The Paint Factory reimagines Little Rock’s oldest remaining industrial complex as a neighborhood called East Village, a mixed-use redevelopment of a factory that now includes a restaurant (Catshead Diner), apartments (12 Star Flats), a community space (The Mixing Room), and a new HQ for the project’s designer.
Formerly the Stebbins and Roberts building, built in 1947, it housed Sterling Paint until the early 2000s. The reconstruction retained many original building features, including exposed concrete structural columns and board-formed concrete. Original steel windows were repaired and repainted, masonry cleaned, and large openings filled with matching brick.
The project team invested heavily in infrastructure improvements to reduce localized flooding that effectively cut off neighborhoods and businesses around East Village from the rest of the city during heavy rain events.
The project is pursuing LEED Platinum certification. Among its sustainable design: the state’s first solar skylights and pollution-reducing roof. New skylights were cut through the roof and second floor to light the central collaboration zone in the main studio. The air and data systems are distributed under raised flooring so that the board-formed concrete slab above the studio would not be obscured.
When the building was under construction, there were no codes for seismic force resistance and protection, and best practices were deemed too expensive. The project team’s solution was to position new shear walls at strategic locations and tie back some steel members to the existing structure to improve resistance capacity.
Cromwell Architects Engineers, which purchased the building in 2015, is known for its community advocacy. The firm has been working with its partners to give East Village an identity that sets the tone for future growth. Since the development of The Paint Factory, $75 million worth of new construction has flowed into the area.
GOLD AWARD WINNER
BUILDING TEAM Cromwell Architects Engineers (submitting firm, owner, architect, SE, MEP) Newman Moses Tucker Partners (developer) Central Construction Group (GC) DETAILS 50,000 sf Total cost $7.9 million Construction time October 2016 to March 2018 Delivery method CM at risk
Related Stories
Reconstruction Awards | Nov 16, 2015
Lumberyard turned into Chicago charter school
While the existing structures were in poor condition, the Building Team preserved and restored 75% of the spaces and incorporated historic elements in the final design of the Intrinsic School on Chicago's Northwest side.
Reconstruction Awards | Nov 12, 2015
Columbia Grammar and Preparatory School grows with the times
The 251-year-old NYC school was a design-build project that overcame issues like tight space and zoning appeals during its redevelopment.
Reconstruction Awards | Nov 10, 2015
Restoration of the Whitney Building provides hope for Detroit
Four years ago, Whitney Partners purchased the 253,000-sf Whitney for $3.3 million. Their mission was to turn the 19-story structure into a mixed-use hotel, rental apartment, and retail center that would serve as a reminder of more prosperous times in Detroit’s past.
Reconstruction Awards | Nov 9, 2015
University of Chicago uses space economically with Saieh Hall
The five-story, 100,000-sf seminary was converted into a modern education facility that would be fully integrated into the university’s Hyde Park campus. The project demonstrated the university’s commitment to finding a balance between new construction and adaptive reuse of historically significant buildings.
Reconstruction Awards | Nov 9, 2015
King of kings: Classic brooklyn movie theater stages a return engagement
The theater, which withstood vacancy, neglect and vandalism, has been redeveloped with a goal: balance preservation with the creation of a modern performance space.
