In a fun collaboration with a building owner dedicated to breathing new life into abandoned downtown buildings, [au]workshop designed a modern second-floor apartment with industrial touches and an ultra-cozy ground-level bakery and cafe.

Originally constructed in 1883 and now a contributing building to Fort Collins' Downtown Historic District, we approached the design of the street-facing facade with a preservation lens, including project details like reconstructing a historic match of the front door of the neighboring sister building, restoring the pressed-metal building cornice, and exchanging 1980s-era aluminum windows with historically accurate windows.  

The inside of the building, gutted by previous owners, was completely rebuilt and was designed to meet the Preservation Guidelines found in the Secretary of the Interior's Standards for the Treatment of Historic Properties.  To bring light into the interior of the long, narrow building, six skylights were introduced to the roofscape--which was also engineered for the construction of a future roof terrace.  A small addition on the back of the building created space for a two-car garage; an extremely rare amenity for most downtown apartments.