Buildings Award of Excellence
St. Andrew’s Wesley United Church Heritage Conservation and Seismic Upgrade RJC Engineers
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Showing its age Designed by architects Twizell and Twizell, the church is a notable example in Western Canada of the gothic revival style traditional to Europe. Completed in 1933, it featured locally sourced materials (such as Nelson Island granite and Haddington Island stone), a soaring vaulted timber roof and French and Italian stained windows. Unfortunately, the stone-clad concrete structure suffered decades of wear, as the austerity measures of the Great Depression affected its long-term durability. As well, over time, recurring roof leaks negatively impacted interior plaster elements. Initially, the renovation project entailed a roof replacement. Once the extent of interior deterioration was determined, however, the scope of the project expanded to 28
CANADIAN CONSULTING ENGINEER
replacing all of the interior plaster surfaces. This presented an opportunity for a seismic upgrade. Concealing everything As a stand-alone Class A heritage building, St. Andrews was precluded from typical adaptive reuse schemes. A restoration-based conservation plan was necessary for the interior, as well as a clever approach to constructability to ‘conceal everything’ and maintain the heritage esthetic. Much of the work involved replicating
the existing finished-surface plane. New shell castings of the original plaster helped recreate the interior’s original appearance. Concrete overlays, steel drag struts and fibre-reinforced polymer wraps were thoroughly hidden. New cast plaster was anchored to the structure to prevent debonding. The upgraded structure was topped with a new copper roof, detailed to reflect the church’s heritage while increasing thermal performance. A façade stabilization program restored weathered mortar and added September/October 2022
PHOTO BY A DR I E N W I L L I A M S, COU RT E SY R JC E NG I N E E R S
JC Engineers led the renewal of St. Andrew’s Wesley United Church, a downtown Vancouver landmark. The structure was preserved through key improvements to seismic resiliency, building envelope durability, occupant safety and accessibility. Following a concerted heritage conservation process, the revitalized exterior reflects the building’s history and the restored interior renews its original glory for generations to come.
