From Columbus Alive's Best of Columbus Issue . . .

Best Place to Hide From Vampires Lofts at 106 106 N. High St. 273-8594 Kicking yourself for inviting that mysterious Eastern European with the pale complexion up for a drink (You know, the one who cryptically responded, I dont drink wine)? Garlic, crucifixes, holy water and glossy Sarah Michelle Gellar posters may discourage the undead from visiting in the form of a bat or a cloud of mist, but the only surefire way to rid yourself of vampires once and for all is a good solid blast of sunlight. Thats where the innovative and unique lighting design of the Lofts at 106 comes to the rescue. Ample natural sunlight is provided through the buildings dramatic, 100-foot glass atrium, and computer-controlled artificial sunlight is reflected from a tempered glass wall within many of the unitsto brighten cloudy days, light up the night, or fend off blood-sucking attackers. Surviving from dusk till dawns never been easier.

Business First: Brian Ball

EXCLUSIVE REPORTS

From the July 2, 2004 print edition

Developers plan atrium to light up North High Street condos
Brian R. Ball
Business First
The partnership that owns the building at 106 N. High St. in Columbus has teamed with a Mexico City developer to convert another office building into residences.

But the 46-condo project promises to offer residents a creative design twist: outside light filtered through an internal atrium to compensate for a ban on punching windows into the building.

Global Development Corp. of Mexico City has joined 106 North High LLC to carve out a portion of the eight-story building to pull in light through a glass curtain wall for 31 of the units that cannot catch the sun from the North High facade.

The proposed atrium, ranging from 9 feet to 19 feet in width, would run 100 feet along the inside of the south wall and extend toward the center of the floors, taking with it about 10 percent of 97,000-square-foot building.

"We're making that sacrifice to maximize the amount of light into the units," said James Meyer, an HER Real Living agent who is marketing the property with partner Stephen Dial.

The condos would retain the maple floors of the 93-year-old building, which served as a Z.L. White and J.C. Penney department stores until its conversion in the 1970s into office space.

The exposed atrium would reveal the building's brick structure through the curtain wall.

Artificial light would supplement the exterior light caught by the planned glass roof.

"We know this won't be for everyone, but it will for 31 residents," Dial said.

The atrium units would start at just under $150,000 and top out at $450,000 for a 2,000-square-foot, three bedroom, two-level condo planned for the top floor.

While some demolition and construction has progressed for display models on two mid-level floors, full construction would begin only after the developers secure 15 reservations.

Marketers hope to reach that level by the end of September.

Designing places

The need for outside light affects at least a handful of redevelopment prospects downtown, each middle-of-the-block buildings that extend from a sidewalk to an alley. Some are sandwiched by buildings on either side.

In the case of 106 N. High St., its 180-foot-long south wall abuts a surface parking lot.

But that property could be developed, putting window installation at odds with state building code.

Spectrum Properties, developer of the Connextions Lofts on North Third Street, last year considered buying the 106 N. High St. building to convert into condos with the neighboring 114 N. High St.-5 E. Long St. office building. But because it
couldn't gain development control over the neighboring parking lot, Spectrum walked away from the project.

Control over the lot could have permitted windows and terraces, said Columbus architect Jonathan Barnes, who examined the building for Spectrum.

"That's a tough project to do an atrium," Barnes said.

But the designer of the project, Ray Harpham of Ohio Architecture Inc., said the plan can succeed. The Columbus firm has worked on the building for a few years, most recently with Global Development's architects at G3 Architectos, a Mexican firm.

"When we understood the (building) code wouldn't allow windows, the solution (of an atrium) became obvious," Harpham said. "You couldn't redevelop that building without making some sort of environment for people to be a part of."

Artwork, even mobiles, may spruce up the voluminous atrium, he said.

"That's going to take some proper attention," Harpham said. "It's just not glass and a brick wall."

A wider cut in the floor plates on the top floors is necessary to allow light to reach the lower floors, he said.

"It's going to knock your eyes out when it's done," he said.

More to come?

Bob McLaughlin, the city's downtown development administrator, welcomed the approach.

"We have a developer prepared to make an investment in the property if they see the market will accept it," he said. "It's a creative approach to not such an unusual problem."

Indeed, buildings such as the former Madison's clothing store at 72 N. High St. and the Arby's Roast Beef-anchored property at 45 N. High St. could employ a similar solution, McLaughlin said.

"I think the concept is very exciting if the market accepts its potential," he said.

The property is negotiating for parking in an adjacent garage, which under one scenario would be connected over Pearl Alley by an elevated walkway.

The project also would have its own recreational area on a mezzanine above the ground floor, where a limited amount of commercial space would be leased.

Alive Article: Lofts at 106

Un-sunny side of the street
by Nikki Davis

Its hard to say exactly what people are looking for when they search for a place to live, but Id wager that simulated sunlight falls somewhere between the realm of the fantastical (as in AI or The Truman Show ) and the everyday (I already have a full-spectrum lamp).

Regardless of whether the concept of living in a controlled light environment is intriguing or confounding, its made its way here to Columbusand if James Meyer has anything to say about it, it could alter future building projects in the city center. He and his business partner Stephen Dial, of Meyer & Dial HER Realtors, are showcasing the simulated sunlight and other high-tech design elements of downtowns latest residential development, the Lofts at 106.

Situated on High Street between Long and Gay Streets, the Lofts have transformed what used to be the staid Bureau of Motor Vehicles building. With over 95,000 square feet, and its south side abutting a windowless building, the challenge of converting the office space into residential units required a lot more than merely emphasizing its impressive 12-foot-tall ceilings. And with 31 of the 46 units facing Pearl Alley, there was an immediate and practical need to somehow bring light into the units while adhering to code regulations and offering an alternative to waking up and looking at an empty parking lot.

