The Freight House

Location: Bethlehem, PA
George J. Donovan AIA & Associates recently relocated our Bethlehem offices to our newly renovated “Freight House” in the Historic District. Our building has been placed on the National Registry of Historic Places. The original structure was built in 1873; western office area added in 1910. The building was used mainly for warehousing for the past 30 years and was in a deteriorated condition. The structure was renovated in accordance with the Secretary of Interior’s Standards for Historic Preservation, the National Park Service, the Pennsylvania Historic Museum Commission, and the Historic Review Board of the City of Bethlehem. This Adaptive Reuse Project, which contains our offices and an additional tenant suite, has been designed for LEED certification and our goal is to be rated at the Silver Level. The project incorporates sustainability conservation by focusing on the materials used in the structure. The rehabilitation of this building embraces and challenges the notion of recycling materials. By re-using as much of the existing elements on-site, this project frees up precious landfill space and conserves natural resources while maintaining the urban fabric of the site. The project came to fruition through the labor of our sister construction company – Donovan-Phillips LTD located in Bedminster, Bucks County, PA.

The Challenge

The Results

Diana Vincent Jewelers

Location: Washington Crossing, PA
Size: 3,500 S.F.
Program: Complete restoration and conversion of a 1940's cape built in the craftsman style of architecture into a jewelry store.  This adaptive reuse project was honored with the 2006 Silver Award from the American Institute of Architects, and also received a First Place 2004 Master Design Award in the light commercial renovation category from the publishers of Qualified Remodeler.

Lower Southampton Library

Location: Bridgetown Pike, Lower Southampton Township, PA
Size: 13,000 S.F.
Program: Renovation of an old, vacant industrial building into a state-of-the-art community library facility. The library contains a new community meeting room, new study rooms and a major book stack expansion.

Newtown Business Campus  (formerly Newtown Industrial Park)

Location: Newtown, PA
Size: 75,000 S.F.
Program: 35 year old business park is currently undergoing redevelopment.  Our firm recently designed the renovations to the 104 Pheasant Run site, a former industrial building (Cameron Troilo Properties) which now accommodates office suites, a bank, cafe, and two large atrium areas with fountains.

Industrial Use Building Prior to Rehabilitation:

Redesign as Office Condominiums:

Teletronics  (Newtown Business Campus)

Location: Newtown, PA
Size: 90,000 S.F.
Program: Conversion of a former one story factory in two stories of office space.