A building, really, is kind of its own story. In fact, it can have many stories. The one thing they all have in common?
They all end.
Just like humans, they either stand tall and face the years that weather them away—or they fall.
But some are reborn.
With its uniquely classic architecture, this phrase takes on many different meanings—especially as it relates to Hanscom Apartments, a building revamped in 2023 for low-income individuals and families.
Sitting at 1029 Park Ave., the building that now houses Hanscom Apartments was originally established in 1921 and built in a Spanish Colonial Revival style. The residence was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2018.
Spanish Colonial Revival style is often found in California and Florida, where the sunnier weather is more conducive to these houses, which make liberal use of smooth plaster (stucco) for walls and chimney finishes.
According to the paperwork filed for application to the National Register of Historic Places, the building features an “entrance vestibule delineated by a Spanish Baroque-inspired door surround: concentric arches radiate outward to the surround itself, with pilasters surmounted by heavy square capitols supported by brackets. The pilasters support an elaborate arched pediment. The entry into the vestibule is flanked by original porch lights. Inside the vestibule, two entries lead to/from the lobby, and the north and south walls of the vestibule each has a small, arched window filled with a single-light vinyl replacement sash.”
Other architectural features at Hanscom Apartments include a mission-shaped roof parapet and decorative overhangs near the top of the building that mimic the classic clay tiled roofs of Spanish Colonial architecture. Adding to the idea of “mission,” the building is shaped in the form of a Maltese cross.
Bryan Zimmer, principal architect for The Architectual Offices (AO), which coordinated the renovation, said a building has the ability to capture a moment in time. “I think buildings have the ability to tell a story about the past and make it relatable to our current or future people; (creating) a tangible link to our past is probably what my passion is.”
But with passion must come patience and the ability to get the details just right.
“All the public spaces on the main level, we kept them,” Zimmer said. “All the public hallways, and the doors to the (complex), to the public corridors in the apartment (building)—those are all historic. We did complete renovations inside the apartments, but basically…we left the area of each apartment the same. So, we worked within the existing building to create new modern apartments within the historic shell, (we) saved all the wood floors.”
It was ultimately Zimmer’s great passion for the past that helped him rise to the occasion when it came to the Hanscom Apartments, and to see the project through.
“We like to preserve our history and redo buildings, and celebrate architecture,” Zimmer explained. “I mean, I’m a lover of history, so I’d say that’s what inspires me to take on these projects is (that) they’re difficult."
Visit incommoncd.org for more information.
This article originally appeared in the January/February 2025 issue of Omaha Home Magazine. To receive the magazine, click here to subscribe.
