Work / 485 Elizabeth
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Industrial / Distribution / Completed
483–485 Elizabeth Avenue · Franklin Township, New Jersey
One shell.
Every edge considered.
A 76,230-square-foot speculative distribution warehouse carried from an earlier design through a new architectural identity, revised permit documents, construction coordination, and closeout.
- Location
- Franklin Township, NJ
- Building
- 76,230 sf
- Program
- Distribution warehouse
- Status
- Completed / 2026
The assignment
Continue the work without erasing its history.
The project did not begin with a blank page. Its original 2022 design was developed by Brendan Leadbeater and Rick Pratt through Pratt Design Studio.
Brendan later took on the subsequent building redesign through BLD Design. The work included revising the architecture to align with the owner's design standards, producing updated permit documents, coordinating consultants, and carrying architectural decisions through construction administration.
That sequence remains part of the project record. The original collaboration stays credited, while Brendan's later role carries through redesign, documentation, coordination, and completion.
The building / At full length
Scale is read through rhythm.
The warehouse's length is organized by a repeatable set of vertical accents, high openings, panel joints, and loading bays. Rather than treating the shell as one undifferentiated surface, the redesign gives its working elevations a measured cadence.
The office entrance is held as a distinct, human-scaled event at the building's edge. A darker frame, larger field of glass, and projecting canopy make arrival legible without competing with the directness of the industrial shell.
Four readings of one building
A warehouse has more than one front.
- 01
Arrival
A clearly framed office entry sets the pedestrian scale.
- 02
Movement
Doors, loading positions, and pavement organize the working edge.
- 03
Repetition
Panel geometry and vertical accents register the building's length.
- 04
Continuity
Revised documents and coordination carry design intent into construction.
Project record / 2022–2026
The history is part of the work.
Original design
Developed with Rick Pratt, AIA / Pratt Design Studio.
Building redesign
Revised architecture and permit documents by Brendan Leadbeater, AIA / BLD Design.
Construction phase
Consultant coordination, submittal review, and construction administration.
Final punch list
The documented closeout milestone supporting completed status.
Industrial and logistics work
Bring the operational questions into the design early.
BLAST works with owners and developers to clarify industrial programs, test sites, coordinate disciplines, and carry decisions into documents that can be built.
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