“The greenest building…is the one that is already built,” said Carl Elefante, architect, preservationist, and fellow at the American Institute of Architects. The practice of adaptive reuse gives new life and purpose to existing buildings. The following local businesses and organizations—led by big thinkers who invest in both the future of St. Louis while respecting its past—demonstrate what’s possible when need meets imagination.
Spring Church
Grand Center Arts District
Origins: Built in 1883, the church has been home to several congregations. The Memorial Church of God in Christ took possession of the building in the mid-1950s. In 2001, an electrical fire caused severe damage and the congregation made the decision to move on, selling what remained of the structure to Grand Center Inc. for $1.
Get a weekly dose of home and style inspiration
Subscribe to the St. Louis Design+Home newsletter to explore the latest stories from the local interior design, fashion, and retail scene.
Renovation: Although the church remained vacant for 20 years, it slowly turned into a beloved neighborhood gathering place. Its inherent beauty attracted wedding photographers and music videographers who used its stone façade as a backdrop. In 2021, the Pulitzer Arts Foundation acquired the building and committed to preserving it and the adjacent garden, transforming the site into an open-air pavilion for art and community. “We attempted to make as light of a touch as possible,” says Kristin Fleischmann Brewer, the Pulitzer’s deputy director of public engagement. In partnership with Kiku Obata & Co., which led the design, the team worked throughout the pandemic years to stabilize the vine-covered building.
Challenges: Fleischmann Brewer says that in a Renaissance revival-style building, all the structure is on the roof. “Without a roof to help keep everything stable,” she says, “these walls just want to come in. The I-beams are what keep everything standing.” The beams also create opportunities for programming. “It gives us flexibility to add infrastructure for artists to hang things, to add lighting,” she adds. Today, the limestone has been tuckpointed, the gunite repaired, and a conduit for electrical data, lighting, and security installed, all with the purpose of creating a safe, inviting space for the community to gather.
Atmosphere: “It’s like a public park. Anyone can come and spend time here,” says Fleischmann Brewer. “Everything that we want to happen here, we want to be free and open.”
Woodward Lofts
The Grove
Origins: The headquarters and factory of the Woodward & Tiernan Printing Co. was built in 1925 and designed by Klipstein & Rathmann. At the time, the 250,000-square-foot complex represented the evolution of industrial factory design.
Renovation: Developer Pier Property Group engaged Trivers Associates, a local architectural firm, to design 164 loft-style apartments that highlight the building’s existing features. One result: an adaptive reuse of the original historic brick “head house,” which once held administrative offices and is now used by residents as community conference rooms. In an enclosed rooftop space, giant water tanks have been carved out and fitted with benches, tables, and lighting to create a seating area.
Challenges: In order to be able to apply for historic tax credits, the team adhered to the guidelines of the National Park Service and the State Historic Preservation Office. “The tricky part is that these are adaptive reuse projects, not preservation projects,” says Joel Fuoss, AIA, Trivers partner/owner. “To adaptively reuse something, you have to understand that it needs a new life for it to be successful for the next 50 years. It’s bittersweet because you lose some of those quirky things.” In 2014, the building was listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Atmosphere: The building’s materials and graphics evoke its printing history, as seen in its inky-blue color scheme. Sections of the original factory roof have been peeled away to create garden spaces with natural light. The renovation received a 2023 Housing Award from the American Institute of Architects. “You have to think, What’s the building giving you to work with, and what story is it trying to tell? It’s addition by subtraction,” says Fuoss. “What can we lose and still retain the original integrity of the building?”
Stone Hall Cabinetry
Ladue
Origins: Built in 1928 as Meyer’s Market, this iconic Tudor revival building on Clayton Road later became known as Ladue Market. Four generations of the Meyers family operated the market until it closed in 2020.
Renovation: In 2021, Stone Hall Cabinetry began to transform the building into its cabinetry showroom. Period Restoration, the project’s general contractor, was hired to build out the space and restore the exterior. An overhang that blocked natural light from streaming in through the front windows was removed. The building’s new architectural elements include a multicolored slate roof, copper gutters, and windows. Dropped ceiling tiles were removed to reveal original 14-foot ceilings.
Challenges: The building was in poor shape, and the retail space had fallen into disrepair. Rebekah Moore Murphy, founder of Stone Hall Cabinetry, considered it important to bring more light into the building and update its systems.
Atmosphere: The showroom is designed with the warmth of a private home. “Good design marries function with aesthetics, but it goes beyond that for me to how you feel in a space,” says Murphy. To create this special atmosphere, she built “rooms” that highlight the company’s best offerings, in particular its signature high-gloss lacquered cabinetry with custom inlaid brass accents. The showroom’s classic black-and-white marble checkerboard floor complements each of the displays, which unifies the spaces and pays homage to the building’s era. “I feel really privileged because of what this building means to people,” says Murphy. “We’re doing what we did in this building to homes—restoring the integrity of history.”