The Lofts at 106 was designed by Global Development Group, a Mexico City-based firm whose previous projects have been located in some of the worlds most densely populated and geographically constrained cities. So the firm had a pretty good idea of what to do with the Columbus buildingreplace the existing roof with glass and create a 100-foot atrium allowing the sun to illuminate the building from within.

And if, for some reason, the redistributed natural light isnt enough, theres always the computer-controlled artificial sunlight shining from a tempered glass wall in each of the units.

I spoke with Meyer about the Lofts origins, their attempts to bring sunlight in and why the idea hadnt been thought of before.

How long has this type of design been around?

With the exception of maybe Chicago , brand-new buildings with this sort of design are fairly unheard-of in the Midwest. But some of the more major metropolitan areas on the East and West Coasts have been experimenting with the concept for the last 20 or so years.

Columbus is something of an anomaly because we are the epitome of urban sprawlwe just continue to grow out and out and out. If you go to other cities that are land-locked on one side because it abuts a body of water like Cleveland , or in other areas constrained geographically, theyve essentially had to build in the same square footage instead of out. Its the same thing in Europe where the buildings are older and more historical and less likely to be torn down.

Besides high-density population rates, how important did environmental factors such as smog come into play for these design strategies ?

Environmental factors definitely played a role, but it was primarily due to these cities being land-locked where buildings are sandwiched in between two buildings or surrounded by multiple buildings where it provided a viable option for bringing in light in a very controlled environment. When the natural light comes in through the units, it definitely provides something of a clean sanctuary against smog and the daily hustle and bustle of life, traffic and noise. Its been a very viable option in other cities, but its just been an issue of whether Columbus was going to be metropolitan enough to embrace this idea.

Do you think that as other properties are developed in the downtown area this design will catch on? I guess Im surprised that no one has done this before.

I think everyone thought this was too avant-garde for Columbus , and the owners here just decided to take the risk in assuming that there would be at least 31 out of a million people in the city who would think that its one of the coolest ideas theyve ever seen. I agreed with them and thats why I bought a unit for myself. The city is obviously very excited because it will solve a lot of problems with other downtown buildings that are in-fills, or constrained by code issues.

What type of feedback have you received from the city?

Theyre excited about participating with us because they believe in the idea. Part of the viability of this was simply building a model, because of the uniqueness of this situation. Initially we really were not going to let anyone in until it was completed because we wanted it to be a correct presentation of the buildings possibilities, as opposed to showing a building without traditional windows.

If this proves to be successful, will the company utilize similar approaches with future developments?

Absolutely. We have the intention of doing the exact same thing. Were already looking for other properties in downtown where the architecture is intact and the price point is similar.

E-mail
nikki@columbusalive.com to show off your downtown home or share tales of urban living.

July 14, 2004

Press Release: Lofts at 106 (aka 106 N. High Street)

For Immediate Release

Contact:
Vasilios C. Birlidis
Muses, Inc. Marketing Group
Public Relations Division
Direct- 614-271-0618
Vbirlidis@ameritech.net

HER REAL Living's Meyer&Dial Team Announce Success of 106 North High
Street Lofts Project

(Columbus, OH July 13, 2004) James Meyer and Stephen Dial, with
Meyer&Dial of HER Real Living, announced today that their newest
project has been met with great response and high reservation rates
from initial viewings by Columbus Consumers. The revolutionary project,
known as Lofts at 106, is said to be breaking records for reservations
taken and is estimated that the majority of the condominiums will be in
reserve in a short period of time.

"The Lofts at 106 project represents a completely different concept in
traditional loft living," James Meyer expressed. "Providing downtown
living at price-points beginning as low as $126,500, while not
sacrificing quality in any way, makes this project extremely attractive
to the majority of consumers. "

Based on similar projects done in other metropolitan settings like New
York City and Chicago, The Lofts at 106 utilizes the use of a dramatic
7-story atrium, topped with a glass roof, to provide all of its units
with real and artificial light.

Meyer continues, "Feedback from consumers that have viewed the
model/atrium has been incredible. Our 50% to-date reservation rate,
after only two open houses and a debut event, pretty much expresses
consumer reaction. Although some of the units do have traditional
views, the majority of them utilize this breathtaking atrium for light.
No longer will urban living mean having to deal with the traffic noise
and other reasons why some shy away from living in the downtown area.
With The Lofts at 106, the consumer is presented with a quiet, tranquil
environment, that is sure to become the perfect sanctuary."

"Think of it as Urban Living, without the grit," Stephen Dial offered."

For more information about The Lofts at 106, you can contact Meyer&Dial
at (614) 273-8594, or email them at loftsat106@HERrealtors.com. The
Lofts at 106 can also be accessed on the web by going to
Http://www.loftsat106.com.

Meyer&Dial, with HER Real Living, have quickly become one of the
industry leaders in the marketing of downtown Columbus urban living.
After officially joining forces in 2003, James Meyer and Stephen Dial
launched an aggressive campaign to establish their brand in the
Columbus, Ohio marketplace along with becoming an advocate for the
creation of a Downtown Columbus District. Meyer&Dial are now
recognized, by both developers and consumers, as one of the top sales
resources for "putting the pieces together, for extraordinary downtown
living."

For more information about Meyer&Dial or to request an interview/quote,
please contact Vasilios Birlidis, Muses, Inc. Marketing Group, at
vbirlidis@ameritech.net or 614-271-0618.