Colt Andrews Elementary School Project

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1 2009 Preservation Awards RI Historical Preservation and Heritage Commission Category: Historic Preservation Project Colt Andrews Elementary School Project Project: Colt Andrews Elementary School, Bristol, RI Owner: Bristol/Warren Regional School District Chairperson: Marjorie J. McBride Superintendent of Schools: Dr. Edward Mara Architect: L. A. Torrado Architects Principal: Luis A. Torrado Project Architect: David Altman Staff Architect: Erik R. Thorpe Project Coordinator: Gary N. Duclos Historic Consultant: Ivan Myjer Principal Building and Monument Conservation Contractor: A.F. Lusi Principal: Armand F. Lusi Owners Representative: Farrar & Associates Principal: Jim Farrar Project Manager: Chris Dailey Structural Engineer: Odeh Engineering Mechanical, Electrical and Plumbing Engineer: Garcia, Galuska, Desousa Engineering Civil Engineer: Cataldo Associates Project Cost: $12.0 million Completed: November 2008 Luis Torrado, Torrado Architects, has just completed a very large historic renovation, rehab, and new addition to two historic downtown schools in Bristol. The final product is outstanding and our students are in a very bright and beautiful learning environment.

2 Edward P. Mara, Ed. D. Superintendent Project Description The Colt Andrews School is set in one of the most prominent historic districts in the State. The Colt School was completed in 1906 by the Colt Family as the Bristol High School. The building is a great example of Beaux Arts Architecture. A significant portion of the original budget went to incorporate sculpture, stained glass, decorative stone carvings and classical details such as columns and capitals executed in stone and ornamental copper into the interior and exterior of the building. The building exterior is completely clad in Georgia marble which rests on a granite foundation. The building is constructed of a steel frame, flat clay arches and heavy timber framing. The building included classrooms, auditorium, science lab, small library and administrative offices. The Andrews School was built in 1938 as part of the Works Progress Administration in order to provide auxiliary space to meet the full high school curriculum. The building included a home economics room, gymnasium, shower rooms, classrooms and administrative offices. The Colonial Revival style building is a two and three story load bearing masonry walls unreinforced brick constructed on poured concrete foundations. The exposed portions of the foundations, the beveled coins, inscribed plaques, stairs and all windowsills are East Longmeadow Massachusetts brownstone. Both the Colt and Andrews Schools are on the National Historic Register. The Bristol Historic Commission called the Colt Andrews project the most important building project in the district. The residents of Bristol voted to maintain the presence of their educational facilities in the Historic District. The new elementary school program called for a three track school providing classrooms for kindergarten through sixth grade. The area programmed for the Andrews addition required a design which had substantial lot coverage while providing access to the back of the building for food deliveries and access to the rear kindergarten play area. A connector was designed to echo a bridge arch structure connecting the new and old building and providing access on both floor levels. The exterior of the building addition maintains the scale and massing of the original building. The shape of the two prominent gable end structures is repeated as the main element of the addition. Details, such as soffits and fascia, and fenestration are in keeping with the original building, but are in a more contemporary and crisp vocabulary. The prominent design element is a double-curved roof/window wall which provides pedestrian scale and maintains dimensional proportions of the residential neighborhood. The baseball cap expresses the interior space of the kindergarten library and its storytelling area. The New England weather, plagued by some of the worst acid rain in North America, in addition to the marine environment in Bristol, accelerated the weathering process of the exteriors of the buildings. The Colt building roof had been patched over the years but

3 had not been replaced since its original construction. The roof was replaced with a glazed clay tiled roof still made by the original roof manufacturer. Substantial structural deterioration had taken place on the exterior envelope of the building. The steel ties which held the marble cladding on the building had rusted. The rusting steel window lintels had caused marble cracking and de-lamination at most window heads and most of the mortar had deteriorated. The major structural backup failure causing the splitting of the building s main entrance pediment was completely reconstructed. The building was completely re-pointed after treating all the rusting steel. All of the cracked marble and previous repairs inadequately performed were replaced with dutchman from the original quarry and original marble found in the building. New capstones and built in gutters were provided. Copper cladding was repaired and the entire copper stone interface was re-caulked. The original leaded windows were repaired. The third floor copper clad windows and the stair tower s original windows were refurbished, including hardware and re-glazing. The classrooms mahogany windows were replaced with historically accurate mahogany windows identical in material and shape to the original windows. Missing original window screens were duplicated. The significant importance of the historic quality of the Colt building made it very challenging to introduce all the modern amenities and safety features of a contemporary elementary school. The program requirement to provide air conditioning throughout the building as well as a new sprinkler system, fire alarm system, electrical and technology wiring, plumbing and distribution systems required an inventive use of the building s original infrastructure. The building s structural system, terra cotta flat arches on a steel grid made the creation of new floor penetrations very difficult to address. The requirement for a new elevator to connect five different floor levels on the building without penetrating the exterior of the building or disturbing the auditorium space, which is the largest space located at the center of the school, involved extensive design coordination and consultation with the Historic Commissions. The original air shafts which heated the building were utilized to run new mechanical duct work for the ventilation system which re-used the original louver locations in all classrooms and auditorium. Although major fire proofing was mandated, the utilization of shafts which extended from the basement to the top floor allowed for the original interior architecture to be undisturbed. The building s stairways had previously been enclosed to meet building and fire codes. These crude enclosures were removed as part of this project and substituted with fire rated glass which attempted to create a transparency so that the original character of the building could be expressed. Other features such as the mezzanine original guardrail was augmented by a new clear glass guardrail which allowed compliance with current code requirements while maintaining the original guardrail design. The prominent space in the building is the auditorium. It has an original Tiffany stained glass window as the backdrop to the stage. The original auditorium mezzanine seating was completely restored. Substantial plaster restoration was required. The interior marble was re-pointed and cleaned. Original ventilation shafts were used for new mechanical systems and their louvers were used to incorporate a new sound system. The

