Subsequently following the construction of Artspace Bell Campus Artists Lofts in Treme, New Orleans, Artspace selected Gibbs to join the CMAR team in their next development located in Trinidad, CO.
Gibbs worked closely with the City of Trinidad, Artspace, and the design team to plan and build artists-in-residence live-work studios to transform an underdeveloped community into an art hub. Two discreet and dissimilar locations approximately 1,500 feet apart in Trinidad’s urban center became the site of Space to Create.
Understanding and assessing the capabilities of the local subcontracting community and availability of materials drove the selection of appropriate construction methodologies. In support of attaining this understanding, Gibbs sought out local subcontractors for availability and hosted subcontractor outreach sessions to discuss the project and foster local interest. Also, a comprehensive exploratory effort to understand the historic sub and superstructural elements deemed imperative for the safe and efficient shoring and repair necessary to prepare this new art hub for the myriad of events and activities for which it was intended.
The sloped green field on Elm Street became the site to construct a new three-story live-work makerspace studio apartments, complete with flex space for residents to create technological, visual, performing and collaborative arts. For this location, Gibbs worked with the design team to generate a premanufactured panelized light-gauge framing solution. This suggestion, in lieu of traditional lumber framing, curtailed material waste, shortened the construction schedule and provided the owner with a sustainable, noncombustible end product that will improve the building’s life cycle cost.
Main Street, the second site of interconnected historic structures transformed into a contiguous complex housing artist live-work makerspace studios, Trinidad’s arts district offices, flex gallery space, large assembly space, ground-level restaurant and café. With the goal to have a cohesive campus to host community events and festivals, this site was complete with children’s play equipment and an open-air eating area on the new adjacent outdoor lawn.
The cohesive unity between Artspace and Gibbs resulted in our team’s second successful affordable and sustainable space for artists and art organizations. We look forward to our continued partnership with Artspace to create, foster, and preserve their accelerating national movement of artist-led community development.
Project Facts
Budget
$15.4M
Size
40,001 sf
Owner
Artspace Projects, Inc.
Architect
HHL Architects
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