Commercial Architecture March 2018 - 11

FEATURE

historic buildings

are analyzed and mitigated, which includes assessing development impacts to the potential historic resources. In
California this applies to buildings more than 50 years
old, or important historic landscapes. The redevelopment of existing structures typically begins with an analysis of their historic merit. This is where our firm starts its
work," Kocherovsky said.
"About 80% of Page & Turnbull's architectural portfolio is technically categorized as rehabilitation and adaptive reuse, because developers and property owners wish
to use the existing, potentially historically significant
buildings for current applications," she said. "So we rehabilitate buildings, inserting new uses, more often than we
perform strict restoration of buildings. 'Restoration' is a
process of returning a historically significant building
back to its original splendor, with deteriorated or missing
components needing to be restored, replaced, or carefully
recreated. 'Preservation,' on the other hand, indicates a
building or structure that has retained its integrity but
requires some effort to protect the existing characteristics, elements, and details and prevent their deterioration," Kocherovsky explained.
LANDMARK COMPLEXITIES

Dealing with historic properties often adds complexity
to a project. "Landmark projects always add another layer
of review, which adds time and cost. In general, though,
we find that a landmarks review process doesn't hinder
adaptive reuse," said John Cetra.
"Instead, it becomes a planning tool, creating a framework for a sensitive renovation that suits modern needs
and the developer's goals. Plus, for many historic restoration projects, sensitive design is inspired by the landmarks process but occurs with or without the review. At
30 Morningside, the project includes preservation and

Located at 30 Morningside Drive in Manhattan, the residential conversion of the five Beaux-Arts structures formerly occupied by Mount Sinai St. Luke's
Hospital will retain the historic fabric of the existing structures in compliance with the historic landmark regulations, while also meeting all buildingcode requirements. Photo: Courtesy CetraRuddy

restoration work on landmarked buildings as well as additions on non-landmarked buildings to create a cohesive
new development. The new additions did not need to go

"Every project has challenges," Kocherovsky agreed.

Burnham & Buttrick (MBB) Architects' work in New

through landmarks review, but their design is inspired by

"The standards applicable to historic buildings as defined

York at St. Patrick's and also at Trinity Church on Wall

the original buildings and their context. Above all, it's

by the Department of the Interior are the same regardless

Street, Jeffrey Murphy explained. The attic above the

important for any renovation or preservation project to

of whether they are listed on a register of historic places

nave at St. Patrick's is basically a tinderbox. The New

respond to the surrounding context, and for any adap-

or simply considered to be eligible. Local and municipal

York Fire Department flatly said it would be too danger-

tive-reuse project to do the same while bringing the high-

agencies may apply stricter standards in some cases, such

ous to send firemen up there, he said.

est possible value for its new purpose," he said.

as in San Francisco, which has a much more intense ap-

"We realized that a sprinkler system wasn't a great

proval process than those of other localities or the state."

solution because if you load up that plaster ceiling with

obstacle, too, but they're often an opportunity to address

"Design teams often have to be creative and balance

water, it would basically just collapse the entire ceiling

multiple challenges at once. For example, although roof

historic aspects against one another. For the Walt Disney

onto the floor of the church. Instead, we installed a mist

decks have become important amenity spaces in residen-

Family Museum, San Francisco (waltdisney.org), for ex-

system, something that's used in ship applications where

tial developments, rooftops on many existing buildings

ample, our design called for installation of fire sprinklers

you can't use a lot of water. It uses about a tenth of the

aren't designed for a live-load capacity that complies with

in lieu of fire-resistive construction. This allowed us to

water of a sprinkler system, but it's very effective in extin-

current code. Accommodating those uses often means

retain the original wooden window frames of the historic

guishing a fire. It wouldn't saturate that ceiling and make

significant structural reinforcement. It's the same story

barracks building. Otherwise we would have had to in-

all of the plaster come raining down on the floor of the

with building systems (mechanicals, AC, elevator ma-

troduce fireproof materials into the fenestration assem-

cathedral," Murphy said.

chine rooms, exhaust fans) that are moving up from base-

blies,

ments to the rooftop as they become larger and more

Kocherovsky related.

Cetra continued, "Building codes can seem like an

sophisticated, and as resiliency concerns impact design."

compromising

their

original

character,"

While non-profit organizations, since they are generally tax-exempt, have little incentive to earn historic tax

Likewise, fire safety was a concern in the Murphy,

credits, the local landmark commission still can have a

commercialarchitecturemagazine.com

MARCH 2018

COMMERCI A L A RCHI T EC T URE

http://www.waltdisney.org http://www.commercialarchitecturemagazine.com

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Commercial Architecture March 2018