Renowned for reimagining historical buildings as well as innovative new construction,
Bruner/Cott Architects recently completed an adaptive reuse conversion of the
Swift Gold Leaf Factory in Northeast Hartford, a disinvested Connecticut community. Once the economic heart of its neighborhood employing over 300 people at its peak, the factory closed in 2005 as production waned, leaving residents unemployed. Decades of systemic challenges drove unemployment to 25% and left nearly half of the population living below the poverty line, leading to its HUD Promise Zone designation in 2015.
Working with non-profit partner
Community Solutions (NYC), dedicated to find a lasting end to homelessness that leaves no one behind, Bruner/Cott has reimagined the former factory’s historical buildings and two homes dating from 1887 to 1948 into a venue generating opportunities for job creation and training, educating youth, improving resident health, and spurring economic growth.