As Kevin Kaminski, cofounder of Kaminski+Pew, set out to convert an old shoe factory in Philadelphia into a makerspace for artists he couldn’t help but be reminded of something Robert Venturi had said to him years ago: “Think about buildings as a mitten rather than a glove, so that you know you’re not building something so specific that it can’t have a future life.” The adage rings through in Silk Screen Studios where an open floorplan of artist studios can continuously adapt to the needs of the community.
In Norris Square, an up-and-coming neighborhood in Philadelphia, local firm Kaminski+Pew has breathed new life into a dilapidated warehouse. Originally a shoe factory dating from the 1880s, the brick building is now home to Silk Screen Studios, a makerspace of art studios.

While…