McCamy Construction

Gay Street Loft Gets A Major Renovation—And A Rooftop Bar

Friday, June 28th, 2019

Many Knoxvillians, whether new to the area or long-timers, have been known to ponder the advantages of downtown living. According to a 2018 report by the The Metropolitan Planning Commission, residential growth downtown has really picked up steam in the last couple of years, and with 16 new residential projects in the works, downtown living is booming. It’s not hard to understand why, either. Some of Knoxville’s best restaurants, unique shops, and businesses are located downtown, all within easy walking distance. A vibrant, creative, and friendly culture, both during the day and night, attracts people of all ages, from millennials to baby boomers. Take just Gay Street alone for example, where you can go bowling, catch a recently released movie, take in a performance at the theatre, visit an art gallery, or see a parade. And don’t even get started on the coffee shops, breweries, and restaurants on Gay Street, not to mention on nearby Market Square or the Old City. It’s this embrace of exciting downtown living that led one Gay Street resident to completely renovate an existing loft—complete with a rooftop bar and deck.

Historic Meets Modern

The owner wanted to reconfigure and modernize the layout of the loft space while also honoring the integrity of the early 1800’s building. He was able to use some space from the unit next door, which he also owns, and that paved the way for visions of adding a staircase to a rooftop bar and deck. Design Innovation Architects (DIA) lent expertise to the complete design of both the loft and rooftop entertainment space. For the main floor living space, the kitchen and bath used to be in the back of the loft, with a small deck off the kitchen. That space was renovated into a master suite, with an addition for a closet and laundry area where the deck once was, which added 150 square-feet to the interior. The kitchen was moved to center of the loft and the living space to front, facing Gay Street. The overall flow of the layout is much smoother and suitable for entertaining guests. While the style of the loft is contemporary and most materials are new, the owner was careful to tip his hat to the original structure, including exposing accents of the old brick and salvaging all floor boards.

Rooftop Bar & Deck

While there had never been living space—much less entertaining—on the roof of the building before, the loft owner envisioned a large covered porch covering both units. As it turned out, the loft owner said, “This was the most challenging part of the job, to get space added on top of such an old building.” To build on top of both units, reinforcements would need to be added in the foundation, which would’ve been very costly. Eventually, the space needed to be reconfigured to match the original foundation of the building. To save space and keep the integrity of the footprint, the stairs to the roof were built over the building’s existing stairwell. With 400 square-feet of indoor space and 200 square-feet outdoors, the rooftop footprint was designed for entertaining just a few friends or a crowd of many in any weather. Accordion doors open up to give the entire space a breezy outdoor feel. “My dad was always big on having outdoor entertaining spaces,” the loft owner said, “So we made it as cool as we could with a modern bar feel that’s still comfortable to just hang out in.” The indoor bar space has a sink, kegerator, grill, ice maker, TV and video games, while the outdoor area also has ample seating and a large screen TV. The owner said, “I had been looking for other places like this, but there wasn’t anything similar downtown with rooftop access. It has been a great entertainment space, and people are always hoping I’ll host parties. Should I decide to move on someday, I feel good knowing that someone else will covet this in the future.” At McCamy Construction, we take great pride in creating unique solutions for each homeowner, which is why we are consistently chosen to take on diverse projects such remodeling a quirky, historic home, or building a spectacular outdoor entertainment space that’s equally suitable for a football party and a fairy garden. Whatever your dream may be for your home renovation, new home construction, or outdoor living space we can envision it and build it. If you’re considering renovating or building a custom-designed home, we would love to meet with you. Schedule your consultation by filling out this form or give us a call at (865) 247-7068. And follow us on Facebook to see updates on other inspiring projects we’re working on!