Business Profile:	Hotel Industry
Location:	Washington, DC
Property Description:	High Rise historic hotel
Project Profile:	Facade Restoration
Project Budget:	$8,876,782
Final Cost:	$6,995,880

Client Objectives:       

• Address life-safety aspects of the exterior facade of the historic facility originally constructed in 1928

• Remove and replace deteriorated cantilevered concrete balconies

• Perform repairs to address leaks of previously replaced guestroom windows

• Perform repair and restoration procedures to exterior masonry

• Provide removal and abatement of lead-based paint at decorative metal to address areas of rust and re-finish

• Replicate historic detailing for wood columns, cast stone detailing, decorative metal, and windows which had not previously been replaced as part of repair and replacement procedures.

 Solution:

The facade of the historic Wardman Tower had significant deterioration.  Our first task was to investigate the facility and identify recommended work and classify that work as 

1. a life-safety requirement

2. a waterproofing requirement to address interior leakage or major deterioration

3. other recommended exterior work associated with repair and waterproofing

Large balconies required complete replacement.  Small balconies required major repair to concrete and masonry.  Previously replaced windows required reworking exterior detailing to address leakage at the perimeter of the windows.  Windows which had not been previously replaced required removal and replacement.

Portions of brick masonry required replacement and tuckpointing at all levels.  Cast stone detailing had to be rebuilt by masonry carvers.  Lead paint had to be removed to allow removal of underlying rust and refinishing of extensive decorative sheet metal detailing.  Decorative detailing at balconies required removal and replacement.  Colonial wood columns required replacement.  The basement level required complete excavation and application of the new below-grade waterproofing.

To the greatest extent possible, the project was treated as a repair project rather than an historic restoration.  However, all work was reviewed by the Washington, D.C. Historic Committee and found to be in compliance.  All existing detailing which required removal and replacement was replicated to match the original appearance of the facility.

A challenge to the project was the requirement to keep guestrooms in service while the work was in progress.  The entire exterior received scaffolding in two phases.  Temporary walls were erected at the interior prior to removing existing cantilevered concrete balconies.  The contractor repeatedly adjusted his schedule to accommodate major events scheduled at the hotel which serves as a convention center.

Outcomes:

The project was budgeted at $8,876,782.00.  Brisk Waterproofing Company of Capital Heights, MD completed the project within sixteen months and the final construction cost of the facade project was $6,995,990.00