Basement Shift

The project began with a personal and professional vision: an architect turned developer sought to co-locate home and office in a historic warehouse that included an underutilized lower level for a co-work office space. Time and a century of misguided alterations had left the structure in a state of disrepair. Yet, the owner saw beyond the deterioration, recognized the building's historical relevance and grasped its capacity to catalyze a neighborhood revitalization.

The design draws inspiration from the site's industrial past - cues of past industrial machining - that inspired a concept centered on exposing and honoring the original building components, while integrating modern interventions through contemporary industrial vocabulary in an honest expression. The result is a layered dialogue between past and present. A century of alterations was carefully stripped away - layers of paint removed, original brickwork uncovered, and overlain floors refinished into authentic polished concrete. Wherever possible, the existing building fabric was preserved, repaired, and reintegrated into the design. A limited, purposefully raw new material palette includes translucent glazing, polycarbonate, mill finished steel, salvaged plywood, and wood pallets. Custom-designed furnishings reinforce the industrial narrative.

Location
Casper, Wyoming

Owner
T Square Land Company
Lyle Murtha, Owner
307-265-3611

Role
Architect of Record
Interior Design

Personnel
Lyle Murtha, Principal Architect

Scope
Re-Purposing (Interior)
Design-Build

Size
5,000 Square Feet

Cost
$200,000

Completed
2019