YCC Asbury Park

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This old brick school building in Asbury Park, New Jersey was slowly falling apart and stood unused and exposed for many years. The owner wanted to bring it back to life as low cost condominiums while maintaining the original architectural style and detailing of the exterior. This brick style is typical to this area for this period of public use building.

The openings to the exterior were maintained and new openings were cut for additional windows and doors to private balconies. The existing gymnasium area was reconfigured by lowering the existing floor level to allow the insertion of an additional floor level. This area expansion within the existing perimeter of the building increased the usable square footage of the building and improved the economic viability of the project.

Peeling paint, leaking pipes, and unstable floor structures are only a few of the concerns to be remediated in this project. When an old building is reused, there are many issues that must be dealt with to bring the structure up to current codes, and to create a pleasant environment. Since this building is to become the homes for a number of families, it makes it even more important to address these issues.

The adaptive reuse of existing buildings is a very important part of the revitalization of existing cities. New functions and uses that are important to a community can be introduced into an area without a tremendous impact to the fabric of that community. Also, by reusing existing structures, less new building materials are required and the existing structure is saved from demolition and landfills.