The Public Works

Located in the Bayside neighborhood of Portland, The Public Works was conceived with a design + build + develop approach.  Acting as the architects, general contractors and client, the project goal was to transform a single story brick building previously used as one of Portland’s municipal public works facilities into a vibrant hub of creative energy.  The various programmed spaces consist of private office suites, coworking studio spaces/offices, fabrication studios for furniture and custom millwork and a multipurpose event space used to host a variety of event types ranging from ping pong tournaments to weddings.

While each of the spaces is distinct in how it is used by its occupants, all spaces have similar design characteristics that harken back to the building’s pragmatic past as a municipal facility.  Materials were, wherever possible, repurposed for use in the new spaces .  Examples of this include existing half lite office doors that were repurposed as transom windows for conference rooms and the reuse of existing industrial storage mezzanines for additional office space and meeting areas.  Existing masonry walls and wood ceilings were left largely intact to provide the building a weathered industrial feel consistent with prior use while integrating new finish materials in select locations and incorporating modernized systems in an effort to make the spaces more efficient, sustainable and comfortable for occupants.  Locally sourced pine and cedar cladding was used specifically for its connection to Maine’s lumber manufacturing industry and is on display on both the interior and exterior of the building.

The project was completed in 2018 and is approximately 14,000 square feet.  Renovations were completed with a budget of $850,000.