A legacy of 19th century industrial production often renders former manufacturing centers difficult to reposition for contemporary programs, especially in cities that have a large inventory of such underutilized space. A factory dump adjacent to the former mill is overgrown and restricts access to the Naugatuck River.
OUR RESPONSE
Spaces designed for one purpose lend themselves for adaptive reuse when one capitalizes on their intrinsic spatial characteristics. The wide range of building sizes signal a phased revitalization strategy that creates centers of around courtyards. The 11-acre landfill provides a landscape for active recreation and an extension of the trial network from downtown.
The Results
Additional environmental studies are being conducted on the 12-building complex and clean-up has been initiated in structures most viable for reuse.
