Intake / Bridgeport
Duggal Visual Solutions
Mixed-use / Adaptive Reuse
2014 / 100,000 sq. ft. 

Intake is an adaptive reuse of an abandoned shipbuilding factory. The design doubles an existing 50,000-square-foot warehouse into a 100,000-square-foot mixed-use facility with manufacturing, office, educational and event programming. The existing structural frame, 90-feet in height, was carefully repurposed to foster interactions between people within the facility.



Award: Winner, 2019 Emerging Voices Award
Winner, 2017-18 NEA US-Japan Program
Winner, 2016-17 Founders Rome Prize






The existing interior, although flexible, was not conducive to air quality control and energy efficiency, so it was subdivided by a series of high-velocity air curtains. These invisible walls control the spread of airborne pollutants without impeding the flow of people through the facility. The air boundaries allow the creation of different zones, each with a distinct thermal experience — conditioned, partially-conditioned and unconditioned — without any visual separations. This strategy creates a healthy work environment, improving productivity while reducing energy costs. Overlooking these open and interconnected zones are classrooms, event, and exhibition spaces, which transform the industrial process into a shared experience.



The adaptive reuse continues on the exterior, where the industrial site becomes a publically-accessible waterfront park. The concrete paths and boat ramp along the water’s edge have been converted into a scenic walking trail, enriched with lush, flood-resistant plantings. The centerpiece of the park is the “garden island,” an engaging and verdant space, irrigated by reclaimed rainwater from the facility’s parking lot.


Project Team: Phu Hoang, Rachely Rotem, Chih-Ying Wong, Munyoung Lee, Margaux YoungCredits: Isoenv (Environmental Analysis)