A Look at the Building’s Past, Present, and Future
- Alex Froom
- Apr 11
- 2 min read
Bringing new life to an old building is a labor of love with unique challenges and opportunities.
Watershed Row is a 1928 building with a rock climbing gym, a bakery, a venue, and other small business and public gathering space for people in Klamath Falls, Oregon.
By standard construction measures, it would have been cheaper and faster to level the site and build from scratch. But what would be lost? The existing spaces and materials not only lend character, they also helped shape our vision.
The solarium, courtyard, bar and mezzanines were “discovered” during the design more than devised. And of course, the existing building is rooted in place and time in a way that a brand new construction project can’t be.
There is a little magic in the mix of old and new.
The building complex comprises five abutting structures dating from 1928 to the 1990s.
The smallest of these we fully deconstructed to open up a courtyard off the alley. The next smallest is a steel prefabricated structure that will serve as the new gym check-in area and restrooms. Adjoining the check-in area is a concrete masonry warehouse decked out with climbing walls. The loading dock is becoming a passive solar greenhouse lounge!
The oldest and most architecturally notable buildings are the twin warehouses on S 7th Street.
Originally housing a creamery and auto shop, these interiors had been divided up into a maze of smaller spaces over the decades. They are now each stripped back to a single lofty room, allowing their barrel vault roofs and bowstring trusses to shine. (The bar and mechanical support are located in the former boiler room, which is hidden from the open hall by a masonry wall.)
Though we are reintroducing partitions as shown in the diagram, these will mostly be below ceiling height, retaining an open feel. The small gallery, retail and soft-serve ice cream areas are capped by a seating mezzanine, a perch where people can enjoy a cup of coffee. The bakery cafe will have open views into the kitchens.
Car-free, pedestrian spaces will surround the building with seating and walkways lined by plants, shade trees, water features and art.
There’s a lot of history in the buildings and existing materials in this half city block, and we’re looking forward to the next iteration opening in 2026!
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