Honor Awards

Nathan James Plaza Building – Wolstenholme Associates, John Wolstenholme, AIA, LEED AP

The Nathan James House, built in 1888 for Mr. and Mrs. Nathan James, Esq., was designed by one of Philadelphia’s most revered 19th century architects, Milton Bean. It was originally constructed as a residential duplex, with the other half occupied by James’ son and daughter-in law.

Over the years, the south side of the duplex, (now known as The Nathan James Plaza Building), changed hands many times and was most recently owned by the County of Bucks to house their Legal Aid office. In 2014, the building was sold once again and the firm that took on the historically sensitive task as architect and construction manager used its expertise to bring this majestic building back to its original glory, while modernizing it for today’s technological needs.

Jurors’ Comments

The jury was impressed by this project’s aesthetic and programmatic choreography of old and new in order to transform a fading single-use building into a dynamic, mixed-used landmark and acknowledges the inherent challenges of creating balance among contrast. This project celebrates the importance of preserving important structures, especially those which have fallen into disrepair and finds creative ways to breathe excitement back into one of them through uncovering and discovery.  The design lovingly and attentively brings back the past glory of the building’s exterior and juxtaposes contemporary vitality through thoughtful interior interventions.  These interventions respond to the specific and distinct potential of each room and weave an energetic yet respectful contemporary vision through the building’s historic traditions, materials, and details.  For that, we applaud this project and recognize it with an Honor Award.

Throughout the construction process many challenges were presented. The building was originally designed as a residence and was later converted into a law office due to its proximity to the Court House, with an apartment on the third floor. Although the first floor was in good condition, the deterioration on the upper floors increased dramatically due to poor renovations or severe neglect. The roof had a hole, reportedly for years, which allowed squirrels, bats, and other vermin to take up residence and deemed the attic and third floor apartment as not safe to occupy. Food was left in the refrigerator of this unoccupied apartment for 15 years and wind blew through the rest of the building, leading to exorbitant heating bills.

The vastly different conditions between the respective floors inspired the architect’s approach to tailor the type and extent of renovation for each floor to the amount of restoration needed. This was regarded as an excellent opportunity to highlight the various degrees of renovation sensible to historic structures: since the first floor was in relatively good condition, the focus was on historic preservation; the chopped up condition of the second floor necessitated a more transitional approach; and the third floor required a total gutting, inspiring a more eclectic, modern design. Later, the undeveloped basement was renovated into new, modern office space.

Working closely with the builder, the architect ensured a seamless transition between new and old. To match the existing stone, Wissahickon Schist was obtained from a stone quarry in Glenside, one of only two surviving quarries in the world still carrying this type of stone. Additionally, replacements for the several granite windowsills that were missing were sourced from Rhode Island, which was the only place that still offered the specific color found on the building. Carpet and linoleum was removed, exposing beautiful maple and pine flooring; chipped and scratched wood wainscoting and the wood paneled ceiling were painstakingly restored; windows and doors were restored or replaced; and a fireplace, previously hidden behind a wall, was discovered and exposed. An open loft with a bathroom suspended from the roof trusses above was added to the third floor apartment, in addition to a modern kitchen, wine attic, and expanded deck. Finally, the floor of the basement was dug out to add ceiling height and the stone foundation walls were exposed. It was this careful attention to detail that made the new renovations so successful. Moreover, the entire building now features full modern conveniences, state-of- the-art ductless HVAC zoned systems, and full building automation technology. While this project presented many challenges to preserve the original design integrity, it was nevertheless quite fulfilling, as a treasured Doylestown gem has now been restored to its original grandeur.