Complete Renovation and Alteration of Building - 2021-2022
Owner: David and Robben Richards
Tenant: Worthwhile - Commercial Retail - Clothing Boutique 
Completed: September, 2022

Project Overview
12 Magazine Street was constructed on or about 1795 as a residence for a young orphan bachelor whose parents had been killed in a catastrophic explosion in the (gun)powder magazine building located just down the street from this residence.  The original house which still remains largely as it did when it was originally constructed consisted of two rooms downstairs and two rooms upstairs separated by a stair-hall.  There was a Kitchen Building located to the rear of the house which unfortunately had been previously demolished.  The project included the removal of several 20th century incompatible additions that had been added to the original house as required to accommodate a more sensitive and program specific addition to the house.   The end use for the building is for a boutique retail clothing store with a focus on custom, hand-made clothing, jewelry and gift items.

Project Scope of Work:

Exterior Work on the Original House:  All historic fabric on the original building was retained and carefully repaired as required.  Gutters and downspouts were added in order to protect and preserve the historic materials to the fullest extent possible. 

Exterior Work - Addition:  All of the twentieth century non-original additions were removed with the exception of the first floor raised slab and concrete masonry block foundation.  A new two-story more compatible addition was added on top of this existing foundation. A three-coat stucco system was applied over the concrete block foundation wall.  On the South and a portion of the East side of the addition series of columns and large glass window units with paneled knee walls were incorporated.  The inspiration for window wall was the prototypical piazza design common throughout historic Charleston.  The expansive window wall was used to address the tenants desire to have the interior spaces as open to the exterior and bringing in as much natural light as possible.   

Interior Work in the Original House:  All non-original interior construction was removed in entirety. The existing original interior construction was retained and restored. The ceiling joists were exposed in the entirety of the original house. The original floors were retained and repaired as required.  A natural custom finish was selected for the existing wood floors.

Interior Work - Addition:  The finishes in the interior of the addition were simple in character and extended the "white on white" design concept throughout the entire building.  Antique heart pine beams were located and milled and made into flooring boards to closely match the original wood floors of the existing house.   A natural custom finish was selected in order that the floor matched the finish and look of the original wood floors.