Commercial Architecture September 2017 - 17

FEATURE

exterior restoration

Opposite page. The restoration of the stone façade of the Minnesota State Capitol Building began
in 2012, and over a four year period was broken down into five phases, which involved the reproduction of 3,949 custom stone pieces-each one assigned its own shop ticket and unique number.

continuous flow was maintained between the architects, stone producer, fabricators, stone carvers, and masons to keep on schedule, and acute attention to detail
and accuracy was a must. Above all, it was determined fairly early in the process
that no assumptions should be made.
"It was a really complex team dynamic," said architect Ginny Lackovic of
HGA Architects and Engineers, Minneapolis. "Many of us had experience with
historic restoration, just not at this scale. It's always hard to get large projects
started, and this one was no exception. It took a while to sort out everyone's roles
and responsibilities, but eventually each step in the process was dovetailed to
create a continuous flow of work. After a few months, we realized that weekly
meetings with the full team were the only way to make this happen. Another
important aspect was general willingness to be flexible when possible."
The architect also expressed appreciation for the general contractor for its role
in the restoration. "A lot of credit goes to J.E. Dunn Construction, Minneapolis,"
she said. "They did a masterful job with overall project and site management."
Sylvie Beaudoin of Polycor proved instrumental in keeping the stone production and fabrication on track. "Everything went really well and on schedule," said
Beaudoin. "I became involved after the mock-up year phase. The general contractor started saying, 'They want you there every third Tuesday.' Communication
and reassurance was important. Every month, I'd go to the jobsite in Minnesota
to reassure everyone they would have stone. I'd let them know how many were
coming, and then they would discuss the next phase. It kept communication
going.
"In the beginning, it was intimidating," Beaudoin continued. "No one knew
each other well. All the teams were waiting for me. They wanted to know when
the stone was coming. I'd go up there and tell them how it was. I didn't just tell
them what they wanted to hear. The truth pays. My role was to make sure all the
fabricators were doing their part. I would push my fabricators. There was constant
follow-up."
EXISTING CONDITIONS

Before the actual restoration began, the stonework needed to be assessed-a process that continued throughout all five phases, according to Lackovic. "Initially,

Above. The 111-yr.-old capitol building, which was designed by noted
architect Cass Gilbert and earned a
place on the National Register of Historic Places in 1972, is a solid display
of Georgia white marble.

exterior work was not included in the scope of the capitol restoration project,"
explained the architect. "Several focused asset-preservation projects were subsequently initiated to address water infiltration. One of these projects, focused on
mitigating water infiltration at the dome, required extensive scaffolding. This
gave investigators the opportunity to inspect architectural features at close range.
Preliminary observations confirmed that some of the more sculptural elements,

Left. Preliminary observations of the

such as column capital features and window-hood bracket scrolls, were consis-

exterior marble on the Minnesota
state capitol building in St. Paul,
MN, confirmed that some of the more
sculptural elements, such as column
capital features, were consistently
unstable. Photo courtesy of Polycor

tently unstable.
"HGA was immediately commissioned to perform hands-on surface evaluation of stone using swing stages and mechanical lifts," Lackovic continued. "Unstable fragments were also either removed or stabilized. This was the first opportunity to examine upper-story features of the main building wings. A large
number of fragments, including several elements of significant size-10 to 15
pounds-were found to be easily removed with light tapping. The results of this
survey led to the recommendation that a comprehensive exterior facade survey
be performed as soon as possible."
Wiss, Janney, Elstner Associates Inc., based in Northbrook, IL, performed
this survey, sounding nearly every piece of stone on the building. "Information
generated from this provided the foundation for early work-scope projections,"
commercialarchitecturemagazine.com

SEPTEMBER 2017

COMMERCI A L A RCHI T EC T URE

17


http://www.commercialarchitecturemagazine.com

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Commercial Architecture September 2017

