WAREHOUSE-TO-LUXURY LOFT CONVERSION BALANCES HISTORIC PRESERVATION WITH ENERGY EFFICIENCY
The 80,000-square-foot Tilley Ladder Warehouse in Watervliet, N.Y. - once the oldest ladder manufacturing facility in the country - sat mostly vacant the last 10 years. Built in the 1890s, the building contained bricks, wooden columns, high-beamed ceilings, an old sawdust room, and a maintenance garage. In spite of its neglected condition, the structure, conveniently located in Watervliet- Port Schuyler neighborhood and easily accessible to Interstate 787, presented an ideal site for energy-efficient apartments. Furthermore, its proximity to a park and bike trail appealed to the aesthetics and eco-consciousness of the market-rate renter. Bringing this concept to reality required the collaborative efforts of several entities, including green building and energy efficiency specialist Sustainable Comfort, Inc.
