Page 217 - Beyond Decommissioning

198 Beyond Decommissioning

Selecting and coordinating multiple contractors would take a long time, and local
contractors were already overextended. Therefore, the project acquired one prime
contractor who could be focused on the project and select subcontractors.
WCPSS began at once a comprehensive assessment of the American Sterilizer
complex, which included a structural and architectural analysis as well as roof surveys
and inspections of the mechanical, plumbing, and electrical systems. WCPSS collab-
orated with state and local government agencies supervising funding, zoning, autho-
rizations, and safety. Public meetings were held to gather suggestions from pupils,
teachers, and community members on the design of classrooms, laboratories, and
common areas.
While the architect completed renovation plans and specifications, demolition con-
tractors removed asbestos and gutted interiors. In parallel, the school team hired a con-
struction contractor committed to high standards of quality and to the fast-track
schedule. The land and buildings cost $7.5 million; design, demolition, and construc-
tion added about $13 million. Although the project’s final cost was similar to a new
construction, its faster completion (9months vs 2.5years) provided facilities in time
for the new school year (NCEF, 2003).
Similar to other US cities in the so-called Rust Belt, Toledo, OH was severely hit
when manufacturing plants and businesses relocated away from downtown.
A project of our concern involved the adaptive reuse and expansion of a landmarked
steam plant built in 1896, and designed by famed architect Daniel Burnham. The
project also included the conversion of a 1981 brutalist concrete building into of
anew parking garage. ProMedica formerly had offices scattered around the city
and managed to unite its staff in one building. The new downtown campus is meant
to increase ProMedica visibility while aiming to revitalize an ageing downtown
neighborhood.
Listed on the National Register of Historic Places, the steam plant sat idle for
2
30 years before it was purchased by ProMedica. The 7300-m building has red brick
walls and two tall steam stacks, which were preserved. The interior was converted into
a four-story office building with ample communal areas and a sunlit atrium. On the
side of the building facing the river, the architects added a three-story structure of
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some 4200 m . Its facades consist of glass and terracotta.
Original elements in the steam plant were preserved as much as possible, including
steel roof supports and a 13-t bridge crane, which now hangs in the atrium. Inside the
addition, the team used a minimal palette of materials in order to keep the focus on
views and to respect Burnham’s vision.
The brutalist structure, called the Junction Building, originally served as headquar-
ters for the Toledo Trust Company. It was later occupied by KeyBank, which relocated
2
in 2015. The 9500 m triangular building was fully renovated inside. Office space
takes the uppermost three floors, while the ground floor hosts two restaurants.
A gym is situated in the basement (Dezeen, 2018e).
Unlike the other projects described in this book, there are examples of conversions
from a nonindustrial to industrial use. The former Balmoral Curling Club, University
of Alberta, Edmonton, Canada was originally built in 1957 and remained vacant since
2007. The new use of the structure is a research and academic facility that hosts