ReInhabiting the Possibilities of 1615 Williams St.
Urban nesters set out to remodel an old 2,500 sq. ft. grocery store in downtown Chattanooga.
Project Team
Design - Elemi Architects
Lead Architect - Brad Shelton
Builder - Collier Construction
Superintendent - Chris LeCroy
1615 Williams Street is the scene of decades of history. Layer by layer, its story is peeled back from behind a splintered façade and its battered walls. The old gray brick building’s charm briefly surfaces in a brilliant-red fireplace, a strip of tattered wallpaper, a dusty pile of rubble, and in the fragmented exposed brick that stands tall against years of wear. The once vibrant grocery store housed tenants on the second floor, but has been long abandoned and underutilized.
Until now.
The building’s new owners recently teamed up with Brad Shelton at Elemi Architecture and Collier Construction to envision a contemporary urban residence that draws on a modern aesthetic to compliment the structure’s historic integrity.
The owners’ new home will feature a stained concrete slab and back patio, an open floor plan with enough space for three bedrooms and two baths as well as a large skylight to allow natural daylighting to pass through to the ground level.
Rehab means repurposing, recycling and rethinking space to accommodate new ideas and new lifestyles – all while respecting the character of existing infrastructure. So as part of the construction plans, Collier will recycle and reuse the demolished floor system on site. Likewise, existing 2 x 12 lumber will be re-incorporated into the building’s new floor structure. And while many of the construction methods will be hidden from plain view, the building’s dramatic transformation will be evident from the inside out.
The home is slated for completion in March, 2011
View the full photo gallery here.
Thanks for visiting our website. While you're here, take some time to see our work, read about what we've been up to and sign up for our newsletter.
Keep up; stay in touch!
