The Cigar Factory, built in 1881, occupies an entire block in Charleston, S.C. It was originally a cotton mill but became the home of the American Cigar Company in 1912.
Federal Capital Partners took ownership of the 230,000-sf structure in 2014. Because the building is on the National Register of Historic Places and the developer wanted to use historic tax credits, the project had to pass muster with the State Historic Preservation Office, the National Park Service, and Charleston’s Board of Architectural Review.
The Building Team, led by design firm Stevens & Wilkinson and contractor Trident Construction, custom-milled timbers to match existing members, replicated historic cast-iron pattress plates, and custom-fabricated rafter tails and exterior fascia and trim to match original components. Trident also completed $750,000 of unanticipated carpentry work for timber remediation.
The team’s most remarkable effort: replacing 365 arched, 10-foot-high windows with hurricane-resistant glazing, custom manufactured by Graham Architectural Products to meet the owner’s aesthetic objectives. This effort alone represented 20% of the project budget.
PROJECT SUMMARY
Silver Award Winner | Charleston, S.C.
Building Team: Stevens & Wilkinson (submitting firm, architect, MEP) and Trident Construction (submitting firm, GC); Federal Capital Partners (developer); David Thompson Architect (interior architect); 4SE Inc. (SE); and Trinity Partners (CM).
Details: 230,000 sf. Construction cost: $35 million. Construction time: May 2014 to April 2015. Delivery method: Negotiated GC.
Related Stories
Reconstruction Awards | Nov 16, 2016
Reconstruction Awards: Bay Area Metro Center
The structure’s 60,000-sf floor plates made the interior dark and foreboding, and BAHA wanted to improve working conditions for its employees and tenants.
Reconstruction Awards | Nov 16, 2016
Reconstruction Awards: Marilyn I. Walker School of Fine and Performing Arts, Brock University
The five-story brick-and-beam structure is an adaptive reuse of the Canada Hair Cloth Building, where coat linings and parachute silks were once made.
Reconstruction Awards | Nov 16, 2016
Reconstruction Awards: Marwen
Marwen currently offers 100 studio courses to 850 underserved students from 295 schools and 53 zip codes.
Reconstruction Awards | Nov 16, 2016
Reconstruction Awards: St. Patrick's Cathedral
The cathedral, dedicated in 1879, sorely needed work.
Reconstruction Awards | Nov 15, 2016
Reconstruction Awards: Lovejoy Wharf
After demolishing the rotten wood wharf, Suffolk Construction (GC) built a new 30,000-sf landscaped quay, now known as Lovejoy Wharf.
Reconstruction Awards | Nov 15, 2016
Reconstruction Awards: KETV-7 Burlington Station
The 1898 Greek Revival train terminal, which was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1974, had been abandoned for nearly four decades.
Reconstruction Awards | Nov 14, 2016
Reconstruction Awards: The Gallery at the Three Arts Club
On the exterior of the building, masonry and terra cotta were revitalized, and ugly fire escapes on the south façade were removed.
Reconstruction Awards | Nov 14, 2016
Big-box store rescaled to serve as a preventive-care clinic
The hospital was attracted to the big box’s footprint: one level with wide spans between structural columns, which would facilitate a floor plan with open, flexible workspaces and modules that could incorporate labs, X-ray, ultrasound, pharmacy, and rehab therapy functions.
Reconstruction Awards | Nov 14, 2016
Fire-charred synagogue rises to renewed glory
The blaze left the 110-year-old synagogue a charred shell, its structural integrity severely compromised.
Reconstruction Awards | Nov 11, 2016
Adaptive reuse juices up an abandoned power plant
The power plant was on the National Register of Historic Places and is a Recorded Texas Historic Landmark.
