165
Academy Hill Rd.
Milan, NY 12571
tel: 845.758.0021
Our
Offices
Our offices are a clever renovation of the historic
remains of the Milan Town Garage. It’s a
great creative space for us to work and for you
to realize your dreams. Come visit us and see
why we were presented with the 2005 Dutchess County
Planning Federation Award for Outstanding Achievement
in Redevelopment.
Before and After
The Old Milan Town Hall and Garage transformed into the Offices of David Bornstein, Architects & Builders
The Milan Town Hall and Garage is a concrete block building located on Academy Hill Road in the town of Milan about 100 miles north of New York City. It dates back to the 1930's and was used as the town hall, court, and municipal garage for the town vehicles and salt trucks. A shop was added in the 1950's for equipment repair.
Over the course of 15 years, the town moved to newer facilities until the building was completely abandoned and left to decay. It became a neighborhood eyesore, home only to weeds and pigeons. David Borenstein lived next door and decided to purchase the building and use it as an office for his expanding business as well as a painting and sculpture studio, a wood working shop and storage for materials and equipment.
The site presented a challenge, since it has been designated a "Brown Site" because of its prior use as a garage and salt shed. Working closely with the NYS Department of Environmental Conservation, David Borenstein cleaned up the site and received a clean bill of health.
The Design
The original building is a 24 ft. x 96 ft. rectangle with a 24 ft. x 64 ft. shop addition. The east elevation held all the garage bays and an entrance to the north side. The new design is very respectful of the original increments of the building, with each garage bay becoming a workstation and the main town hall space becoming the studio. The west side of the building hosts the pin-up room, kitchen and bathroom, while the loft houses the library, conference room and "secret room", a private space for peaceful work and study away from the bustle of the office. The sliding doors are actually sliding bookcases, to provide maximum storage for David Borenstein's large library. The conference room and "secret room" are joined by a catwalk that overlooks the lower shop. The roofline was raised to a higher pitch, studded with dormers and skylights, and extended to cover the shop and shed areas. The dirt floor was replaced with a concrete slab providing radiant heat.
In a quest to maintain as much of the original detail as possible, the original I-beams were restored. Although non-structural in the new design, they indicate the original incline of the roof and bear the signatures and dates of the ironworkers that built them in the 30's. Most of the block and plaster wall fragments were preserved and left in place, the original spaces they represented adapted to current use. Their funky charm lends the building its patina of history.
David Borenstein showcased his creativity with signature details throughout, the copper railings, custom light fixtures and cabinetry to "rugs" painted on the floor to define spaces. The bathroom vanity top hosts a design painted by the architect and encapsulated with epoxy resin. The kitchen counter is one-of-a-kind, painted concrete. Interior windows designed with glass block and old sashes transmit light between spaces.
Outside there are unusual details like the chain used to direct water off the roof rather than a traditional leader. The exterior lighting is housed in inverted buckets. The wood siding includes the original panels of the garage doors in reverence to what the building originally was.
An income-generating apartment was built to keep the building economical. The 1,300 sq. ft. design in the style of an old carriage house with an open floor plan and many of the signature details found downstairs, like the hard working kitchen counter, again, painted by the architect and encapsulated with resin.
The newly renovated Milan Town Garage, with its cleaned up site and fine design, has been well received by the community.
