[MassHistPres] Old Town Halls

[Tristram W Metcalfe 3]

Hi Marcia,
> Starkey 12/14/07 12:24 PM mdstarkey at crocker.com
>
> Hello,
> 
> Several days ago I heard a preservation consultant state that the problem
> with reuse is that you almost have to build a new building inside the old
> one.
> Altho this a very broad statement
That does seem an extremely broad statement since its relative to so many
things that would make it seem less of a daunting concept. The more valuable
the history and therefore the efforts to renovate toward a "totally
preserved building", the more it might seem like building inside itself
trying to save near 100% of the materials relative to a preserved target
date, while replacing as little as needed.

It is true that most GCs prefer total gut demolition before new renovation
when not sensitive to history. Saving most while replacing least is a worthy
goal as you trade new material cost for more labor in a slower process, but
that wash can mean more preservation. Preserved materials have greater
aesthetic value and also possibly greater equity value returned.

 
> (and ignores Sect. 34 of the state
> code for a relatively small number of historic buildings),
I assume you mean the small list in Appendix H of state code 780CMR of the
few totally preserved buildings in Mass. Only 77 towns have the 140 total
'totally preserved buildings & landmarks' in the current (10yr old) code. I
would hope that number will be higher in the 7th edition of the code likely
out by next spring.;-)

> it does raise the
> question of when we will have an existing building subcode in the
> Commonwealth.
I assume you mean more than what we already have in Chapter 34 which is
REPAIR, ALTERATION, ADDITION AND CHANGE OF USE OF EXISTING BUILDINGS which
has chapter 3409.0 HISTORIC BUILDINGS in it.
The nice part of 34 are "compliance alternatives" to the strict letter of
the code allowing flexibility usually based on excessive cost or inferior
design utilization, but safety always needs to hold or increase. These
require the building official's agreement or else it's an appeal to the
STATE BOARD OF BUILDINGS REGULATIONS AND STANDARDS.

Tris Metcalfe
Northampton 
 
> 
> Marcia Starkey, Greenfield HC
> 
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Tristram W Metcalfe 3" <twm33 at verizon.net>
> To: "Betsy Hannula" <betsyhannula at verizon.net>; "Karen C. Gray"
> <kcthreads at earthlink.net>; "Joseph S. Larson" <larson at tei.umass.edu>;
> <masshistpres at cs.umb.edu>
> Sent: Friday, December 14, 2007 10:52 AM
> Subject: Re: [MassHistPres] Old Town Halls
> 
> 
>> "A Never-ending battle" for sure!
>> 
>> In my 36 years or registered architectural practice 99% of the claimed
>> "too
>> far gone to reuse" statements were mostly just sad ignorance most often
>> actually motivated by those who wanted the land underneath and then
>> ignorance allowed the disinformation to prevail.
>> 
>> Bruce Becker an architect & developer in CT, lectures that condition means
>> almost nothing in overall reuse economics, it's use demand and location
>> that
>> save and reuse old buildings. He really wanted to reuse Old Main our State
>> Hospital in Northampton, but said if the local government wouldn't invite
>> him to step in to reuse it he would be wasting his time fighting for its
>> valuable location.
>> 
>> In Plainfield, Mass we have a matched pair of Church and Town hall built
>> prior to separation of church and state which should put them in the 18th
>> century. They have simple elegant Greek revival detailing. Both have had
>> small accessibility additions and improvements inside and out including
>> lifting up the town hall and building a 90% new foundation, all at modest
>> expense and much with access grant help only to town hall even though the
>> Church still sits on town land. They gave it better kitchen, bathrooms,
>> entry, 2nd floor lift and exterior stone walks, walls & rails etc.
>> 
>> 
>> Tristram W. Metcalfe III, AIA  NCARB  NY MA CT
>> 142  Main St. Northampton, Mass 01060
>> Ph 413.586.5775 Fx 586.2577
>> Mobile 413.695.8200
>> twm3 at rcn.com
>> metaphors
>> be with
>> You
>> !
>> 
>> 
>> 
>>> Betsy Hannula12/13/07 8:22 PMbetsyhannula at verizon.net
>> 
>>> Westminster's town hall was built in 1839.  Since a new town hall was
>>> built
>>> and occupied last spring, the old one is in serious danger of being
>>> destroyed
>>> because we've been told it's too expensive to repair the third floor in
>>> order
>>> to restore and reuse.   A never-ending battle.
>>> 
>>> 
>>> "Karen C. Gray" <kcthreads at earthlink.net> wrote:
>>> Stow 1848
>>> ----- Original Message -----
>>> From: "Joseph S. Larson"
>>> To:
>>> Sent: Wednesday, December 12, 2007 9:51 PM
>>> Subject: Re: [MassHistPres] Old Town Halls
>>> 
>>> 
>> 
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