The renovation of the first floor of the Parry Office Building in downtown Rochester, N.Y., melds the old with the new and showcases the talents of a young architectural firm.

Built in 1875, the Parry Office Building sits along a former millrace above the falls of the Genesee River. Originally the building was used as a flour mill and then as a box factory, with both establishments harnessing the river's hydropower to drive their operations.

The six-month renovation project to transform the 4,700 sq-ft, first floor space into the Rochester offices of SEI Design Group Architects was completed in November.

SEI partners Victor Tomaselli and Brian Cieslinski designed the space to highlight the structure's original architectural features-heavy timber beams and old wooden columns. Historic building elements, such as the brick walls and wood ceilings, remain intentionally exposed. Drive shafts, pulleys and chains from the old manufacturing operations were retained as design elements. Old gears serve as shelving and table supports.

"We walked into the empty shell and knew immediately that this space had the attributes and potential for us to realize the vision of our image as a firm," says senior principal Tomaselli. "The quality, warmth and history of the building were what hooked us, knowing that we could capitalize on those attribute and inject a new, modern home for our business and employees."

The partners also liked the building's location in downtown Rochester's High Falls Historic District, which is undergoing revitalization. Development of new residences, offices, restaurants and entertainment venues is transforming the area into a thriving community.

The configuration of the new space presented some design challenges. The building owner had placed the entrance/elevator lobby in the center of the space, dividing the shell at its middle along a long and somewhat narrow axis. Compounding the problems of proportion and space utilization, the owner located the two required exit stairways within the building shell adjacent to the entry.

To accommodate the shell layout, the team located smaller and more linear public spaces adjacent to the center entrance, private offices to the south and the main studio and functional spaces at the north.

Two rows of storefront windows separate the private offices from the interior spaces with clerestory glass, permitting natural light and views into the interior. Lighting and exposed mechanicals were designed to maintain the high, open ceilings.