To accommodate the underground jazz club within the Archer building, the design team had to expand beneath the structure. The jazz club was placed into an already existing basement on the east side of the building on Detroit Avenue. However, it needed about 600 square feet of additional space to accommodate a green room and storage.
During the process of expanding, the building had to be temporarily reinforced from the basement all the way to the top. “Another thing that’s interesting about the jazz club is the existing concrete columns impeded sightlines to the stage,” Lilly says. “We actually had to shore up the building all the way up again to cut the concrete columns that were larger and replace them with a round steel column that afforded much better sightlines for the venue.”
The team also rebuilt the staircase on the east side of the building to allow multiple points of access for flexibility and two means of egress from the basement. Today, soft jazz melodies can be heard from time-to-time wafting out into the street on busy summer nights.
Architectural Integrity
The Archer building received state and federal tax credits and, therefore, had to adhere to historic preservation guide- lines. For example, Lilly and his team made painstaking efforts to ensure the integrity of the façade was maintained throughout the project. When repointing the masonry, the team identified a new mortar that was a near perfect match to the original mortar. “Oftentimes, if you go in and mess up the mortar, that will change the building substantially,” Lilly says. “It’s really important to get that correct.”
Steel windows throughout the building were repaired and reglazed. However, wood windows had to be replaced. New curtainwalls were recessed and installed where larger entrances originally were located. This helps with wayfinding and clarifying the varying uses of the Archer building.
In addition, Lilly wanted to uncover some of the building’s history that had been painted over during the decades. Many older buildings and warehouses have “ghost signs”, or painted names of tenants who occupied the building long ago. Lilly assumed the Archer building would be no different but, when the project began, the building was painted a tan color, and the team didn’t know specifically where the ghost signs were located.
Lilly reached out to Rick Parker of Parker Conservation Inc. in Gentry, Ark. Parker is a professional associate with the American Institute of Conservation and Lilly had previous experience with him and his skills. Parker tested areas of the building that were likely to have ghost signs.
Parker also tested the tan paint on the building and determined its composition so it could be removed safely without damaging the lead-based paint ghost signs beneath the more modern paint. Today, the Archer building shows the ghosts of businesses that once called it home.
“This building has a long history, and it’s exciting to see it,” Lilly states. “As you renovate an old building, you notice all these little things, like a line in the concrete or scars that are left behind that tell the history of the structure. When you find ghost signs like this, or even hidden behind walls or openings that have been filled in, it tells the story of the building and it shares the history with the broader community.”
Inherent Value
The Archer project was completed in 2019 and boasts 14 different tenants, including a bookstore, chocolatier and yoga studio. And the project was designed with the future in mind. Plenty of chase space in the middle of the building gives HVAC systems on the first level flexibility now and for future tenants.
In addition, the project has spurred adjacent development and momentum continues. Today, the Tulsa Arts District is a walkable haven full of public parks, art spaces, restaurants, retail, a baseball park, bars and nightlife. Just 10 years ago, it was practically deserted, full of unused buildings and some storage. The Archer warehouse renovation honors the past, serves the present and looks to the future.
“By preserving an existing building rather than demolishing and building a new one, the surrounding neighborhood benefits because the preservation of one building demonstrates the value of preserving the surrounding buildings,” Lilly says.
Retrofit Team
Architect: Lilly Architects
Acoustical Engineer: JEAcoustics
Civil Engineer: Wallace Engineering
Structural Engineer: 360 Engineering
MEP Engineer: HP Engineering Inc.
Ghost Sign Restoration: Parker Conservation Inc., (479) 736-8703
Materials
Curtainwall: Clearwall Curtainwall System from Kawneer
Replacement Windows: Weather Shield Windows & Doors
Carpet: Design Journey, Chok Tile, 99760, from Shaw Contract
Base: Reveal, MWF-XXX-F, Silver Grey WG, from Johnsonite
Paint: Alabaster SW7008, Tricorn Black SW6258, from Sherwin-Williams
Tile: Industrial Park, Charcoal Black IP09, by Daltile
Countertops: Solid surface, Cameo White and Deep Caviar, from Corian
Ceiling: Tectum Inc.
Roller Window Shades: Double-Take T100 from SWF Contract
Lighting: Axis, Columbia Lighting, Cree Lighting, DesignPlan, Dual-Lite, Elite LED Lighting, Hess America, Isolite, Juno, Kim Lighting, LF Illumination, Startek Lighting America, Williams, Tech Lighting, and Tivoli
Ceiling Hangers: Kinetics Noise Control