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Transforming a deteriorated nineteenth century building that had turned into an eyesore and successfully converting it to an award winning, successful mixed-use property has turned out to be a highly favorable venture for the building's owners. Originally completed in 1885, this combination retail-residential property is now a complement rather than a detriment to West Concord's revitalized historic district. Decades of neglect and haphazard additions had rendered 110 Commonwealth Avenue an unattractive shadow of its former beauty. A neighboring building was out of scale with the house and situated just 15 feet away. A brick walkway built between the two, fronted at the sidewalk with a historically-appropriate wrought iron gateway helped soften this disparity while also creating an attraction to passersby. This creative solution also led to naming the property "The Gatehouse".

While local zoning prohibited expansion, it was possible to renovate a poorly constructed shed at the rear of the building using the existing footprint. A new post and beam barn with wheelchair/stroller access was implemented, providing adaptation of the design without changing the integrity of the front street facade. The upper story had a porch at the front of the building which would have been a plus except for its location on a busy commercial street. Relocating this porch to the rear of the building provided private space for renters and allowed a screened-in space to conceal air conditioning equipment.

Efficiency was a key driver in the development of the first floor retail space. To minimize the number of sales staff required to manage the store, nearly all interior walls were removed. Exterior walls were insulated in excess of the code and because of separate retail/residential zoning, the ceiling between the two was also heavily insulated. High efficiency HVAC equipment was installed, with separate zones for the retail and residential areas of the building.

Double glazed low-E windows were installed throughout the building in a design that was consistent with the building's historical character. Natural light is drawn in through skylights in the rear barn and recessed box bays in the retail space. Lighting was designed to be efficient and appropriate for different needs, employing incandescent spot lights for highlighting merchandise and fluorescent lighting for all nonpublic areas.

Combinations of LVL beams and 2x8's replaced the first floor ceiling and provided grids for supporting retail-usage lighting tracks. The second floor rental space was fully renovated from its previous layout of small and cramped rooms into the kind of floor plan desired by today's renters.

Significant systems and structural modernization in addition to careful restoration of authentic detailing allowed this grand old Victorian house to keep its historical integrity while allowing it to offer a high level of functionality to its owners and end users.

The Gatehouse in West Concord, Massachusetts, received the Grand Award in the National Commercial Builders Council 1999 Awards of Excellence. It was also featured in Commercial Builder, Winter 1998.