The MA Hospital School helps children and young adults with multiple disabilities to achieve maximum independence. An integral part of both the educational and therapeutic environment, the School's equestrian program needed an indoor riding arena and stables to function year-round. Our design for a pre-engineered structure allowed the project to be built within budget.
A freestanding tower linked to the original building by glass-enclosed bridges, the elevator addition makes the Charlestown Public Library fully accessible, while preserving the delicte balance of the building's original structural system. Our design work also included rest-rooms, a staff kitchenette, interior doorways, main Library entrance,window repairs and interior upgrades.
Lasell Student Dining Hall occupies the middle floor of a 3-story building. The College's goals for the addition were to create a new entrance at grade and add a venue for live entertainment and and an intimate dining experience. The addition's triangular footprint reflects campus circulation patterns and expresses a dramatic structural system, giving the facility a contemporary character.
Alden Chambers is the historic assembly space at Medford City Hall. Access upgrades created an opportunity for full interior restoration, with a platform lift, reconfigured doorways and furnishings, lighting and a sound system, with new draperies and carpeting to improve room acoustics. Restoration included refinishing of wood paneling, railings, plaster, paint, and windows.
Northampton Superior/District Courthouse comprised several attached buildings with a variety of roofing and masonry failures. We designed new roofing in slate, copper, and modified bitumen, with reconstruction of masonry parapets and re-sealing of glazed curtain walls. The extent of building envelope repairs triggered code requirements for new accessible rest-rooms and egress upgrades.
Displaced, cracked brick walls and windows indicated serious building envelope failure at Westboro State School. We identified defects in original construction and designed two types of remediation: reconstructing walls full-height at the worst damage, and securing remaining brick to the structural system using retrofit ties. Windows were sealed and control joints added.
We repair broken buildings and plan new facilities for state and local agencies. Experience with studies grounds our design work in an understanding of building problems and opportunities. Experience with design contracts grounds our studies in construction realities. Special expertise includes access upgrades and building envelope repairs for a wide variety of projects.
