Commercial Restoration and Rehabilitation Projects
The Martha Washington Inn, Abingdon
Built as a residence in 1832, the house was converted to a women's college in 1858.
In 1932 the college closed.
Sitting empty for three years, the structure was
"renovated" in 1935 for use as a hotel.
In use continuously as a hotel since, the dilapidated building was sold again in 1984 to the Abingdon Inns Group, a subsidiary of the United Companies, who brought in DASA to rehabilitate the structure.
Years of operating the hotel had taken their toll.
Wings were abandoned, circulation patterns had been rerouted to cut costs, heating systems were defunct, and there were few modern amenities.
The most pressing problem
was circulation of guests into and throughout the hotel to comply with ADA guidelines.
The original house now serves as the central greeting area.
From there, a central hallway provides for both vertical and horizontal circulation to the four wings of the hotel.
The historic rehabilitation of this hotel exemplifies sound building recycling.
No. Nine Court Square, Winchester
DASA, in conjunction with Beery Rio and Associates is engaged in an adaptive reuse of a complex in the historic district of Winchester, Virginia.
The buildings comprising No. Nine Court Square lie within the central district of the City of Winchester.
The buildings are sited in conjunction with the original F&M Bank and the county Courthouse to form a downtown quadrangle.
The No. Nine Court Square complex includes several historic buildings adjacent to the Courthouse and public square that were linked in a 1940 renovation. The buildings have undergone a number of exterior alterations, including masonry repairs and replacement of some doors and windows, but the basic forms and compositions of all buildings survive. The interiors of all of the buildings underwent substantial alterations in the 1940's. By their design, scale, materials and fenestration, these buildings help define the distinctive historic character of the Winchester Historic District. The No. Nine Court Square project is an excellent example of a community bank using its resources for historic preservation.
WVIR Channel 29, Charlottesville, VA
Originally built in the 1930's as an automobile dealership, this building in downtown Charlottesville was last used as a tire store before being abandoned in the 1970's.
In 1983, the building was purchased by WVIR-TV to house its offices and studio, which at that time were scattered in several buildings. The building was gutted and the lower level was excavated 3 feet and underpinned to insert an additional floor. A gaping hole in the front facade was filled in with brick walls, arched windows, and a semicircular portico. New mechanical and electrical systems were installed.
The renovated building, with a floor area of about 16,000 square feet, was completed in 1984 at a cost of approximately $50.00 per square foot.