The Architects
Healthcare Sustainability
Exterior Restoration
Aluminum Updates Buildings
Foam Blocks Solve Mountainous Problem
Exteriors Products
Ceiling Design Evokes L.A. Magic
Green Welcome For Car Buyers
Interiors Products
Heat Pumps Upgrade School HVAC Efficiency
Doors Optimize Appearance, Customer Appeal
HVAC & Plumbing Products
Renovation, Adaptive Reuse Anchor State Complex
Windows & Doors Products
Lighting Control Is A Boon For Stargazers
Lighting Up The Arts Community
Logistics, Lighting, Efficiency
Lighting & Electrical Products
Building Technology Products
Showcase
Index
Portfolio
Commercial Architecture September 2017 - Cover1
Commercial Architecture September 2017 - Cover2
Commercial Architecture September 2017 - 1
Commercial Architecture September 2017 - 2
Commercial Architecture September 2017 - 3
Commercial Architecture September 2017 - 4
Commercial Architecture September 2017 - 5
Commercial Architecture September 2017 - The Architects
Commercial Architecture September 2017 - 7
Commercial Architecture September 2017 - Healthcare Sustainability
Commercial Architecture September 2017 - 9
Commercial Architecture September 2017 - 10
Commercial Architecture September 2017 - 11
Commercial Architecture September 2017 - 12
Commercial Architecture September 2017 - 13
Commercial Architecture September 2017 - 14
Commercial Architecture September 2017 - 15
Commercial Architecture September 2017 - Exterior Restoration
Commercial Architecture September 2017 - 17
Commercial Architecture September 2017 - 18
Commercial Architecture September 2017 - 19
Commercial Architecture September 2017 - 20
Commercial Architecture September 2017 - 21
Commercial Architecture September 2017 - Aluminum Updates Buildings
Commercial Architecture September 2017 - 23
Commercial Architecture September 2017 - 24
Commercial Architecture September 2017 - 25
Commercial Architecture September 2017 - Foam Blocks Solve Mountainous Problem
Commercial Architecture September 2017 - 27
Commercial Architecture September 2017 - Exteriors Products
Commercial Architecture September 2017 - 29
Commercial Architecture September 2017 - 30
Commercial Architecture September 2017 - Ceiling Design Evokes L.A. Magic
Commercial Architecture September 2017 - 32
Commercial Architecture September 2017 - 35
Commercial Architecture September 2017 - 36
Commercial Architecture September 2017 - 37
Commercial Architecture September 2017 - Green Welcome For Car Buyers
Commercial Architecture September 2017 - 39
Commercial Architecture September 2017 - 40
Commercial Architecture September 2017 - 41
Commercial Architecture September 2017 - Interiors Products
Commercial Architecture September 2017 - 43
Commercial Architecture September 2017 - 44
Commercial Architecture September 2017 - 45
Commercial Architecture September 2017 - Heat Pumps Upgrade School HVAC Efficiency
Commercial Architecture September 2017 - 47
Commercial Architecture September 2017 - Doors Optimize Appearance, Customer Appeal
Commercial Architecture September 2017 - HVAC & Plumbing Products
Commercial Architecture September 2017 - 50
Commercial Architecture September 2017 - 51
Commercial Architecture September 2017 - Renovation, Adaptive Reuse Anchor State Complex
Commercial Architecture September 2017 - 53
Commercial Architecture September 2017 - Windows & Doors Products
Commercial Architecture September 2017 - 55
Commercial Architecture September 2017 - Lighting Control Is A Boon For Stargazers
Commercial Architecture September 2017 - 57
Commercial Architecture September 2017 - Lighting Up The Arts Community
Commercial Architecture September 2017 - 59
Commercial Architecture September 2017 - Logistics, Lighting, Efficiency
Commercial Architecture September 2017 - Lighting & Electrical Products
Commercial Architecture September 2017 - 62
Commercial Architecture September 2017 - Building Technology Products
Commercial Architecture September 2017 - Showcase
Commercial Architecture September 2017 - Index
Commercial Architecture September 2017 - Portfolio
Commercial Architecture September 2017 - Cover3
Commercial Architecture September 2017 - Cover4
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