Look, there's something about bringing old buildings back to life that just hits different. Every crack tells a story, every beam has seen generations come and go. We don't just restore - we listen to what the building wants to say, then help it speak louder for the next hundred years.
Honestly, when we first walked into this place, it was... rough. The old Dingman's Hall had been through a lot - fires, decades of neglect, you name it. But underneath all that damage was this gorgeous Romanesque Revival bone structure that was begging for a second chance.
We spent eighteen months carefully peeling back layers of "improvements" from the 70s and 80s to find the original details. The terracotta work on the facade alone took three artisans six weeks to restore properly. Worth every minute though - that craftsmanship isn't something you can just fake with modern materials.
Duration
18 months
Scope
Full restoration
This Edwardian beauty had been chopped up into apartments back in the 60s, and not gonna lie, it was heartbreaking to see what they'd done to the original layout. We worked with a family who wanted to bring it back to a single-family home while making it actually livable for modern life.
The trick was hiding all the modern systems - HVAC, updated electrical, proper insulation - without touching the original plaster moldings and woodwork. We ended up running most services through old servant corridors that were already there. Sometimes the old builders actually make our job easier, y'know?
Converting a 100-year-old market building into a modern community hub while keeping its soul intact? Yeah, that was a fun puzzle. The city wanted to preserve the heritage character but also needed it to meet current accessibility standards and building codes.
We kept the original brick and beam structure, exposed it actually - looks amazing now. Added a glass atrium that floods the space with natural light but doesn't compete with the historic elements. The old loading docks became this really cool outdoor market space.
Original market interior
Transformed community space
Mid-restoration documentation
We're currently neck-deep in this one, and it's probably the most challenging project we've taken on. This Victorian-era distillery warehouse sat empty for 40 years, and nature kinda took over. But the bones are incredible - those massive timber beams and brick vaults don't get built like that anymore.
Turning it into mixed-use lofts while preserving the industrial character. We're keeping as much of the original fabric as possible - even the old distillery equipment is staying as sculptural elements. Should be wrapping up by fall if all goes well.
Expected Completion
November 2024
Team Size
12 specialists
Three adjoining row houses from 1895, all in different states of disrepair. Owners wanted to maintain the street facade character while creating modern, energy-efficient homes inside. Plus dealing with three different families with three different visions - that was interesting.
Coordinated restoration of all three facades to match the original Victorian design, while each interior got customized to the owner's needs. Shared geothermal system in the back yards cut everyone's heating bills in half. Win-win all around.
"Working with three households simultaneously taught us a lot about coordination and compromise. The result though? These houses look like they did in 1895 but perform better than most new builds. That's the sweet spot we're always chasing."
Every building's got its own story and its own quirks. Here's generally how we tackle things, though honestly, no two projects ever go exactly the same way.
We dig through archives, old photos, building permits - whatever we can find. Understanding what the building was helps us figure out what it can be.
Structural engineers, heritage consultants, sometimes even archaeologists. We bring in whoever we need to understand what we're really dealing with.
Balancing preservation with modern needs. Sometimes that means tough choices, but we always try to keep what makes the building special.
Working with craftspeople who actually know traditional techniques. Can't restore heritage with modern shortcuts - well, you can, but it'll look terrible.
Whether you're dealing with a century-old home that needs some love or a historic commercial building that's seen better days, let's talk. We offer free initial consultations to figure out what's possible.
We're especially interested in challenging projects that other firms might've passed on. Sometimes those make for the best transformations.