4 original lighting was rewired and restored. All of the wood was refurbished and the entire space was repainted duplicating the original paint scheme. Throughout the building all the original quarter sawed oak wood was stripped and refinished. Major elements such as the chalkboards and tack boards were refinished and utilized. The original clock enclosures were restored. A special variance was obtained in order maintain the original door hardware, which was all restored. Major portions of the interior finishes had to be replaced due to substantial water penetration throughout the years. All of the new plaster panels and trim duplicated the original design. Substantial renovations were required to the cast iron construction of the stair system. The original guardrail and handrails were allowed to be maintained since they are augmented appropriate to the elementary school children s age. Original doors and door locations were maintained and new openings such as the entrance of the new elevator were located in what were original door openings in the building. New ADA accessible access to the building was naturally incorporated into the mid-floor entry level of the building. This required the lowering of a portion of the first floor in order to create a new entrance lobby from which elevator access to all five levels of the building takes place. One of the design opportunities presented was the requirement for a large space to house the school s library/media center. The third floor of the Colt School housed a small science lab, lecture room, art room and classroom. It was subdivided by a load bearing center corridor. The attic was constructed of heavy timber trusses and light wood framing. The Rhode Island Historical Preservation and Heritage Commission concurred that this area of the building was of minimal historic significance. The design called for major renovations to take place on this third floor. The load bearing corridor wall was eliminated and the required structural revisions were made to create a large clear spanning roof space. The new structural renovations allowed for the skylight opening which was a minimal series of three 6 X 10 openings to the third floor to be completely opened up and for light to filter into the whole of the third floor. The ceiling joists which originally separated the attic space from the third floor were called to be removed. At the initial site investigation of the attic space, the architect was fascinated by the numerous graffiti left by generations of high school students. It was apparent that at one point students gained access into the attic space and memorialized their tenure at the school. The architect proposed exposing all the original heavy timber trusses and incorporating them into the library/media space while maintaining the original signatures of the former students. The displaying of the original student graffiti as part of the permanent media center structure immediately created a buzz in the community. Former students learned of what was planned and at the dedication of the construction visited the building with their children and grandchildren to show where they had put their names; Legs, 42 had his picture taken aside his memorialized nickname. The educational program required an art room which ideally should include natural light. The design called for the location of this art room on the third floor. A large clear story window tilts

5 to allow maximum light from the large skylight to illuminate the entire art room. This also creates a view of the intricate structure of the media center. The Andrews School is constructed with a two-way steel reinforced concrete slab. This construction made new floor penetrations very difficult. The original building s kitchen was located in the basement of Colt School. The program required for a new cafeteria/gymnasium to be housed at the Andrews School. This necessitated a complete wing of the original floor level to be lowered in order to have a kitchen at the same level as the cafeteria space. The original unique spaces in the building such as the home economics wing which included a house replication, with its fireplace, were incorporated into the new classroom scheme. Spaces such as the music room included a small stage which became the focus for the new classroom layout. The building s original main corridor and circulation pattern were extended into the addition space. The connector between the two buildings has become a natural extension of the original circulation patterns. This not only provides for a clear, uncomplicated circulation pattern but also allows for one elevator to provide handicap access for the entire building. Important spaces such as the curved corridor ceiling and classroom clear story windows were maintained while providing a new heating, ventilation system as well as a fire protection system. All interior doors, trim, and plaster details were refurbished. New separating enclosures, for example, the separation of the stair tower from entrance lobby were done as elements incorporated into the original arched entrance scheme. The exterior renovations included window replacements, restoration of lead windows and circular windows, brick and brownstone re-pointing. Extensive structural brick repinning was required. Original slate roof portions which abutted the new connector were used to make slate roof repairs. Exterior light fixtures were restored. New ADA access ramps are introduced to the building as a landscape feature not requiring extensive ramping and handrails. Aluminum gutters and downspouts which had replaced the originals were replaced with copper gutters and downspouts. The cupola, a prominent design element of the original building, was completely refurbished including the repair and re-installation of the weathervane which had fallen off years before. The citizens of Bristol made a wise decision years ago when they decided to maintain the historic presence of their school system in the Bristol Historic District. This provided a state-of-the-art school which integrates the latest green design concepts in a significant historic building which has been able to generate excitement in the community by uniting past, present and future generations of students in an enriching and memorable educational experience. The project benefited from the involvement and approvals of many stakeholders including the School Committee, the Building Committee, the Bristol Town Council, The

6 Rhode Island Historical Preservation and Heritage Commission, The Bristol Historic District Commission, The Rhode Island Department of Education, zoning and planning boards, local and state fire marshals and building officials, the parents, school groups, staff and school administration.