The phrase “adaptive reuse” couldn’t be more suitable when describing PCL’s project to renovate the Aloft Orlando Downtown, an old Utilities Commission building turned hotel.

Located in the heart of the city, Aloft Orlando Downtown consists of 119 spacious, loft-like rooms, intuitive and accessible technology (including charging stations for electric cars) and a warm, welcoming and vibrant social scene. Aloft offers guests a multitude of services, including a workout room, bars and lounges, a convenience store and all the in-suite amenities you would expect to find at a well-appointed hotel. 

The building, originally opened in 1968 as the Orlando Utilities Commission’s (OUC) administrative building, was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2012. The interior of the building was completely gutted as part of the renovation, but due to its historic nature, PCL had to keep the exterior of the building, composed mostly of granite and pre-cast concrete, completely intact. Remnants of some of the original features were preserved to honor the history of the old OUC building. Key architectural elements such as terrazzo flooring, teak paneling, marble walls, and wood surfaces were restored and used throughout meeting rooms and guest rooms at the new Aloft Downtown Orlando Hotel. PCL managed a total of 12 major revisions to this 89,000 square foot, eight-story building. The scope of the project included several site improvements along with a new pool, deck area and roadway. Shortly after opening in 2013, the new hotel gained LEED Gold certification status.

To meet the client’s needs, PCL recommended a phased occupancy plan. The coordinated plan drove the schedule and helped the team to make quick decisions with ease to keep the project on track. Despite the project’s large scope, PCL was able to turn a portion of the building over to the owner a month earlier than anticipated.  

To maintain efficiencies, PCL provided a complete on on-site guestroom mockup early in the process. This provided the client with a visual representation of the design to approve or adjust elements prior to building out the multiple rooms. It also provided an on-site tool for subcontractors to reference as they built each hotel room.

PCL put its expertise, creativity, dedication and diligence to work for the client, through impeccable planning.

Aloft Orlando Downtown was a large-scale adaptive-reuse project that required the coordination of many moving pieces to complete the phased work. PCL created, implemented and executed the detail-oriented elements successfully, ensuring a positive outcome and providing downtown Orlando with a stunning hotel that’s a destination in its own right.