Ulman Street School

Adaptive Re-use

An iconic midcentury school with an asymmetrical roof and a steel entrance canopy is transformed into 15 units, densifying a popular downtown area and bringing a valued community asset back to life. The first floor footprint remains intact while the vertical addition takes cues from the 1950s character, reinterpreting the original colors and materials.

The brick and block walls are retained with new floors above framed with wood. Two-story lofts at the front are live-work units with large transom windows. The original wood roof joists are salvaged for reuse, as are transom windows at the interior. The narrow, historic clerestory will be relocated to the top floor to provide daylighting in the corridor. An energy-efficient envelope improves building performance, with impact-rated windows on the top floors.

New finishes use materials of the era, including breezeblocks at the pool cabana, stacked-bond turquoise wall tiles, and checkerboard linoleum floors.