BOUDREAUX
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designing inspiring places
enriching communities
  • BOUDREAUX architects rehabilitated University of South Carolina's historic Taylor House
  • BOUDREAUX architects rehabilitated the historic Taylor House's grand stair
  • BOUDREAUX architects made the entry to the Taylor House welcoming
  • BOUDREAUX architects rehabilitated the wood paneling and fireplace in the library at University of South Carolina's Taylor House
  • BOUDREAUX architects brought light back into USC's Taylor House by opening balcony windows at the landing of the grand stair
  • BOUDREAUX architects used existing spaces to create conference areas for faculty to meet and students to congregate
  • BOUDREAUX architects restored the third-floor billiards room, now used by law students as a get-away study space
  • BOUDREAUX architects rehabilitated the Taylor House now home to the University of South Carolina School of Law Admissions
  • BOUDREAUX architects transformed the previously closed-in porches into light-filled classrooms and meeting spaces
  • BOUDREAUX architects gave new life to the historic Taylor House at the University of South Carolina

Historic Taylor House | Columbia, SC

The rehabilitation of the Taylor House honors the architectural legacy of one of Columbia’s last remaining grand homes from the early 1900s. Over the years, the building saw multiple uses from a private residence to the Columbia Museum of Art to university police - each leaving behind non-historic additions and modifications that compromised its integrity. We led a multi-phase effort to remove those alterations, restore defining features, and adapt the space for modern institutional use.

Rehabilitation began with the removal of art museum wings and continued with the reimagination of original porches as light-filled seminar spaces. Historic research confirmed the original terra-cotta roof. The new roof was installed to match the original profiles. The brick and copper details were faithfully restored. Interior modifications balanced preservation with upgrades to mechanical, electrical, and life safety systems, designed to integrate seamlessly while renewing the historic finishes. An elevator and accessible restrooms were placed in the former service wing to preserve the main house’s original layout. Historic lighting fixtures, woodwork, wallpaper, and built-ins were restored or replicated using archival photographs, interviews with the family, and original documents.

A part of the School of Law campus, also designed by our team, the Taylor House is now home to the admissions offices, conference rooms, and event spaces.

2025 Merit Award for Adaptive Reuse/Preservation from SC American Institute of Architects

 

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