Please join APT WGLC for a noon virtual presentation by Erica Ceder, AIA, LEED AP, Assoc. DBIA and Evan Speer, PE. A brief recap of the APT WGLC Annual Report will precede the presentation.
The Pritchard Building Rehabilitation and Expansion – A Collaborative Approach to Rehabilitating a Midcentury Modern Gem
This presentation seeks to describe the processes and decision-making involved in the renovation of and addition to the existing Joel M. Pritchard Building. Situated on the Washington State Capitol Campus in Olympia, Washington, the Pritchard Building – formerly the Washington State Library, is a historically significant concrete building with sandstone cladding and significant glazing. Originally designed by Paul Thiry and constructed in 1958, the building was damaged in the 2001 Nisqually Earthquake. Jump to today, and the building is being rehabilitated in an effort to breathe new life into the building, as it has not been fully usable since 2001, add critical office space for state legislators, as well as other campus staff. The removal of the damaged portion of the existing building to build an addition triggers a full seismic retrofit of the existing building. The removed portion of the building included the concrete shear wall lateral system, leaving the remaining building with no lateral system. The original project pre-design report assumed an approach that would have required the addition of multiple large structural elements within the existing, mostly glass reading room that would have had a largely negative effect on the historic character of that space. Holmes and DLR Group worked closely together to develop a different approach. Holmes utilized advanced nonlinear analysis tools to minimize the impact of the retrofit on the existing building and were able to utilize linear methods for permitting to expedite the permitting process. Further collaboration with the geotechnical engineers allowed the team to leverage necessary slope stabilization measures on the adjacent hillside to further reduce the need for more invasive foundation solutions. Ultimately using anew addition will brace the historic portion of the building for all lateral loads while seeking to maintain historic sightlines and spaces in this midcentury modern gem.
In addition to the significant structural challenges, the group will also touch on some of the other unique historic aspects of the building including the sandstone exterior and several significant art pieces that were integrated into the original architecture.
Erica Ceder, AIA, LEED AP, Assoc. DBIA
Historic Preservation Leader, DLR Group
Erica is an architect that specializes in the restoration and rehabilitation of historic properties. Her 25+ year career has included a variety of projects that are National Historic Landmarks, listed on the National Register of Historic Places, or listed as World Heritage sites. for both public and private clients.
Evan Speer, PE
Senior Engineer, Holmes US
Evan is a structural and preservation engineer with over 12 years of experience in highly resilient structural engineering. Specializing in historic preservation and seismic resiliency, he has design and analysis experience working with teams on a variety of historic landmarks, monuments and Unesco Heritage Sites across three continents. Outside of Holmes, Evan is involved with multiple preservation nonprofits, and has contributed significantly to heritage preservation in the Kathmandu Valley of Nepal since 2015.
An email link to the presentation will be sent to those who register after registration closes, approximately one day before the presentation.
1.0 AIA/CES HSW LU will be provided (pending approval).