Old factory converted from hearth to home

A former briquette factory in Cologne-Frechen, Germany, was converted into a mixed-use building by Astoc Architects & Planners, Cologne, in association with Rheinischen Amt für Denkmalpflege—the Rhenish agency for historic preservation. The roughly 172,200-sf building includes a mix of residential condominiums, lofts, and leased commercial space. The architects retained the building's original roofline while adding maisonette apartments with roof terraces; all other units have large balconies. The factory's old boiler plant is being converted into eight townhouses.