Venice Lofts

Project History

Venice Island’s situation between the Schuylkill River and the Manayunk Canal provided two tantalizing benefits for the mill owners of the 1800s; water power and ready transportation. The former Namico soap factory occupied 3.2 acres of the island, and several of its buildings constituted part of the Main Street Historic District. A key element of the renovation included installing modern windows that were sympathetic to the character of the existing structures. As the new windows were set into place, many of their integral frames projected slightly from the old, uneven walls. CRI used Conpro One Coat, a polymer modified, fiber reinforced, cement-based concentrate to build out the areas around the windows. Compared to traditional stucco scratch and brown coats, Conpro One Coat can be applied in thick lifts, speeding the process. The mill renovation was completed with the application of Conpro Lastic. The sanded texture helped to hide the transition between original and renovated wall areas. The result is a savvy integration of old and new.