Flophouse:: Adaptive Reuse

The flophouse was my senior project at UI.

I took an old grainary, the symbol of the palouse, and turned it into a mixed use building including multi-level income housing with a focus on students and exchange students, rentable art studios, public venue space & retail & office spaces.

The project was very large in scale and turned into a study of client needs and large scale commercial space planning. Here is a briefing on the overall concept, building plans, & an example of one of the spaces.

In the heart of the small college community of Moscow, Idaho an old industrial building finds new meaning.
A center of communion for fresh thinking
individuals from all over the globe.
The building provides a hip living environment with
multiple dwelling options.
Space available for concerts, art shows, celebrations, & other community needs provides a venue for meeting new & old friends.
Convenient amenities such as close proximity to campus, downtown,& Paradise Path, as well as retail & dining


concept story

images of the building

inside the venue space all of the original beams will be exposed

this picture shows the sun coming through the woodpaned clerestory windows--

beautiful site

this has been in the building since it was built early in the 20th century- it will also be kept in the pubic venue space as a reminder of the buildings past

proposed site plan of building

including public garden, more green spaces and resident parking

floor plans--nts

*dont forget to click to enlarge :)

5th,6th, & 7th floor plans-nts

detail of penthouse and observatory all located in main tower

2nd, 3rd, & 4th floor plans

studio, 1 bdrm, 2 bdrm, deluxe 2 bd room, & laundry

first floor common apts- nts

4 units, each containing 4 bedrooms & shared common areas
in trying to create levels of privacy 2 units share a meeting common area for visitors & then move into the shared apartment, & then private bedroom

furniture plans of the common apartments-nts

Most students at UI are coming from somewhere else; many of those students are from small towns around Idaho and there are also many students from around the world.

I wanted to create a living situation that was off campus but still gave students a chance to meet others and be within walking distance of downtown, school, & other community activities.

The common apartments are furnished still have a lot of style on a budget, as many students are coming from long distances and it is not feasible to move a house full of furniture.

rendering of kitchen in common apartments

as highlighted in furnished plan above

the whole building utilizes sustainable and salvaged materials

the kitchens feature bamboo cabinets, paperstone counter tops, stainless steel for it's long life and durability, & a unique wood flooring made from the salvaged end cuts of hard woods.