Textile factory turned multifamily has train tracks running through it

The Counting House Lofts in Lowell, Mass., opened in May. Not only does it have 52 residential units, all of which are occupied, but it also has a set of train tracks running through it.

The tracks aren’t for an active train, of course. The 200-year-old building used to be a factory storehouse, and the tracks were used to load and ship textile goods. The National Park Service demanded that the tracks be preserved, so The Architectural Team worked them into the layout scheme.

The firm adapted the old warehouse into a multifamily building. It retrofit the place for energy efficiency, making sure it complied with the Energy Star Multifamily High Rise program. Along with the tracks, the exterior train bay doors, an exposed column and beam grid, and a watch house tower were also left in tact.

One bedroom units start at 758 sf while two bedroom apartments begin at 897 sf.