KHH Projects Awarded ACI Gold and Merit Recognition

Thursday, April 5, 2018

The annual ACI-CNY Design and Installation Awards for Excellence lauded two recent projects completed by Klepper, Hahn & Hyatt. The State Tower Building Parapet & Façade Repair earned a Gold Award, and the Arc PARK Bandstand/Concession Building received an Award of Merit. Both were for Masonry Design.

The State Tower Building

The State Tower Building is the tallest building in Syracuse. It is 23 stories high, steel framed, with a cast stone, brick, and terra-cotta façade. Constructed in 1928, it is a contributing property in the Hanover Square Historic District, which was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1976. Necessary repairs to the façade were required to preserve the original materials and appearance as much as possible due to the building’s historic designation.

Aspects of the State Tower Building’s design give it the appearance of being even taller than it is. The building’s top 11 floors are set back and smaller than the lower floors, and the brick façade becomes gradually lighter in color as the building rises. Color matching of the replacement materials was necessary both to preserve the historic nature of the Art Deco building and to preserve the illusion of height. The majority of the façade restoration work was in the tower section and the intricately designed parapets.

Many parapet sections were completely deteriorated or non-existent. To meet a tight schedule, the mason used precast concrete to replicate the terra cotta and precast stone. The precast concrete was color-matched with an integral pigmented admixture, and the texture match was also excellent. Large portions were cast in several horizontal sections due to weight restrictions on the mast climbers, as well as handling limitations by the crews. Thin mortar joints were used between each section to preserve the appearance of a single stone.

The building’s 12 roof areas, in addition to its height, made access to the façade very difficult. A combination of swing stage and mast climbers was employed, and scaffolding was used for the upper tower sections. The designer and the contractor worked together as an integrated team for the success of the project.

Arc PARK Bandstand/Concession Stand

Arc PARK, a project envisioned by community-minded members of Arc Herkimer, involved the collaboration of all disciplines for Klepper, Hahn & Hyatt. The result of this project is an enticing, fully accessible recreation park for Herkimer, New York, and the greater surrounding area. Park amenities include age-appropriate playground areas for various age and ability levels, a baseball field, a basketball court, and a one-third mile fitness trail with five exercise stations. The centerpiece of the park is a masonry bearing wall bandstand and concession building, a gathering space for concerts, entertainment, and events.

The adjacent property owned by Arc Herkimer includes an historic factory building which was previous developed into commercial office and spaces for not-for-profit organizations. For the bandstand, the KHH design team selected a red CMU by CPI, Spek Brik in the St. Cloud Blend, to harmonize with the appeal of the existing historic structure. This selection provided design continuity with the older neighborhood, plus the benefits of concrete masonry’s durability, reduced life cycle maintenance costs, and design versatility. Mortar in a warm dark tan color complemented the CMU selection.

The bandstand/concession building was constructed with the eight-inch module to minimize field cuts and waste. The Spec Brik CMU was an appropriate scale for the size of the building. It was an excellent choice for a material which had to be tough to handle the conditions of an open-air building in a public park setting. The masonry is mold and fire resistant, providing a health safety factor with minimal upkeep for the owner. The high-performance block features Rainbloc integral water repellent to resist the wicking action of typical CMU. Spec Brik lends the design the beauty of a brick building with the performance of CMU, with no painting or surface coatings required.

The bandstand/concession building has a streamlined building envelope that features single-wythe load bearing masonry, which is left exposed on the interior. It features a dramatic roof line with the steel roof framing permanently braced by the CMU walls. Approximately 5,000 CMU units were used in its construction. Masons coordinated closely with the electrician to minimize or eliminate wall-mounted electrical conduits and boxes. Electrical wiring was successfully hidden and protected within the CMU cores.

This lovely centerpiece for Arc PARK exudes the timeless appearance of traditional brick combined with the construction economy of concrete masonry. It meets the owner’s design objectives and provides a valuable, fully accessible resource to the community.

New York State Tower

The State Tower Building

Arc PARK Bandstand/Concession Stand

Arc PARK Bandstand/Concession Stand

Structural
Engineering

Landscape
Architecture

Building
Envelope Systems

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