David Baird (Architecture) recently won the Gold Rose Design Award from the Baton Rouge American Institute of Architects for an office renovation/addition completed this summer.

About the project:

This project is situated in the Historic Old South Baton Rouge neighborhood once referred to as the “bottoms” — the area strategically located between the Louisiana State University campus and downtown Baton Rouge. This modest renovation/addition fits into the city’s overall master plan and ongoing revitalization efforts in the area. The project involved renovating an existing single-story building and adding a second floor (roof deck to be added at a later date).

The design utilizes modest materials and geometries appropriate for the gritty side street that terminates near the levy. The second-floor windows (and future roof deck) provide views of the Mississippi River Bridge. A yellow shaft cuts through the building and is visible from the outside as well as most of the interior spaces. Capped with skylights, this shaft connects the first and second floors — celebrating the transition between the old and new.

In contrast to the existing structure, the second-floor addition is designed to be full of natural light, colorful, and open. Offices and support spaces surround a central core designed to house workstations. The sliding glass partitions that enclose the offices and meeting areas provide acoustic separation while maintaining the openness and visual connection expected in a progressive, collaborative office space. The design strikes a balance between cost and aspiration, transforming an uninviting one-story structure into a functioning office space for a dynamic small business.