Our Signature Adaptive Reuse Project
Building 2400 is a sixty-eight thousand square foot warehouse with a rich history. The original windowless structure was once part of the U.S. Army base at Vint Hill Farm Station and served as a top-secret surveillance outpost from World War II through the Cold War.
The owners required that the historic character of the building and surrounding area be maintained, while also enhancing, protecting, and respecting the environment.
Vint Hill, Virginia
The first step in this three-year project was to remediate all the asbestos in the building. Then, the entire interior structure was demolished except for the structural elements and the historic Sensitive Compartmented Information Facility (SCIF), a 370-square-foot vault space where the U.S. government could continue to operate in case of nuclear war.
The building’s footprint remained unchanged. All surrounding community buildings are made of red brick. We restored the brick exterior and incorporated architectural elements from the original buildings to preserve their historic character. Hanging canopies, copper fascia, white beams and columns, and white trim around the windows reflect a style and palette influenced by the historic Inn at Vint Hill and two nearby barns, all visible from Building 2400. The floors throughout are polished concrete.
Adaptive reuse architecture plays a key role in land and resource conservation. Abandoned and unused buildings that might have been demolished and disposed of in landfills are repurposed. Embodied energy—all materials in the existing building, such as steel, concrete, brick, and masonry—is used sustainably to give new purpose to existing structures. New materials are not harvested from the ground and processed, and the environment is not harmed by demolition or adding more waste to a landfill.
