Recent Projects

900 on Lee

Finished in January of 1969, One Commerce Square opened with a dedication ceremony and public tours of the new banking area claiming to have, “opened a new era in Charleston banking.”

The building is a total of 18 stories of site-cast concrete frame construction featuring ribbed slabs and curtain wall glazing. Levels 1-4 were designed to house the banking functions while Levels 5-17 were core and shell reserved for future office space build-outs. Level 18 was dedicated to housing the large mechanical equipment used to heat and cool the building. In the Fall of 2022, after years of banking and business occupancy, and most recently sitting vacant, 900 on Lee opened its doors offering residents of Charleston a total of 65 one- and two-bedroom luxury apartments with amenities located on Levels 3-17 in the former One Commerce Square building.
The living and sleeping areas in each new dwelling unit are arranged to capture the curtain wall glazing and expansive views of downtown Charleston. The ceilings in each space were carefully designed and coordinated so the underside of the ribbed concrete floors were left exposed, where possible, to serve as the finished ceiling. Each unit features a kitchen that is open to the dining and living areas which are in turn open to the curtain wall glazing and views beyond. Each bedroom is fitted with its own walk-in closet and private bathroom. A new VRF (variable refrigerant flow) system was designed to provide ductless and efficient heating and cooling for each unit.

Amenity spaces inside the building include a large club room, theater room, two fitness areas, and a dog wash. The club room, located on Level 6, is designed for both large or small gatherings and events. It hosts a full-size bar, fireplace, pool table, and two seating areas. One of the two fitness rooms, also on Level 6, offers additional recreational space and a built-in sauna. Both the club room and fitness area on Level 6 take advantage of the surrounding curtain wall glazing and views. The theater, located on Level 3, is located internally and contains three tiers of reclined seating and surround sound.

900 on Lee is an example of existing building reuse and high-rise luxury living in a city that encourages residents to live, work, and play downtown.

Liberty Village Senior Housing

Originally built in 1921, the YWCA of Charleston, WV owned and occupied the building at 1114 Quarrier Street until 2018.

The historic exterior of the existing building was restored and an 18-unit, 3-story addition was constructed at the rear. A transitional “hyphen” was designed and built to create a successful and preservation-appropriate transition from the old to the new. The remaining 30 dwelling units were carefully designed to fit inside the exterior walls, concrete frame, and window patterns of the existing, historic structure.

On the exterior, existing vinyl replacement windows were replaced with historically accurate, Energy Star rated clad wood-framed windows with simulated, divided lites. Brick and stone masonry were gently cleaned, windows were restored back into brick-filled openings, and standing seam metal roofing was replaced to match in scale, rib height, and color. The decorative wood cornice, brackets, and pediment separating the brick masonry walls from the roof were cleaned, restored, and painted. The clay tile roofing on the front half of the gable roof was preserved.

The 1985 renovated interior was cleared to make room for dwelling unit layout and construction. Preserved and restored historic elements include hardwood flooring, exterior wall plaster, and wall, window, door, and crown moldings. New ceilings were designed to clear and not obstruct window head heights. The gymnasium floor was saved and restored down the building’s new central corridor while the two original fireplaces were preserved.

Liberty Village is an example of historic reuse and restoration providing much-needed affordable, senior housing to residents 55 years or older in Charleston’s Downtown Historic District.