KLOS BUILDING

DESCRIPTION

This small brick building is among the oldest commercial structures in Billings, originally constructed ca. 1895. It has seen many uses over the years, the most recent as the Yukon Bar, which lasted fifty years before closing in the mid 1980’s. For 30 years, the building sat vacant, slowly deteriorating, until High Plains Architects decided that the building could be not only saved but transformed into a “living lab” of the growing firm.

The abandoned former saloon has undergone an extensive remodel to restore the storefront on the north façade, replace infilled windows on the west façade, and renovate the interior space into an open studio for High Plains Architects. Utilizing numerous sustainable strategies such as daylighting, natural ventilation, rainwater collection, photovoltaics, material salvaging and reuse, fly ash concrete and crushed glass floors, this project received LEED® Platinum certification from the US Green Building Council. The project qualified for a 10% Historic Rehabilitation Tax Credit and the building is a contributing building of the Old Town Historic District. In addition, the unique and highly energy efficient commercial office space qualified for the 179D tax deduction.

The Klos Building continues to serve as an example of how a humble, “old” building can have a new and sustainable life.

LOCATION
Billings, Montana

SIZE
Building Gross Area: 3,125 SF
Commercial Area: 3,125 SF

TOTAL COST
$414,136

CAPITAL STACK
• Commercial Loan
• Revolving Loan Fund
• Private Equity
• Historic Tax Credits
• TIF Grant

COMPLETED
2008

PROJECT HIGHLIGHTS
LEED Platinum; National Register of Historic Places; Seattle AIA WMIG 2009 (Photos: Tim Struck)