Preserving Legacy, Shaping Tomorrow: Justin Colombik on Adaptive Reuse in Luxury Design
Written by Matt Emma
In an era when shiny new developments often eclipse the value of what already exists, Justin Colombik, Partner and Design Director at RoseBernard Studio, is making a case for the opposite. For him, preservation is not nostalgia; it’s a strategy.
Demolition costs more than just financial resources,” Colombik says. “It includes the environmental and emotional cost. That is why we always ask before demolishing: Why are we ripping this out? Can we make it better instead of making it new?
Colombik’s passion for adaptive reuse, the transformation of historic structures into contemporary, high-performing spaces, runs deep, informing both his professional work and his personal commitments. Recently, he led the successful effort to have his Chicago neighborhood, Edgewater Glen, recognized as a Historic District by the National Register of Historic Places by the US Department of The Interior.
The grassroots campaign was capped with a community-wide celebration, where residents now take renewed pride in their century-old homes. “You can feel the shift,” Colombik says. “People treat the neighborhood with more care, more respect. They understand they’re stewards of something irreplaceable.” This was not only a personal triumph but a demonstration of what preservation can do for communities. Colombik’s work honors architectural integrity while breathing new life into overlooked places, opening doors to financial incentives that make restoration and preservation both viable and attractive for residential and commercial properties that might otherwise sit undervalued.
As a result, his own community has experienced a renaissance of architectural preservation. Restoration is no longer a rare undertaking but a regular practice, ensuring these one-of-a-kind buildings continue to stand as living testaments to history and heritage.
For Colombik, a LEED-certified designer with nearly two decades of experience shaping world-class hospitality environments, preservation is sustainability in its most authentic form. Every beam, tile, and pane of glass in a historic building embodies the energy already spent to create it. To discard these materials is to waste not only their craft but also their carbon footprint. “Adaptive reuse,” he argues, “is the ultimate act of recycling.”
RoseBernard Studio demonstrated this ethos in Sacramento, where the team dismantled and meticulously recycled every piece of demolition debris for a hotel development, an achievement that won awards for its sustainability. The project proved what Colombik often tells developers: adaptive reuse isn’t just about heritage, it’s about economics. Lower material costs, avoided landfill fees, and long-term energy efficiency create a powerful value proposition that demolition cannot match.
This can be seen in what was once an overlooked and empty restaurant in Victoria. It was carefully revived under Colombik’s leadership, wherein he balanced historic detailing with contemporary vibrancy. “We’re not trying to recreate the past,” he says. “We’re honoring it while allowing it to evolve. The quirks and awkward moments in old buildings, that’s their charm. That’s what makes them unforgettable.”
Today, he is applying this philosophy to a project on Coronado Island in San Diego, where RoseBernard has been tasked with reinvigorating the historic restaurant and bar. Colombik and his team are crafting layered guest narratives drawn from the hotel’s colorful history, stories of founders, Hollywood stars, and WWII soldiers, that will transform the space into more than a bar, but a living timeline.
At the heart of Colombik’s work is narrative.
For hospitality, there’s an unparalleled authenticity in a historic space,” he says. “It tells a story before you even begin the design.
This conceptual storytelling sets RoseBernard apart in the luxury sector, where design alone is no longer enough. Guests crave distinctiveness, environments that reflect a sense of place and carry the emotional resonance of history. By drawing design cues from preserved details, whether a timber beam, an ornate plaster ceiling, or reclaimed tiles, Colombik builds spaces that are not just beautiful but meaningful. “These buildings tell stories without speaking,” he reflects. “Our role is to amplify those stories while weaving in modern comfort and sustainability.”
Looking ahead, Colombik sees adaptive reuse as an essential path for luxury design, particularly in markets like London, San Francisco, and Chicago, where historic buildings provide authenticity that new construction simply cannot replicate. “Brand new hotels may have modern amenities, but they can never have the soul of a historic property,” he notes. “Preservation isn’t just about protecting the past; it’s about creating a future rooted in character, sustainability, and respect.”
As RoseBernard Studio expands its global footprint, Colombik’s vision is clear: to continue bridging past and present, shaping tomorrow by preserving yesterday. For him, every project is an act of storytelling, an act of stewardship, and ultimately, an act of design integrity.
