Memorial Art Gallery in Rochester.
This 111-year old, trapezoidal, five-story brick building, formerly used as a factory, adjunct City Hall, and as a trade and high school, was an empty eyesore at the western edge of downtown Rochester. It has been transformed into a mixed-use, sustainable, urban structure with modern office space, retail, and loft-style residential living with underground and outdoor parking. This historic building, artfully renovated and designed, now serves as an anchor for this vibrant downtown neighborhood, bringing over 100 professionals to the area to live and work.
In its RFP process, the City of Rochester set forth specific criteria for the renovation, requiring creative re-use of the building, the use of green development concepts, a strong mixed-use urban concept that would contribute to the City’s goal of downtown neighborhood revitalization, and respect for and utilization of the building’s heritage and historic character. This design has achieved all of these goals, with careful attention paid to any opportunity for re-use of original materials, incorporation of historic elements, and maximization of productive use of the space, including retail, office space and residential loft-style living.
The building was originally surrounded by the canal and many crossing bridges, hence the name “Bridge Square.” The former canal and the current Broad Street fronts the building site. Route 490 provides a concrete boundary to the south and west. The site plan utilizes the space well, providing ample parking for tenants and visitors. The basement was converted to underground parking for the apartment residents.
The building is now surrounded by mixed use buildings and neighborhoods, and is located just inside the Western Gateway to Downtown Rochester. Development of this building provides a significant anchor site to help complete the ongoing renaissance of this area.
76% of the existing building materials have been either recycled, donated, sold, or reused. Existing utility pipes were re-used and featured as design elements. The existing windows were replaced with energy-efficient windows with historic aesthetics and the original window patterns were restored to the façade. The retail space, apartments and offices have been designed to take full advantage of the natural light provided by the large windows.
Glass walls throughout the office space allow for an open, modern work environment, which combined with historic and preserved elements, creates a dynamic contrast between the old and the new. Existing brick work and mill construction were left exposed to enable understanding of the building’s history. The old and new stand in stark contrast to one another, but each element stands on its own and remains evident and valid. The use of glass, stainless steel, and natural materials abound in the redevelopment.
The area has been designated as an historic district and the Bridge Square Building was carefully renovated and restored in accordance with the National Park Service Historic preservation guidelines. LEED Gold pre-certification has been awarded for the Core and Shell.
This successful renovation honors the past, present and future of a vital urban area.
