June 2017

102 BUILD / June 2017 , Inner City Revitalisation Sandvick Architects, included in the Architecture Top 50, was formed in 1990 by Jonathan Sandvick. Today, the firm consists of a teamof exceptional professionals with architectural, historic preservation, code, planning and urban design expertise. We invited the firm’s Office Manager Joyce Varlamos to write about the firm’s founder - and their clear mission of assisting the revitalisation of downtowns and inner city neighbourhoods - both large and small. After graduating from Kent State, the firm’s founder Jonathan Sandvick began his career with the preeminent design firm of Don M. Hisaka, Architects. Jonathan then took his talents to Planning Resources, Inc., becoming the principal heading their architectural department. In 1990, Sandvick Architects, Inc. was formed, with the mission of assisting the revitalisation of downtowns and city neighbourhoods, encouraging reinvestment in our nation’s existing building stock, finding new uses for underutilised buildings, and promoting planning with preservation as a central initiative to restore community identity and viability. Jonathan is an expert in the architectural analysis of historic buildings, programming and feasibility studies; indeed, his efforts are distinguished by the successful use of historic rehabilitation tax credits and conservation easements to provide redevelopment financing for a wide variety of projects. Jonathan has been an architect of record for over 40 buildings historically rehabilitated and adaptively used in Cleveland alone, and has achieved housing for nearly 5000 residents (nearing 3000 housing units) in historic preservation adaptive reuse projects. Jonathan and his firm have been honoured with over 40 awards for excellence, demonstrating an unyielding commitment to quality preservation practices for over twenty-five years. Sandvick Architects is respected as a leader in historic preservation architecture, with an emphasis on adaptive use and innovative code compliance strategies. Our service often results in highest and best use solutions capitalising on the finest building fabric within the built environment. The firm is distinctly recognised for its works in urban revitalisation, including consistent success utilising the historic tax credit process, and our familiarity with the State Historic Preservation Offices in Ohio, Wisconsin, Michigan, Indiana, Pennsylvania, New York and Connecticut, in addition to the National Park Service. The firm also designs new structures, large and small, with over 25 community and recreation centres to its credit. Our firm enjoys a broad range of clients, including community development corporations, private developers, local governments and religious institutions. Project sizes range up to $60 million in development cost and over one million square feet in size. We have completed a considerable number of property feasibility studies that have proceeded with finality. Our firm’s experience also includes housing, hotel, office, retail, community and recreation facilities, senior centres, convention conference facilities, city administration buildings, police and fire facilities, churches, and urban design projects. The firm’s extensive urban design experience includes, in concert with other consultants, the development master plans. We are nationally known for our expertise in the use of historic rehabilitation tax credit, and have completed more tax credit projects than any other firm in Ohio. Twice, Sandvick Architects have received the most prestigious award in historic preservation from the National Trust of Historic Preservation. We are currently among the top firms in the nation in the number of tax credit projects we are completing. Additionally, we have pioneered innovative use of historic conservation easements, providing critical financing for projects while ensuring that key historic elements are preserved for perpetuity. The firm’s residential portfolio includes: Union Gospel Press c.1860-1940 | Cleveland, Ohio Union Gospel Press is an approximately 155,000 sq. ft. complex comprised of 13 masonry and 2 wood frame buildings in the Tremont neighbourhood just south of downtown Cleveland. Constructed in phases over eight decades, the interconnected buildings now enclose one large courtyard and two smaller ones. The architect remains unknown - but most the complex was constructed for the Gospel Worker’s Society as a missionary, hospital, and evangelical publishing house. The intricate and challenging interiors of the interconnected buildings were rehabilitated to house 102 units, consisting of both residential apartments and extended stay suites. The $21 million project was completed in 2009. Services provided: architect of record; preservation consulting for federal and state historic tax credits. Osborn Building - 1896, 1909 | Cleveland, Ohio - Lehman & Schmitt, Original Architects The Osborn Building is a 6-7 story flat-iron shaped building, at the triangular corner formed by Huron Road and Prospect Ave., in downtown Cleveland. 1703BU18