Making Change: Renewal Dynamics

John Rosecrans’ dream project is any project that gives an unwanted or neglected structure a new purpose and life. John’s company, Renewal Dynamics, Inc., is an architectural firm specializing in the renovation and adaptive-reuse of historic, unique, and forgotten structures, and his passion is to revitalize these resources for future generations.

“Adaptive-reuse,” says John, “is the antithesis to demolishing structures that have become irrelevant and a burden.” His work “saves the past for the future” by creating vital, functional spaces for use in the present. While some of these structures are historic, many are just old—and they’re unwanted because of the sometimes overwhelming challenges they present. “The goal is to maintain that which makes these structures unique, while removing that which makes them unwanted,” he says.

John helps clients find uses for these structures and provides them with feasible and functional solutions to meet their needs and desires. The first step, John says, is finding out what is there to work with in order to determine what should remain and what needs to be repurposed, recycled, or removed. “As you uncover the layers, you find the most amazing discoveries hidden in time,” he says. “Sometimes the original structure guides us towards a better solution than any of the many alterations and additions made over the years.”

“As I drive through our community,” John says, “I see opportunities everywhere that are being overlooked, neglected, and many times, demolished under the guise of progress and development.” Homes, carriage houses, barns, warehouses, and even garages all represent people’s dreams and hard work, and they’re our heritage. “They deserve a new life,” he says.