FNB: The Project (in a nutshell)

This project is actually pretty simple - although the number of parts consistently overwhelms me.  The First National Building (FNB) is, at its most basic, a renovation of a typical commercial building in a Midwest downtown.  The fun (and difficult) part of this project was adapting the existing residential units to current standards...and replace the dilapidated and outdated interiors.

    

These photos show some of the hardships that these apartments have now.  Thankfully no one has lived here in approximately 5 years.  Among the many problems:

1. Inadequate heat (you can see the wall mounted gas heater in one of the units) and no air conditioning.
2. The original 12' ceilings have been lower to 7'-6".
3. The original 8' windows have been chopped to 4'.
4. To say that the kitchens are minimal would be an understatement.

There is no way that we could, in good conscience, rent these apartments as they are right now.  As we began to evaluate the building these were the first to be reviewed.  We set about looking for ways to make the apartments more efficient while, at the same time, more attractive.  The result = lots of demolition.
 

The new apartment layouts include brand new kitchens and bathrooms arranged loft-style to maximize space and natural light.  The location of the building on the end of block allows for a relatively large number of windows a great quantity of light in all apartments.
  

The great thing about using Revit for this project is that we can SEE apartments before they are constructed.  As shown above, we can show the improvements to the kitchens for the benefit of owner, contractor and potential tenants before we get started.

One of the most important parts of this project is to bring back good residential opportunities to downtown Montpelier.  I can hardly wait to see these apartments in person!

Next up: improvements to the exterior.