Yesterday evening, Tuesday the 12th, Edmund Meade gave a lecture on Structural Engineering within Preservation at the University of Mary Washington. Meade is a Principal at the firm Robert Silman Associates and first graduated with his B.S. in Civil Engineering from Johns Hopkins, and then went on to UVA to get his Masters in Architectural History and certificate in Historic Preservation. With his unique educational background, Meade has worked on projects varying from La Iglesia San Jose (c. 1520) in Puerto Rico, the Johnson Wax Research Tower (Frank Lloyd Wright) and most noteably, the Guggenheim renovation completed in 2008, also designed by Frank Lloyd Wright.
Robert Silman Associates has the ability to perform intense testing on these fragile, monumental structures such as laser-assisted measurements, remote monitoring, advanced mathematical analysis, and infrared testing, just to name a few. If only Habalis had such luxuries!
Concerning La Iglesia San Jose, Robert Silman installed only $750,000 worth of scaffolding-- only 3/4 of a million dollars... They conducted laser testing, inside and out, to help repair the ceiling in the church. With the laser survey and infrared testing, they were able to make the structural changes needed as well as find out that some clay pots were stored in crevasses/corners of the ceiling!
The Johnson Wax Research Tower had experienced some issues with the glass paneling which were two stories tall. The windows were beginning to crumble, and RSA went in, surveyed, and repaired the panels. This building is pretty cool--every other story is circular and every other story is square!
Lastly, Meade spoke in detail about the Guggenheim renovation on the main rotunda. The main concern with this building was the concrete, exterior walls that had severe cracks that had never really been fixed--they had always just been painted over (rookie mistake). They produced a very detailed CAD drawing, even featured in the New York Times, showing all the cracks and rod/re-bar deterioration. They successfully completed this renovation/restoration in 2008.
Emphasis was made that part of being a structural engineer and working with historic properties is that they do a lot of, if not all, non-destructive evaluations. Although they do focus on repairs and alterations, they are also literally preserving the historic fabric of the building. They research all the materials used and how they need to be handled. RSA has also performed a conditions assessment on Monumental Church in Richmond, Virginia. It is quite the unique church, and I encourage all to take the short drive and take a walk around the church which is now being restored.
Up next... Dinner with Hurley, Green Spaces in an Urban Setting, Belmont and It's Landscape, and many more!
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