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The Architect's Design for the Warehouse Rehab

In the recent past many of New York's historical landmarks have had facelifts to keep them both structurally and aesthetically sound as well as true to their roots. One of the architectural firms behind several of these projects, the New York and Washington, D.C.-based Beyer, Blinder, Belle Architects & Planners, has joined the Home Again crew to lend their expertise in the architectural restoration. Bob meets with Jack Beyer in front of the old Pepper Mill to get up to speed on the exterior design plans for the rehab project. Beyer discusses some of the pitfalls with landmark buildings, including the multiple overlapping regulatory agencies which approve changes to a buildings structure, mechanics, and style. Bob discovers that the building is being converted for at least the second time. It was originally a three-floor residential building, but was later converted to commercial use. Beyer observes that while the building is in need of extensive repair it is structurally sound and stable. HE shows Bob sketches of the proposed renovations, which include two entrances, commercial space on the ground floor with a show window, and a possible added story set back from the fa�ade. Beyer is cautiously optimistic that the addition will gain Landmarks' approval since the building is a contributing landmark, not a specially designated landmark.

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Chapters from this episode

Architectural Plans for Converting the Former Pepper Factory Now Playing

Architectural Plans for Converting the Former Pepper Factory

The Architect's Design for the Warehouse Rehab Now Playing

The Architect's Design for the Warehouse Rehab

History of Brooklyn, New York Now Playing

History of Brooklyn, New York

Clip Transcript For:

The Architect's Design for the Warehouse Rehab

computer-generated transcript - may not be 100% accurate

" A lot of New York city's best loved historic landmarks my Grand Central station and south street seaport have recently had serious faceless. The architectural firm of buyer blinder Belle was behind these and an eclectic mix of other projects. They'll be collaborating with us here in dumbo let's meet -- buyer. Now Jack just contemplating remodeling something that's. This far gone takes a lot of bravery right how do you deal with a."

" had to have as a brave client. And then the second the have to do is realize. That is not just -- have to worry about is how you get it through all the regulatory agencies. I get it approved. And all the things that are under the surface structurally and mechanically right -- landmarks preservation. All sorts of review. What happens first. I would say the first thing of course is come up with a the ideas. Do their research on the history of the building which we're working with the bill Higgins right. And then once you have the basic idea then you gotta go right to the landmarks commissions and there are two that have jurisdiction over this project. First -- York city landmarks commission. And secondly the federal. Department of the Interior regulations which are administered by the State of New York right you have to satisfy both."

" Well let's take a close look at some of your proposed changes to this besides we we've got a building that well we know was originally residential and then became a commercial building in the nineteenth century. When the building. Was changed."

" From residential to commercial. Two significant things happen once they add another floor. And secondly they completely redid the ground floor. So the design and the the nature of the conversion now that we're contemplating. Will not go back to the original residential use at all other residential look of the building. -- will keep the building the way it is. Physically but then transform it completely on the interior. To a new residential use. Let us through what you intend to do here well the first thing you have to recognize is what a mess it really gets. -- and this is a building. Disorderly and in the completely within need of of total repair. Is structurally sound it is structurally sound we find that that is Moses. Important thing to be sure right even though there's some failures here and there was. -- bricks and so forth the building is stable right to what we're gonna do. This is in this in this sketch illustrates. A few basic ideas number one. We're gonna put back the windows. In the same. Design. That were there. In the 1880s. The second thing we will do is we will we build the entire first floor. -- kill infants entrances. And a show and the entrance on the left will be for the new apartments on the upper floors okay. The entrance on the rice will be slower retail store that will occupy the ground floor. And the window in the middle is a show window for it. Now another idea that's but I would probably. Has a level of controversy to it. Is to build an addition on the top. Set back. Twenty feet from the front of the building -- we'll be very hard to CN. From normal walking around and looking up from the sidewalk right the landmarks commission has in many instances. Approved such an idea but there's no assurance that they will necessarily approve it here and the building is such that it is not. A significant. Major landmark in the district is a contributory. -- not a specifically designated it promises to be most exciting neighborhood --"

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Reviewing the Architect's Home Plans

Bob studies the architect's plans to get a better feel for what the house will look like when it's finished. The side entrance to the home will have a covered porch, and there will be a double garage in the back with a big gable. Front and back gabled ends are critical design elements defining this as an old style farmhouse. Also distinctive are the many windows enabling the homeowners to take advantage of the spectacular view.

Architectural Design of the Connection Between the Home and the Barn

Walking behind the house, Bob makes a few observations about the design. He points out that the house and old barn were not exactly parallel to each other creating some issues fo the breezeway addition. Th architect chose to build the breezeway parallel with the barn, but as the roof is right onto the house, when you look at the roof overhang right on the corner of the addition it subtly increases in width in one direction. Another interesting feature of the architect's design is a 4 ft. wide and t10 ft. long "gang plank"-like balcony coming out from the second floor masterbath.

Putting in a Gable Window

While on the third floor of the Medford house Bob looks at the Pella window installation in the gable end. The architect's original plan called for one big glass triangle but this would have involved a great deal of structural reworking, so the plan changed to installing two smaller triangular windows with 2 x 4s retained in the middle maintaining structural stability. In a flashback to the installation, carpenter Matt Alexander removed the exterior wall covering from the area and used a chalk line to mark the opeing for the new windows. next he cut away the sheathing with a reciprocating saw to create the opening, folded out the nailing flange on the custom Pella windows and nailed the flange to the sheathing. The windows are aluminum-clad, with double glazed argon-filled low-E glass.

Review of the Attic Conversion Plans

Bob meets up with structural engineer Steve Siegel on the Medford's home third floor. The attic is right from the 1880's and clearly no longer meets code. As the homeowner intends to create a home office up there with cathedral ceilings, structural changes will be required. Steve explains that the existing structure is undersized and will need to be reinforced. The 2 x 6 rafters are pretty widely spaced at 2 feet on center with flimsy 2 x 3 collar ties. To create useable living space Steve suggests taking out the existing collars and putting in a ridge beam to support the whole load of the roof. To do this Siegel would put a piece of wood (possibly a 2 x 6) at every rafter pair and then position the ridge beam just below. However, this configuration might conflict with the architect's plan to fill the whole gable end with a big glass triangle.