I remember when I was first introduced to the Overit team. The company was just finishing up renovations on the Spanish monastery-style church it had purchased the year before. I remember walking through a chaotic construction zone, repeatedly being told to watch my step as Overit President Dan Dinsmore shared his plans for the space and for Overit. We talked about how transforming the church would transform Overit and the work it was doing for clients. Dan’s excitement was contagious.
If that wasn’t the exact moment I knew this was where I was supposed to be, it was sure close to it.
During that tour Dan talked about the new capabilities of the church, like:
- The state-of-the-art multimedia facility, complete with 40-foot ceilings and a cyclorama for photography, video and motion capture.
- The editing suite, the whisper room and the isolation booths that would allow for full in-house video production.
- The Matrix Multimedia system that would allow the company to beam presentations, files and more throughout the building at any time.
I’ll admit, it all sounded pretty cool. But as proud as Dan was of the technical capabilities of Overit’s new home, he was even prouder of the building itself and the care that was being brought to preserving it and respecting its legacy. Rehabbing a 12,000 foot church with the help of 3tarchitects was certainly a labor, but it was a labor of love.
During our walk, Dan pointed out:
- The walls, baseboard and trim — all designed from the wood of the original pews that sat in the church.
- The approximately 80 desks all made from the original pew wood.
- The original church altar which sits in the kitchen and front entryway.
- The paint colors chosen to accent the original stained glass windows.
- His commitment to keeping the church structurally intact to not mess with the feel and, no pun intended, the spirit.
The transformation of the former St. Teresa of Avila Church fills us all with a lot of pride. Pride for what it means for us as a company, but also for what it provides the community.
Turns out, the community is proud of us, too.
Overit was recently awarded a Preservation Merit Award for Adaptive Use by the Historic Albany Foundation for its restoration of St. Teresa’s.
The Historic Albany Foundation gives annual awards for projects, individuals or groups that demonstrate excellence and a commitment to proper preservation techniques and initiatives. Preservation Merit Awardees are considered exemplary examples of best practices for preservation in the city of Albany and Albany County. I’m not sure we could be prouder of that.
Overit will be presented with a bronze plaque to celebrate its achievement at the 2013 Annual Meeting and Preservation Merit Award Ceremony on Tuesday, May 7, 2013, which will be held at Overit to allow community members to experience the building firsthand.
Congrats, Overit!
