For many reasons, adaptive reuse
projects are great for the environment. Using already existing
buildings instead of building new reduces waste, requires less energy,
and scales down the general consumption of materials. This green space
has farther reaching effects, particularly fostering a greater sense of
community and neighborhood revitalization. We talked with Alan Pullman
of architectural firm Studio One Eleven about a recent adaptive reuse project located in an emerging Long Beach, California, neighborhood.
The
original space at 4th + Linden was a large, derelict warehouse with
little to offer the surrounding area. With a bit of creativity and a
reshaping of the space, however, the firm was able to not only
revitalize the building itself but also catalyze change and engage the
community for results that exceeded their hopes and expectations.
The Long Beach East Village Arts District has an incredible asset: a
solid foundation for a creative population. With an already established
art store and a warehouse previously occupied by a music label, artistic
energy had been taking root in the area for years. The warehouse space
itself, however, was far from energizing or welcoming when Studio One
Eleven began their work. "It looked like a blighted building,” Pullman
explains. "It had been used for storage, a pet rescue, and it
contributed nothing to the street life or the safety of the
neighborhood. So when we bought the buildings we saw a lot of potential,
but there was a lot of work that needed to be done.”
Connecting the space to the community was a high priority in the design
of 4th + Linden, but sustainability was no less important. The firm took
the "less is more” approach and ultimately removed more than they added
in the process of adapting the space, creating a courtyard and a series
of passageways. Pullman explains, "We did some demolition and we were able to recycle the wood
to community groups for community gardens and tree planting. We had to
pick out some bricks and we were able to recycle those. Community groups
were doing garden walks, and schools reused the bricks
in their projects.” The firm clearly demonstrated how adaptive reuse
has the potential to engage and foster community on a variety of
different levels, seizing all opportunities to inspire while following
the Long Beach Green Policy of sustainable practice.
Beyond the specific green design elements employed within the space, 4th
+ Linden focused on street-level quality as a way of engaging the
community. Pullman explains, "We had to create new storefronts and
windows, to give it a street presence. We were able to take one building
and totally convert it and make it a really beautiful spot for this art
store. We created a little courtyard in the front that before was
essentially just a blank wall, for the tenants to come together and
interact with each other, creating a sense of community in the project.”
The casual throwing around of buzzwords like "walkability” can dilute
our appreciation of the concept, but seeing it work firsthand can be
poignant and inspiring. Pullman explained that the adaptation of the
warehouse was one of the things that led to the city extending a
pedestrian street life program on Fourth Street, and more creative
businesses have moved nearby as a result, including a record store and a
coffee shop.
This chain-like effect has just as much to do with economics as it
has to do with the bolstering of creative energy. Pullman explains,
"What we find with adaptive reuse is that you can do them fairly
economically. They are not super luxurious buildings. They are adapted
that way. It’s kind of raw, actually. What that does, though, is allow
development at a level that can bring independent stores – and these are
all independent stores. Creative tenants just can’t afford to pay
really high rent, downtown prices. I think in a lot of ways it is part
of economic development to have adaptive reuse and create a place for
more interesting, independent, and locally focused tenants to incubate
and grow.”
The adaptation of the space at 4th + Linden had local
support, as the investors and contractors were comprised of community
members. Pullman also explained that older buildings like the warehouse
offer a quality in craftsmanship and materials that are very difficult
to duplicate in today’s world. He adds, "We tend to crave a certain kind
of history, a connection to the past that makes a community richer.”
The meshing of old and new is certainly not a novel concept, but it can
provide an anchor for creative development in a way that preserves the
integrity of a neighborhood.
Although adaptive reuse and green office and corporate space
alone will not save the world, it is apparent in 4th + Linden that it
can prove to be an incredible resource when considering neighborhood and
community revitalization. Pullman explains, "It was kind of amazing
because we knew it would be a challenge, but it ended up being more
successful than we thought it would be.” We can only hope this success
story will inspire many more.