Collaborated closely with the preservation board, architect, and general contractor to install a braced frame in a less visible location, minimizing the impact on historic elements and maximizing room sizes.
Incorporated into the light well and unseen by guests in the lobby, the braced frame rises three stories outside the hotel, providing critical seismic support to the U-shaped structure.
None of the original construction plans were available for this unreinforced masonry building with post-and-beam timber framing and wood stud bearing walls, increasing the critical importance of communication and construction sequencing.
The preserved building façade, the exposed heavy timber framing, the restored interior light well with 8-foot skylights, the new awnings and canopy over the relocated building entrance – these and many other thoughtful elements demonstrate the extraordinary commitment of the owner and team to delight and engage the community with this renewal.