Columbia Development Co., 4 Airline Dr. Office Exp.

Specs:

Square Footage: 20,000 Client: Columbia Development Co. Location: Colonie

About the Project:

This 20,000-square-foot, two-story structure is Keystone Architectural Services' "invisible" addition to an existing office building. Keystone matched the style and material of the existing building to create the illusion of one seamless structure. As well as additional tenant space, the steel-framed, brick-veneered addition provides a new lobby which serves both the old and new structures.

Another important aspect of this project was to update the older portion of the building to the same level of ADA accessibility as the new portion. All work was done without affecting tenants, who continued to occupy the existing building during construction.

Design of the addition was complicated by the fact that a City of Watervliet water main easement crosses the site at an angle. Since it could not be covered over by construction, the water main determined the area the addition could occupy. To maximize interior space, Keystone designed the addition to follow the angle of the water main without touching it.

Only minimal grading could be done over the pipe, so that it could be reached if repairs become necessary, but remain covered by a sufficient layer of protection. This determined design of access to the building from the parking lot.