Urban Buds, City Grown Flowers
Dutchtown
Origins: This flower farm dates back to at least 1870. The Held family purchased it in 1905 and ran it for three generations. In 1925, they opened a retail florist shop and, later, operated several large glass greenhouses, one of which is still standing. In the mid-1990s, the Helds sold the farm, and the property changed hands several times before Urban Buds purchased it in 2012 from then-owner Rev. Larry Rice.
Renovation: Co-owners and fellow farmers Karen “Mimo” Davis and Miranda Duschack have made use of every inch of the 1-acre property. They restored the florist shop storefront and one of the glass greenhouses—no easy feat. “This is a dinosaur,” Davis says. “They don’t build these anymore.” The original farmhouse was condemned and new plastic greenhouses rose up in its place. The owners also rehabbed a couple of 1950s brick bungalows on the property; Davis resides in one, and the other is operated as a charming vacation rental appropriately named Bloom Inn. Urban Buds is also restoring flower production in St. Louis.
Challenges: Doing repairs and finding people who can work on the glass greenhouse was, and continues to be, a challenge. “When we came in, the glass was broken, crunching under our feet. The gas wasn’t working, the water wasn’t working,” says Davis. “This is a labor of love.”
Atmosphere: Though the former retail shop is no longer in operation (Urban Buds sells at farmers markets, via special order, and through its CSA subscription service), Urban Buds has preserved its charm and curb appeal. The façade is painted bright turquoise, offset by a rainbow of beautiful blooms sprouting from the beds in front. The company recently employed local vintage-sign painter Jon Lloyd to create a hand-lettered sign for the storefront’s large plateglass windows that hearkens back to its origins. Even the alleyway behind Urban Buds is bedecked with beds so that neighbors “can see beauty,” Davis says.
Teleo Coffee
Kirkwood
Origins: Originally a single-family home built in the early 20th century, the bungalow-style house was also once occupied by a pharmacy group, and prior to that, a stationery store. Earlier this year, owner Olivia Tischler met a woman who grew up in the house. She shared photos from the 1950s.
Renovation: Tischler, a graduate of Saint Louis University, worked at a coffee house during college and says her faith inspired her to open Teleo: “I have a big passion for creating spaces for community and fellowship and for having a nice environment for that to happen,” she says. The design certainly encourages gathering. Local architect Brian Ivy designed a deck across the front of the building. Its vaulted beam structure mirrors its gabled entry, adding visual interest and outdoor seating. Last year, the project was recognized by the Kirkwood Landmarks Commission in the category of Commercial Addition and Renovation.
Challenges: While Tischler had a business plan when she graduated from college, she didn’t have the funds to buy the building. Once again, she looked to her faith, and Kirkwood’s Community Covenant Church (now Embrace Church) answered the call, offering to fund the purchase. Tischler continues to partner with the church to offer on-the-job training for people with special needs.
Atmosphere: When Tischler’s customers walk into the coffee house, she wants them to feel as if they’re walking into their own home. “Having the physical space be a home has aided that,” she says. The light-filled rooms are furnished with natural wood and decorated with plants, teal accent walls, and jute rugs. The family room is outfitted with sofas, a play table, and chalkboard that offers a spot for parents to relax while their kids play. “I felt like the Lord was calling me to open this coffee shop,” says Tischler. “I wanted to use it to show people how to love each other well. That’s our mission: Love your neighbor.”
Tim’s Chrome Bar
Bevo Mill neighborhood in South St. Louis City
Origins: This redbrick storefront building dates back to the 1920s. It has served variously as a post office and a small grocery. When Tim Pappas purchased the property in 1977, it was a neighborhood dive called Chrome Bar. Pappas added his name and operated it as Tim’s Chrome Bar for more than 40 years. In 2022, Pappas sold it to Amy Lewis and Pat and Carol Schuchard.
Renovation: Ushering in a new era was a collaborative effort by Lewis; the Schuchards; their daughter, Anne Schuchard; and Chelsea Pfister, who manages the bar. They preserved the bar’s original neon sign, which fell and broke during a thunderstorm shortly after opening in February, and is currently being re-created. The interior got a top-to-bottom makeover that included a new bar and stage, and created an eye-catching ceiling of colorfully painted suspended flowers, handmade by Anne and Pat. The team is also restoring damage to the exterior. Its ornamental terra cotta is being recast to look like the original.
Challenges: When the owners bought the building, it had been vacant for a couple years. It needed a new roof and systems.
Atmosphere: The bar’s new look plays to its 1970s origins in an electrifying Instagram-ready manner. The contemporary art has been mostly created by the Schuchards. “It has an edge to it and doesn’t just let you settle on nostalgia,” says Pat. Two vignettes with vintage sofas, chairs, and an avocado-green malm fireplace are reminiscent of a groovy basement rec-room. Anne, who has a background in design, selected colorful wallpapers and installed them in cutouts on the lime-green walls. Pfister’s food and drink menu is as creative as the space, offering shared punch bowls that feel right at home. “We’re starting to get feedback from long-term neighbors,” says Pat. “They’re happy with what we’ve done and feel like we’ve helped the neighborhood, and that really makes us feel good.”
