It took three years to transform an abandoned 1929 school building into this 31-family home
It would be difficult to argue that the places in which a person lives – homes, neighborhoods, cities – shape his life. Sometimes we overlook possibilities and focus on creating something “new”. Simply put, you’re overlooking the complexities that actually make things interesting and engaging. This can have detrimental effects on structures such as cities and houses, the value of which is often highly dependent on being embedded in history. It’s hidden. This man realized it when he rebuilt an abandoned school into this gorgeous home.
Three men have converted an abandoned school building into 31 luxury homes.
Image credit: @jessewig
The 34-year-old real estate agent wasn’t sure what he would get out of the building when he bought it for $100,000 in 2019
Taking into account both the history and the potential of a building opens up the possibility of thinking about its transformation. Exciting enough on its own, not to mention the additional benefits that come with it.
This approach was taken by Jesse Wig, a 34-year-old real estate agent who bought a 50,000-square-foot abandoned school building in 2019. that.
With 35-year-old real estate investor Adam Colucci, we discussed various ideas, including coworking spaces, wedding venues and beer gardens, before finally settling on a residential building.
After considering various options, the two agreed to convert the building into a residence.
Image credit: @jessewig
The man emphasized preserving some elements of the school to maintain the building’s historical significance
Image credit: @jessewig
Image credit: @jessewig
At this point, 41-year-old developer and multifamily property manager Dan Spanovich joined the project. During the transformation, classrooms were transformed into modern open-concept apartments. The auditorium is used as a community space, and the building has a gymnasium equipped with a half basketball court, weights, and an indoor cycle bike.
The three men involved in the project stressed the importance of maintaining the building’s historical significance, as well as making it a comfortable living space. To that end, they worked closely with the National Park Service to preserve some of the school’s elements. said Colluci. share.
Reconstruction of the building will begin in early 2020 and will be completed in October 2021. It contains a total of 31 apartments (27 one-bedroom apartments and four two-bedroom apartments).
We started leasing immediately after the rebuilding was completed, and it was fully occupied in just half a year. Rent was $1,400 per month for a one-bedroom unit and up to $1,650 for a two-bedroom unit.
After reconstruction, the building has 31 one- and two-bedroom apartments.
Image credit: bowtie high
The auditorium is used as a community space, and a half-basketball court, weights, and an indoor cycle bike are installed in the building.
Image credit: @jessewig
Image credit: bowtie high
Image credit: bowtie high
Image credit: bowtie high
Image credit: bowtie high
Image credit: bowtie high
in him article “Stop demolishing useful buildings,” says Rafael Gómez Moriana, while the demolition of old buildings and their replacement with new ones is still widely seen as a sign of “progress,” but the demolition of existing structures. It raises questions about why transformation is so underappreciated.
Moriana cites several reasons for arguing against. According to him, destroying perfectly sound and useful structures harms both the environment and our collective memory. We need to move to a common approach of preserving and adapting most existing buildings, rather than demolishing them, not just those that are in need.
But Moriana realized that the ecological aspect is only one aspect of the coin. Because replacing a building with a new one “often results in a more sterile and soulless environment, especially when this is done on a large scale.”
Image credit: bowtie high
Building modifications often help avoid harming both the environment and our collective memory.
Image credit: bowtie high
Some former school graduates have commented online that they found it surreal but wonderful to see the transformation.
