Commercial Architecture November 2017 - 17

FEATURE

historic renovation

and low-income-housing tax credits. TAT founder and partner Robert J. Verrier, FAIA, NCARB, pointed out that these
tax-credit programs are crucial, "because from a municipality's or developer's perspective, the availability of tax incentives makes preserving local architectural legacies an economically attractive path."
With a 45-year record of adaptive reuse and historic preservation projects throughout the northeast-many of those
carried out in conjunction with Winn-TAT's experience
with design solutions, planning challenges, and tax-credit
incentives gave firm leaders a clear understanding of the historical renovation process and its benefits. "Innovative conversions of decommissioned industrial buildings continue to
be among the best ways for cities to leverage existing physical
resources for new housing, mixed-use, and commercial purposes," said Verrier. "These structures are often located close
to central business districts, and their large floor plates and
number of windows lend themselves to attractive unit layouts, retail uses, and collaborative spaces."
MEETING THE GUIDELINES

In this instance, the development team would have been
hard pressed to find a better site or building. Located within
Fitchburg's downtown, about a mile from the town square,
the project, now called Yarn Works, is within walking distance of public transit, including a commuter rail line. It is
also near several local parks and only half a mile from the
Fitchburg Art Museum. According to Adam Stein, senior
vice president at WinnDevelopment, "We've found that

Originally built in 1907, the Yarn Works building was constructed over the course of just five months using a unique wood-and-steel I-beam configuration. TAT project manager Scott Maenpaa noted that it is one of the largest mill buildings he's helped renovate. Photo: Andy Ryan, courtesy TAT
Outside of the individual units, a primary goal for the design and development team was the creation of spaces that would encourage residents to
interact with each other and help foster a sense of community. Photo: Andy Ryan, courtesy TAT

people really latch onto these residential conversions because they appreciate the combination of historical character
with modern features and convenient downtown locations."
For WinnDevelopment, he said, taking on the Yarn Works
project was particularly appealing, since "the building is a
symbol of the community, and restoring, converting it, and
making it viable again offers a connection to the past, to the
people who lived and worked during Fitchburg's industrial
heritage."
Originally built in 1907, the Yarn Works building was
constructed over the course of just five months using a
unique wood-and-steel I-beam configuration. TAT project
manager Scott Maenpaa noted that it's one of the largest mill
buildings he's helped to renovate, and the facts bear him out:
its structure includes 2-million bricks, 1-million board feet of
lumber, 500 tons of steel, and 7,000 tons of granite, according to archival materials. Overall, Maenpaa says, "the building was clean and in great shape. Because it had remained
heated for much of its lifetime, there was little structural
damage from the harsh New England winters."
Hoping to use historic tax credit incentives (HTCs), the
development team submitted the building to the National
Park Service (NPS) for listing on the National Register of
Historic Places. This, of course, meant staying within strict
NPS guidelines during the renovation and conversion process. For the exterior renovation, the project team carefully
repointed the brick façade and carried out other masonry
commercialarchitecturemagazine.com

NOVEMBER 2017

COMMERCI A L A RCHI T EC T URE

17


http://www.commercialarchitecturemagazine.com

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

The Architects
Preserve Or Restore?
Adaptive Reuse
Light, Sound Contribute to Comforting Experience
Access Flooring Saves Energy, Improves IAQ
Green Walls Welcome Restaurant Guests
High-Profile Ceilings
HVAC System Redirects Convent Resources
Lighting Complements 'Study Cascade' Design
Assembly-Plant Lighting Retrofit
Brewing Up Lighting
Have It All: Quality, Comfort, Efficiency, Cost Savings
Translucent Facade Highlights Learning
Historical Details, High-Performance Windows
Protecting And Enlightening History
Most-Wired Hospital Saves Big
Showcase
Commercial Architecture November 2017 - Cover1
Commercial Architecture November 2017 - Cover2
Commercial Architecture November 2017 - 1
Commercial Architecture November 2017 - 2
Commercial Architecture November 2017 - 3
Commercial Architecture November 2017 - 4
Commercial Architecture November 2017 - 5
Commercial Architecture November 2017 - The Architects
Commercial Architecture November 2017 - 7
Commercial Architecture November 2017 - Preserve Or Restore?
Commercial Architecture November 2017 - 9
Commercial Architecture November 2017 - 10
Commercial Architecture November 2017 - 11
Commercial Architecture November 2017 - 12
Commercial Architecture November 2017 - 13
Commercial Architecture November 2017 - 14
Commercial Architecture November 2017 - 15
Commercial Architecture November 2017 - Adaptive Reuse
Commercial Architecture November 2017 - 17
Commercial Architecture November 2017 - 18
Commercial Architecture November 2017 - 19
Commercial Architecture November 2017 - 20
Commercial Architecture November 2017 - 21
Commercial Architecture November 2017 - Light, Sound Contribute to Comforting Experience
Commercial Architecture November 2017 - 23
Commercial Architecture November 2017 - Access Flooring Saves Energy, Improves IAQ
Commercial Architecture November 2017 - 25
Commercial Architecture November 2017 - Green Walls Welcome Restaurant Guests
Commercial Architecture November 2017 - 27
Commercial Architecture November 2017 - High-Profile Ceilings
Commercial Architecture November 2017 - 29
Commercial Architecture November 2017 - 30
Commercial Architecture November 2017 - 31
Commercial Architecture November 2017 - 32
Commercial Architecture November 2017 - 35
Commercial Architecture November 2017 - HVAC System Redirects Convent Resources
Commercial Architecture November 2017 - 37
Commercial Architecture November 2017 - 38
Commercial Architecture November 2017 - 39
Commercial Architecture November 2017 - 40
Commercial Architecture November 2017 - Lighting Complements 'Study Cascade' Design
Commercial Architecture November 2017 - 42
Commercial Architecture November 2017 - Assembly-Plant Lighting Retrofit
Commercial Architecture November 2017 - Brewing Up Lighting
Commercial Architecture November 2017 - 45
Commercial Architecture November 2017 - 46
Commercial Architecture November 2017 - 47
Commercial Architecture November 2017 - Have It All: Quality, Comfort, Efficiency, Cost Savings
Commercial Architecture November 2017 - 49
Commercial Architecture November 2017 - 50
Commercial Architecture November 2017 - 51
Commercial Architecture November 2017 - 52
Commercial Architecture November 2017 - 53
Commercial Architecture November 2017 - Translucent Facade Highlights Learning
Commercial Architecture November 2017 - 55
Commercial Architecture November 2017 - Historical Details, High-Performance Windows
Commercial Architecture November 2017 - 57
Commercial Architecture November 2017 - Protecting And Enlightening History
Commercial Architecture November 2017 - 59
Commercial Architecture November 2017 - 60
Commercial Architecture November 2017 - Most-Wired Hospital Saves Big
Commercial Architecture November 2017 - 62
Commercial Architecture November 2017 - 63
Commercial Architecture November 2017 - Showcase
Commercial Architecture November 2017 - 65
Commercial Architecture November 2017 - 66
Commercial Architecture November 2017 - Cover3
Commercial Architecture November 2017 - Cover4
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