PUBLIC SPACE ONE stewards land containing three historic houses (and one newer garage) near downtown Iowa City. We are working to preserve these structures through adaptive reuse, transforming what were originally residences for well-off white Iowa City families into accessible and welcoming community art spaces.

PS1 occupies land that came to be part of Iowa City through the violent displacement of the indigenous Iowa, Meskwaki, and Sauk peoples, and that has since been subject to ecological violence. We are just beginning to understand and enact the possibility of reparative work.


225 N. Gilbert

the “Hohenschuh-Hervert House,” vernacular folk Victorian built in 1904

  • more details coming soon!


229 N. Gilbert

the “Christian and Clara Dostal Hohenschuh House,” Free Classic Queen Anne built in 1897

538 S. Gilbert

the Close House, built 1874





 

 

adaptive reuse: histories and futures of 538 S. Gilbert, 225 N. Gilbert, & 229 N. Gilbert
a zine by Amelia Goldsby

READ HERE

DOWNLOAD PRINT-READY VERSION HERE

Learn more about our historic preservation work in this video produced for the 2022 Iowa City Historic Preservation Awards.

If you’re interested in learning more about our buildings, the spaces around them, and related readings, check out our research folder. If you have something to share or add, please reach out: info@publicspaceone.com