SWT Design
Webster Groves
Origins: The oldest of the three connected buildings that now make up the offices of SWT Design is a classic Webster Groves Victorian house. Commercially zoned for years, the integrated landscape architecture firm moved there in 1996. As the company grew, it expanded into two commercial buildings next door to the original house.
Renovation: SWT’s offices are designed to work in many of the building’s Victorian architectural details, such as the original fireplace, millwork, hardwood floors, and stained-glass window. The late architect Philip Durham designed its first addition, a modern studio attached to the back of the original house. One at a time the firm expanded into the two adjacent buildings, connecting them and creating more light-filled, modern studio space, as well as surrounding green areas, including a rain garden and a green roof on its SITES-rated campus. “We aimed to create a strong connection to nature from the outside in. With each expansion and renovation project we maximized daylight, operable windows, and views to the surrounding courtyards and landscape,” says Bonnie Roy, a partner at SWT.
Challenges: Connecting three separate and distinct buildings into one seamless workplace can be daunting, but conservation and restoration are part of the company’s ethos. So, rather than bulldozing and starting anew, the team adapted what was there while respecting the surrounding environment.
Atmosphere: The firm’s entry and studio spaces are open and serene, with natural wood accents and views of the landscape from every window—despite being situated at a busy intersection. The green roof is outfitted with a table and chairs, offering a great spot to work in the fresh air. The rain garden, which captures storm water from the front of the building and carries it under a connecting bridge, and mini-gardens surrounding the parking lot are more examples of what SWT calls “living design.” “We utilize our campus as a living laboratory and appreciate the opportunity to exhibit suburban commercial redevelopment and adaptive reuse as an alternative example to new construction,” says Roy.
Jamieson Design
Central West End
Origins: Designed by local architect John Ludwig Wees and completed in 1912, this industrial warehouse building served as the Dorris Motor Car Co.’s original factory and showroom. It was later purchased by the Oliver Cadillac Co. dealership, which operated through 1941, and then by Lindbergh Cadillac.
Renovation: The structure is now Dorris Lofts condominiums, one of St. Louis’ first residential loft conversions, completed in 1985. Jamieson Design occupies the original auto showroom with its own elegant street entry. Interior designer Jimmy Jamieson took over the 4,000-square-foot space nearly 25 years ago, building it out to suit the needs of his staff and clients while honoring the building’s history.
Challenges: Previously occupied by an advertising agency, the showroom was fully open when Jamieson acquired it, save for the bathrooms, so it offered both a challenge and a clean slate. He put up walls to create offices, workrooms, and client meeting spaces. He retained some of the original charm by re-creating columns and millwork that harken back to the turn of the century, and he preserved the original showroom tile floor.
Atmosphere: The studio highlights Jamieson’s signature style with classic antique furnishings and modern art, including an astonishing 8-foot-by-10-foot painting by Julian Schnabel. Antiques from the Biedermeier period are complemented by contemporary upholstery with an Art Deco nod. An ornate coffee table, which was owned by Jacqueline Kennedy during her years at the White House and then purchased at auction from her estate, is a fun conversation piece. “I like the big windows, tall ceiling, and natural light, and that it’s in the city,” says Jamieson. “Being part of the evolution of the neighborhood is nice. I’ve lived here for over 40 years, so I’ve seen the good, the bad, and the ugly.”
Mademan Design
Central West End
Origin: 614 Lake sits on the southern edge of the Delmar Maker District. The brick structure was built in the early 1900s; city records aren’t clear on the exact date, but it appears to have served as a training facility for Southwestern Bell before being repurposed as a Baptist church.
Renovation: Mademan Design is an atypical firm in that its two principals, Nick Adams and Patrick Knobloch, do architecture as well as fabrication. Several years ago, while on the lookout for a new headquarters, they needed space for an office and a shop. They saw potential in the Lake property. Upon getting site control, they knocked out the first floor, which was 6 feet above street level, and poured a new floor at grade to facilitate future deliveries from the adjoining alley. They also stripped canary-yellow paint to expose the original tan brick. To make an office, they sleeved a modern addition onto the front, such that at the middle, a new window overlaps with an original, affording a view of both halves of Mademan’s operations. The office addition honors the past in other ways: A skylight allows sunlight to wash over the original edifice, and the exterior’s Corten steel has taken on a variegated patina in the way that St. Louis brick does.
Challenges: When Mademan acquired the property, the only place to build an addition was the front yard, but the property lay just inside the Central West End Historic District, so Mademan had to first persuade the district’s board to cut it out of their jurisdiction, then have it rezoned.
Atmosphere: There in the Delmar Makers District, Mademan is a kindred spirit to its neighbors, which include MADE, Third Degree Glass Factory, and Craft Alliance. As for the property on Lake, Knobloch says: “We’re not trying to dilute the purity of what’s existing. We’re trying to juxtapose so that each piece that’s built reflects the technology of its time.”
