Future Green Studio

Photography By Tzu Chen

Raleigh Iron Works

Raleigh, NC

Design

The working past of  RALEIGH IRON WORKS, a former  manufacturer of munitions during both world wars, is honored through the adaptive reuse of the original buildings and several key artifacts of the site.  Reclaimed concrete from the factory floor was reinstalled as a deconstructed grid of paving; concrete blocks were repurposed as benches, to retain grade, and stacked for signage; and a playful seating element inspired by trolley carts historically used on site rests on a recreated rail line. The planting strategy evolved through an exploration of the found condition and a celebration of the emergent vegetation that enveloped the postindustrial site prior to construction.  An open-air courtyard carved out of the existing structure by our architectural partners, S9, is animated by shadows from the steelwork overhead and the soft lushness of native Magnolia trees. Mounded plantings reinforce a sense of intimacy and provide clearings for small seating pockets and a larger central gathering area centered on a reclaimed concrete block fireplace.