Creative Re-Use in Oakland

“As with all my buildings, I enjoyed working with something existing,” says Shoup, a certified green building professional and a contractor who studied architecture at U.C. Berkeley. “The challenge and interest is finding out what it can give to you. It’s like the proverbial Louis Kahn brick: What does the brick want to be?”

Early on, Shoup determined that he would stick close to the original building envelope, setting living space for himself into an L-shaped portion of the 2,000-square-foot structure and leaving a 950-square-foot shop for his various construction projects. “I put in a couple skylights and windows, but basically decided I was not going to expand that basic footprint.” Throughout, he’s incorporated reclaimed, non-toxic and sustainably-sourced materials and installed a solar thermal system that services both the residential hot water and hydronic radiant heating.

The property has evolved along with Shoup’s needs—“a luxury,” he says. First up was office space for staff, which now occupies a refurbished 3- by 6-foot shipping container located opposite the residence. A year later he added a second container for himself. By then, Shoup was no longer a bachelor and he and wife, Taya, had a baby on the way.

Shoup has gladly watched as the character of the neighborhood has changed shape around him. Lofts and rentals have taken root in former industrial space, a school now occupies a once-vacant warehouse and children now play in the adjacent park. “The most tangible concerns in this neighborhood tend to be more immediate than carbon footprint,” he acknowledges. “But I would like to believe that a small business, getting by in tough times in a toughish neighborhood can contribute positively to a sense of possibility.”

 

To see more photographs of the project, please view the slideshow.

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