When Donna Longo, owner of Integrated Fitness, first saw the old Scudder Tractor building at 215 North Main Street in Pennington, she immediately envisioned her Pilates studio filling the space and expanding into a holistic wellness center.
“I have always been fascinated by stories and vintage photos of Joseph Pilates, the founder of Classical Pilates, leading classes outside of his beautiful retreat at Jacob’s Pillow in the Berkshire Mountains,” explains Longo.
The renovation was the inspiration of Hamilton developer Danny Popkin, founder and president of Modern Recycled Spaces. Popkin is a collector of rare old objects as well as historic buildings that he refurbishes into unique commercial office and retail space.
“I wanted to preserve the Scudder tractor history as much as I could and honor its rich history in Mercer County,” Popkin says. “I was careful to save the original Scudder Tractor sign, and Donna was passionate about finding a functional yet creative use of the original barn doors.”
Longo also added a zen meditation garden, which is open to her clients throughout the day for reflection or relaxation. “There is also plenty of room for outdoor exercise, as Joseph Pilates intended,” she says. “Our goal was to create a warm, welcoming, creative space.
Interior designer Alirio Pirela fits that bill nicely. His business, Pirela Atelier, occupies the open-plan office space in the front of the building. “The space is a showcase in itself; we have created a graceful simplicity that allows for my merchandise on display to take center stage,” he says. “As soon as I saw the Scudder tractor barn, I wanted to honor that history by recreating something like it for our community.”
Longo and Pirela will be opening their barn doors to the public at a Grand Opening Celebration on Friday, September 25, from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. Food and refreshments from local farms and vineyards will be served. The event is free.
Integrated Fitness is a Classical Pilate studio and Healing Arts Center in Pennington, NJ. For more information, contact Donna Longo at [email protected] or call 609.731.1050.
Pirela Atelier is the home décor firm of an interior designer Alirio Pierla, whose work can be found in Miami, Fort Lauderdale, Boca Raton, Hollywood, New York and Venezuala. Pirela views every new space as a reflection of his client’s unique aesthetic style, and sees each project as an opportunity to bring happiness and well-being to all those who experience it. For more information, contact Alirio Pirela at [email protected] or call 609.737.2402.
Modern Recycled Spaces® specializes in refurbished commercial space for rent or lease for office, industrial, shops, factories, studios, warehouse, distribution, showroom and flex. The company is best known for creating high-amenity, award-winning spaces that are unique, sustainable, functional and affordable. For more information about Modern Recycles Spaces, contact [email protected] or call 609.890.3100.
Photographs courtesy of Matt Pilsner Photography
