Bremen Lofts

Bremen Lofts is the renovation of 3 dilapidated buildings into 20 residential lofts and 1 commercial space. The buildings are located in the historic neighborhood of Over-the-Rhine in Cincinnati, Ohio. The developer wished to create marketable units in the decades-old distressed neighborhood.

The buildings were in very poor condition, requiring complete rehabilitation from the building shell inward. The design team inserted new, reconfigured loft apartments into the historic building shells. The units are spacious, lofty, and undeniably cool.

One challenge of this project was that the existing Italianate buildings were often divided by stairwells into small, cramped spaces. To create a sense of spaciousness and drama, the team created two-story spaces in some of the units and designed stairs as sculptural elements. Where this wasn't feasible, the design team used diagonal and curved walls to alter perceptions of space and increase the feeling of openness.