Case Study

Dallas Power & Light

Adaptive Reuse — Art Deco Landmark

1931 Art Deco headquarters converted to 158 lofts with 21,000 SF retail. Dallas Landmark.

Project Type: Adaptive Reuse / Multifamily
Location: Dallas, TX
Original Structure: 1931 Art Deco Headquarters (Lang & Witchell)
Total Value: $35M
Square Footage: 200,000+ SF
Units: 158 Lofts
Retail: 21,000 SF
Completed: 2005
Developer: Hamilton Properties Corporation
Architect: D-C Solutions

Art Deco Headquarters to Urban Lofts

The Dallas Power and Light headquarters — three interconnected buildings designed by Lang and Witchell in 1931 — was one of the most significant Art Deco structures in Texas. The complex earned Dallas Landmark designation in 2003, two years before ANDRES completed its conversion to 158 loft apartments, 21,000 SF of retail, and a new 5-story parking deck. The building holds a structural distinction: it was the first electrically welded building west of the Mississippi, a construction technique that was experimental when the building went up.

Three Buildings as One

The DP&L complex is not a single building but three interconnected structures built at different times with different structural systems. Converting them into a unified residential project meant resolving misaligned floor levels, incompatible structural grids, and three sets of exterior facades — each with distinct Art Deco detailing that preservation standards required ANDRES to maintain. The new 5-story parking deck had to be inserted into the complex without compromising the historic street-facing elevations.

Complexity highlights

Historic Welded Steel Structure

As the first electrically welded building west of the Mississippi, the DP&L structure presented unique engineering challenges. The welded connections behave differently than the riveted or bolted connections found in most buildings of the era. ANDRES worked with structural engineers to assess and reinforce connections using methods compatible with the original welding techniques.

Multi-Building Floor Alignment

The three interconnected structures have floor levels that don't align — differences of six to eighteen inches between buildings. Creating accessible, code-compliant circulation paths through the complex required localized floor modifications, ramp transitions, and creative corridor routing, all while preserving the landmark-designated interiors.

ANDRES's adaptive reuse specialists had direct experience with Art Deco structures in downtown Dallas, understanding the specific material palette, detailing conventions, and preservation standards that apply to Lang and Witchell buildings.