MISSOURI PRESERVATION HONORS EAST ARMOUR APARTMENTS

On March 5 at the 2009 Preservation Honor Awards in Jefferson City, the Missouri Alliance for Historic Preservation (MAHP) will honor the project team of East Armour Apartments with the Preserve Missouri Award. This historic renovation project of affordable apartments located in Kansas City, Mo. was completed by Eagle Point Companies, Rosemann & Associates, PC and Straub Construction.

According to its’ website, MAHP annually honors individuals, groups and organizations that have contributed to the preservation of Missouri's diverse collection of historic resources. Awards are given to outstanding projects in commercial and residential rehabilitation, neighborhood revitalization, landscape protection and archaeology.
“This is truly a great honor and a pleasure for the entire team,” says Don Rosemann, AIA. “The project created interesting challenges to uncover and provided us with a chance to restore the beauty within these buildings that had been lost for decades.”

The East Armour Apartments includes the renovation of 300+ one- and two- bedroom units. With five buildings in three sites, the project is a historical landmark that has played a large role in the community’s urban renewal efforts.

“We believe the preservation or reuse of historic structures typically results in a better long-term outcome for the community,” says Eagle Point Companies’ Managing Director Todd Alexander. “If you're willing to put in the time and effort, you can usually find a way to adaptively reuse or reposition a property, rather than just tear it down.”

East Armour Apartments has also been recognized as an honoree at the 2008 Kansas City Business Journal’s Capstone Award Ceremony and won national recognition with the J. Timothy Anderson Historic Preservation Award in the Affordable Housing category.

“Preserving our historic buildings will create a lasting history of our neighborhoods, our communities, our cities and our very being for future generations to enjoy,” says Rosemann.

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ROSEMANN COMPLETES NEW SENIOR LIVING COMMUNITY

Kansas City, Mo. – The construction of a 42 unit, independent senior living community in Kansas City, Mo. known as D.A. Holmes II Senior Apartments is now complete and 100 percent occupied due to owner D.A. Holmes Senior Housing II, L.P. and architectural and interior design firm Rosemann & Associates, PC.

“We exceeded our occupancy projections for three reasons – facilities amenities, management and location,” says Donald Rosemann, NCARB, AIA, DBIA.

Located at 3020 Benton Boulevard in Jackson County’s Sante Fe Place Historic District, the project was funded by 9% Low Income Housing Tax Credits provided by the Missouri Housing Development Commission.

Rosemann designed the new building to compliment its historic surroundings by pulling elements such as a cast stone base and varied roof heights used on the existing school structure located on the same campus. In 2004, the school was renovated into elderly apartments during phase one by a separate ownership entity.

“The existing school provided us with an opportunity to create a larger senior campus where residents have more green space to socialize and interact,” says Rosemann.

The $4.9 million, affordable senior housing project also contains common areas, office space, a craft room, a fitness center, laundry facilities, a media library, a hair salon, and a home theater for residents.

For more information about this project contact the Kansas City office at 816.472.1448.

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Inspiring Green Community Design

The City of Santa Fe, New Mexico recently held a design competition in conjunction with GreenWORKS challenging designers to create an affordable housing development that incorporates sustainability principles in a cost-effective and realistic manner.

In their submittals, design teams needed to provide a site design that allowed as many as six homes, determine a realistic development budget, comply with a green building checklist, create a replicable development model, integrate the historic character of the neighborhood, and incorporate community input into the design process.

Along with 23 other submittals, Rosemann’s team created a community inspired design entitled “Zocalo Alto.” Zocalo is a word used in 19th century Mexico meaning the central square where civic activity took place. “Alto” pays homage to the actual development site.

The integrated design team contained members with experience in Green Communities as well as LEED sustainability systems. With members from Rosemann and EM Harris Construction, long-range goals for market, sustainability, usability, and maintenance were integral to the design and budget decisions.

An addition to the team of neighbors and potential buyers of the property helped upgrade the goals of the design while identifying real world ideas that people care about. At Rosemann, we see an Integrated Design Team always as an opportunity to produce a design that is vital and authentic.

To view Rosemann's team submittal as well as other team submittals visit http://santafenm.gov/index.asp?NID=1651.

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