2025 AIA Central New York Design Award Winner

Janelle Cleary
3 days ago
3 min read

On November 14th, 2025, the American Institute of Architects - Central New York Chapter hosted their annual Celebration of Architecture at the Timber Banks Golf Club in Baldwinsville, NY. The event acknowledged Architectural Design Award Winners and celebrated the achievements in design excellence by Architects in Central New York. They honor the Architects, Consultants, & Clients who work together to create and enhance our building environments. SMSA Architects was the recipient of the People’s Choice Award.

Roasted & Repurposed: The Jailhouse Renovation was awarded the 2025 People’s Choice Award. Located on S. State Street in Lowville, NY, Tug Hill Artisan Roasters & Saint Drogos Café & Bakehouse was recognized for its excellence by architects, consultants, and clients across Central New York.

The journey of renovating and repurposing the 1860's Lewis County Jailhouse for use as a flagship brick and mortal location for an entrepreneur’s small business start-up set the scene for the community's mission to elevate downtown revitalization and small business development. The owner proposed a phased restoration, with various streams of grant funding guiding its development. Initial repairs and improvements brought the building up to code, while preserving its structure and maintaining its historical character.

Utilized as the county sheriff’s office, living quarters, and jailhouse built in 1864-1865, the structure expanded over the years to serve the community with expanded jail facilities and individual cells. Abandoned in 1990 by the County, the structure deteriorated and was eventually vacant and blighted and required extensive reconstruction. The owners envisioned the building to serve multi-purposes including a coffee roastery, a bakery and a café with a commercial kitchen. Re-purposed jail cells were converted into rental dwelling units, and community meeting spaces were created in remaining areas of the second floor.

A vital part of the reconstruction and revitalization of the building was accessibility. Included in the design was an elevator accessing three levels of the building, a ramp at the rear entrance, a ramp within the re-constructed wrap around porch, and a ramp connecting the two elevations of the second floor. History can be Identified in the repurposed structure through re-use of existing elements including the metal jail walls and bars, exposed masonry brick, original window trim, and wood flooring. The revitalization focused on minimizing the carbon footprint through repurposing an existing building, salvaged materials, wood structural elements rather than steel, utilizing heat pumps for HVAC and installing a high-speed EV charger in the parking lot.

The design allows patrons to be involved in the production of what they are consuming. Their journey begins from the public street to the rear parking lot, to a corridor between the roastery and the bakery and into the café. Traversing each space allows patrons to see the process where the products are made, to purchasing product in the café, and enjoying the atmosphere through the variety of public spaces indoors and outdoors. The project has posed as a catalyst for downtown redevelopment and restoration in the County.