The adaptive/reuse of a 22,000 sq ft, circa 1880 former lock factory turned out to be a great fit. Transforming the manufacturing building into 24 ADA-compliant senior living units, however, posed more than a few construction trials. Located in Lancaster City, the building had been empty for years and its central wooden beams had sagged dramatically. Getting the floors level required gradually jacking up the beams, a section at a time, and adding manufactured shims. The ground floor was lowered 18” and required existing foundations to be underpinned. One of the most attractive features of the building – and one of its greatest challenges – were the 183 windows. New divided lite clad wood sash were installed using the original wood jambs.

Project architect Architectural Concepts of Exton, PA incorporated energy efficient features throughout the facility, including ground source heat and EnergyStar rated appliances and products for HVAC and lighting. Several apartments were specifically designed to accommodate residents who are visually or hearing impaired. These were fitted with specialized systems to give audio alerts or flashing lights to signal the doorbell and/or phone operations.

At a ceremony held on February 10th, Park Avenue Apartments was honored by the Lancaster County Board of Commissioners and Planning Commission as a recipient of the 2010 Envision Achievement Award for a Large Project in the Sustainable Growth Category.

Architect: Architectural Concepts - Exton, PA