Merit Award Stateline No.7 Architects: T SQUARE Casper, Wyoming The project began with a personal and professional vision: an architect-turned-developer sought to co-locate home and office in a historic warehouse at the urban edge of a transitioning downtown, which included an underutilized lower level for a coworking office space. The building — one of a few surviving structures from a former gritty, industrial rail yard at what was then the edge of town — occupies a prominent intersection that now marks a gateway into the city center. The design draws inspiration from the site’s industrial past — cues of past industrial machining — that inspired a concept centered on exposing and honoring the original building components, while integrating modern interventions through contemporary industrial vocabulary in an honest expression. The result is a layered dialogue between past and present. A century of alterations was carefully stripped away — layers of paint were removed, the original brickwork uncovered, and overlain floors were refinished into a mix of authentic, distressed hardwood and polished concrete. Wherever possible, the existing building fabric was preserved, repaired and reintegrated into the design. New construction is deliberately restrained, maintaining a respectful and nuanced relationship with the original architecture. In some locations, the two are carefully delineated; in others, the modern fades into the background, allowing the historic character to lead. Transparency, natural light and honest materials provide continuity throughout the building. The interior layout draws inspiration from the expansive floor space of the original warehouse, while the original exposed brick walls, wooden floor assemblies, exposed roof structure and polished concrete floors create a rich backdrop for each space. A limited, purposefully raw new material palette includes translucent glazing, polycarbonate, mill-finished steel, salvaged plywood, wood pallets and painted gypsum. Custom-designed furnishings reinforce the industrial narrative. Since its completion, the project has become a catalyst for urban redevelopment in the area. Nearby neighborhood downtown buildings have followed the project’s lead, embracing and expanding the mixed-use programming while respecting the historic fabric of the district. 34 WYOMING ARCHITECTURE .25
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