The first-ring suburb of Garland has been innovatively re-inventing its core areas, spurred by a well-used DART light rail station adjacent to its historic downtown. As a result, there is a new vibe in Garland emphasizing creativity, to which the Draper Lofts respond by providing 32 loft units for creatives to live and work in a revitalized Mid-Century Modern five-story tower. The original, handsome building, constructed in1962 as the Garland Bank & Trust, has been largely empty (except for a Ground Level bank) for many years.

DSGN began its design work for the Draper Lofts by identifying and incorporating a number of key features of the building — concrete and terrazzo floors, exposed concrete structure, Texas limestone accents, clay block exterior walls, and expansive aluminum and glass storefront.

The original bank lobby space will be re-purposed as gallery and co-working facilities, augmented by a cool coffee shop. The live/work units will be “true” lofts — tall, open spaces with minimal, raw finishes to keep rents affordable and to allow residents to be maximally creative.