The Finn Lofts / el dorado

The Finn Lofts is located in the heart of what has come to be known as the commerce street arts district in Wichita, Kansas. The project converts an early century warehouse building into a community of dwellings, and retail spaces that compliments the local art community.

More photographs and drawings following the break.

Architects: el dorado inc
Location: Wichita, Kansas, USA
Structural Engineers: BDC
MEP Engineers: PKMR
General Contractor: Farha Construction
Landplan-landscape arch/civil engineering: code consultant services
Owner: Finn’s Lofts LLC
Project Area: 30,757 sqf
Project Year: 2010
Photographs: Mike Sinclair

The challenge was to create twenty seven residential units, all with natural light and ventilation. Originally used as a transfer point for cargo between locomotives and trucks, the existing structure has a large square floor plate with limited opportunities for apertures to the exterior.

The solution is based on the simple notion that light can be borrowed both horizontally and vertically. By understanding the constraints and opportunities of the site and existing structure, our approach focuses on four strategies: Adapting, Removing, Carving and Adding.