Commercial Architecture November 2017 - 14

FEATURE

historic buildings

impactful move you could make was to deal with the windows," he related.
"It had original steel-sash windows, and every one of those were leaded glass,

Ken's V I E W

so every window unit was like having 16 windows. Just the energy loss from infiltration and solar gain was dramatic. We were able to replace those steel-sash

Town Squares, Genius Groves,
And Bodegas

windows with energy-efficient units that were able to reduce the heating and
cooling loads by 40% in the building. We found that was going to be the biggest
impact, even more so than dealing with insulating the masonry walls. The windows were going to get us the most efficiency for the effort," Chen said.
BENEFITS

Preserving, rehabilitating, restoring, or reconstructing historic buildings can be
well worth the effort.

s nothing sacred? Apple now thinks it

for "restoring" a historic building.

owns the town square. There's a plot

If Apple has set its sights on town

long as the proposed uses are compatible," said David Bell. "There is potentially

afoot to replace bodegas with vending

squares and Carnegie libraries, some ex-

a perception of increased value, since a property may convey meaning and be

machines. Let me explain. Apple stores

Googlers are reported to have hatched

more timeless and seem less like a commodity. Capturing the embodied energy

have gone-or will be going-the way

a plan to put bodegas-neighborhood

and infrastructure of existing buildings makes it one of the most sustainable

of the headphone jack. Disappearing.

corner

approaches to development.

Not literally, of course. Apple just doesn't

replacing them with vending machines.

call them stores any longer. They're town

Internet-connected vending machines.

in places becoming more and more alike," he added. "Chain restaurants, air-

squares

Gives new meaning to the Internet of

ports, building enclosures are all looking the same. Their designs are often based

places for the 500-million people who visit

on market studies, trends, fashion, and what manufacturers currently are selling.

us every year," an Apple spokesperson is

It's important for cities to retain their identity, grow organically, and respond to

reported to have said.

"There can be economic benefit to rehabilitating an existing structure, as

"As globalization and commodification expands, the zeitgeist often results

"because

they're

gathering

stores-out

business

Things, doesn't it?
The new startup is ironically named
Bodega, and users must use an app that

problems and opportunities iteratively. Some of the hubris of planners and de-

No kidding. I think at least a million

is linked to their credit card. "Eventually,

signers of the 20th century has resulted in dehumanizing, inhospitable, and

of those people were at the Apple store

centralized shopping locations won't be

unhealthy places."

I went to some time back to replace a

necessary, because there will be 100,000

"Among the economic benefits of working with an existing structure are

power adapter that failed because of

Bodegas spread out, with one always 100

lower impacts to the environment with energy stored and saved, shorter sched-

design flaw. (I see some of you nodding;

feet away from you," one of the founders

ules and saving on the demolition, recycling, and construction. More difficult

you know exactly what design flaw I'm

is reported to have bragged. That's great,

to measure in dollars are the invaluable benefits to the community of connect-

talking about.) Never having been to an

provided you have a $1,000 smart phone

ing with our history and culture through these preserved, restored, or adaptive

Apple shrine, I was amazed to learn that

you purchased at a town-square genius

places, buildings and artifacts," commented STIR's James Auld.

you couldn't just buy the thing off the

grove, a data plan, and a credit card. I can

"When the time is right, and the market is right, it is right time to act," con-

shelf. You had to make an appointment

hardly wait.

tinued Auld. "The wise decision is to leave historic structures, places, or artifacts

with a "genius" for a "consultation" and

The announcement caused a ruckus

alone, until such time as funding can be secured, interest increases, and the de-

mill about with those other one-million

among bodega fans, so much so the

mand creates the right conditions for a solid move forward when an owner with

people while awaiting a text message that

founder was forced to issue an apology

a business plan and design and construction approach allow the standards to be

announced the "genius would see you

and claim his intention was not to replace

deployed for the highest and best results."

now." At Radio Shack, you could just buy

bodegas but to make the "shopping

the gizmo and be on your way.

experience" available to those without

Judging from the increased interest in the new urbanist approach to restoring
urban neighborhoods throughout the country, the time just may be right. CA

access to a real, live bodega.
All of this has relevance to those who

sell you a $1,000 phone, and a town square

would preserve, rehabilitate, restore, or

belongs to the public-who have already

reconstruct historic structures: Don't

paid for it. The town square, I mean.

get too cute or try to be quirky. As

Word has it that Apple has plans to

Wayne Schmidt of Schmidt Associates,

restore Washington's Carnegie Library.

Indianapolis, said, "I think the designer

In place of the books, Apple plans a

has to be humble and understand that

"Genius Grove," which is described as

the building is far more important than

a tree-lined sales floor. Wait a minute.

making a contemporary statement."

University of Chicago, Ann Beha Architects

Sales floor? I'm confused; I thought this

You mean like turning a library into a

Felipe de Neve Branch Library, STIR Architects

was the new town square. This isn't what

genius grove or a bodega into a vending

Andrew Carnegie had in mind. By the

machine?

way, I'll bet Apple is getting a tax break

- Kenneth W. Betz, Senior Editor

Want more information? To download the information listed
below, visit commercialarchitecturemagazine.com/1711historic

More photos of featured projects are linked below:
Foundation Hotel, McIntosh Poris

St. Joseph Brewery & Public House, Schmidt Associates
Northeast Neighborhood Library, Bell Architects

But let's get something straight: A
store belongs to a company that wants to

COMMERCI A L A RCHI T EC T URE

NOVEMBER 2017

commercialarchitecturemagazine.com

http://www.commercialarchitecturemagazine.com/1711historic http://www.commercialarchitecturemagazine.com

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Commercial Architecture November 2017