St. Louis, MO (March 10, 2008) - Trivers Associates, an architecture firm with offices in St. Louis and Edwardsville, was recently honored with the "Preserve Missouri Award" for their designs and restoration work for the Roberts Place Lofts, in St. Louis' Upper West End. The award, bestowed by the Missouri Alliance for Historic Preservation, recognizes excellence in important historic preservation projects to the State of Missouri.
At a ceremony in the State Capitol Rotunda, Hilary Machovina and Andrew Smith, from Trivers Associates, and Virvus Jones and Aliah Baker, from Roberts Companies, accepted the award from the statewide preservation alliance. Each year, eight projects are chosen from across the state for the honor.
Trivers' historic rehabilitation plans for the Roberts Place Lofts featured 72 unique residences, in a pair of four-story brick buildings and a one-story shop, built in 1905 by Washington University to house its Manual Training School and Smith Academy which later became Enright Elementary School. The impressive buildings showcase a number of historic features including terracotta accents, projecting arched entrances, and wide corridors, articulated by rows of clerestory windows; while also incorporating modern aspects, including an outdoor pool and separate spa, a sports court, a passive courtyard and a fully skylit Community Room.
Trivers faced several challenges in restoring and converting the interiors of the buildings to residential use, while retaining the character of the corridors and several voluminous gymnasium and auditorium spaces. The creativity of the design team yielded a project that was approved for Historic Tax Credits, while at the same time, providing the Roberts Companies with more residential units than were originally planned.
"We are thrilled to have been involved with such an important and exciting project. The buildings encompass so many facets of St. Louis' history, including Washington University, Harris Teachers College, and T.S. Eliot. We were able to transform the buildings into 72 contemporary residential units, while maintaining the historic features and proportions that make them so great," said Andrew Smith, AIA, of Trivers Associates.
Founded in 1976 as the Missouri Heritage Trust, Missouri Preservation is Missouri's only statewide, non-profit organization dedicated to promoting, supporting, and coordinating historic preservation activities throughout the state. Headquartered in Columbia, Missouri, the organization includes a network of individuals, organizations, and preservation commissions dedicated to preserving the rich and diverse cultural and historic resources of the "Show Me State." For more information about Missouri Preservation, visit the organization's Web site at www. Preservemo.org.
Trivers specializes in historic renovations and its other works to advance campus communities include Washington University's Wilson Hall, Stephens College's Lela Raney Wood Hall in Columbia, Missouri, and Greenville College's Hogue Hall in Greenville, Illinois. For more information about Trivers Associates, visit the company's Web site at http://www.trivers.com/.
About Trivers
With offices in Missouri and Illinois, Trivers Associates is a national architecture firm that is well known for its six specialized Design Studios - Civic, Cultural, Education, Health & Wellness, Housing, and Hospitality. Recent projects include adaptive reuse of historic properties with the General Service Administration in Texas, North Carolina, and Missouri; architectural and engineering services for the American Cancer Society in Texas and Pennsylvania; and design of the nation's first large-scale multi-family Universal Design residential property in Missouri.
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