Company: Design-Build Partners
Headquarters: Louisville, Kentucky
Industry: Real Estate Development
Company Size: Small (annual revenues of less than $50 million)
"Life without the arts is life without substance and beauty. Our entire
development process is devoted to contributing to the life of the city through
carefully-designed buildings that create and enhance the community atmosphere of
the city."
– William Weyland, Managing Director
Objectives
To enhance its position as an innovative development firm and to attract local
arts groups as full partners in community economic development projects.
Process
- In an effort to revitalize Louisville’s historic district, Design-Build
Partners worked with local artists and arts organizations to design, develop and
coordinate The Glassworks District, a mixed-use commercial and residential
complex, which includes the restored Kentucky Opera building, the Louisville
Slugger Museum, and The Louisville Glassworks Lofts.
- The Glassworks Lofts is a nine-story facility that includes studio, display
and sales areas for glass artists. Visitors may observe artists working in many
types of glass-making from traditional glass blowing to stained glass and newer,
innovative techniques. Many of the works, created by local and world-renowned
artists, may be purchased in the facility’s two art galleries.
- The Glassworks Lofts, the first major residential loft project in
Louisville, also offers artists affordable living and studio space in the
downtown area.
- Commercial space in the Lofts serves as the corporate headquarters for
Architectural Glass Art, Inc., a local firm focused on the use of glass in
architectural and residential spaces.
Results
The Glassworks District has enhanced Design-Build’s reputation as an
innovative company dedicated to improving the Louisville community, has
increased revenue for the company through the leasing of residential and
commercial spaces, and revitalized the downtown area by creating jobs and
providing a new venue for community events, which draws people to the area. The
success of this arts-oriented project has sparked plans for other mixed-use
developments with the arts and artists as key components.
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