Timely upgrade

Sessions House restoration governed by time

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This year Bermuda’s legislature at the facility. marks its 400th year, making In a previous renovation, some of it the oldest parliament in the the windows had been replaced with Commonwealth outside the British Isles. aluminum versions. This time it was Fittingly, the home of Bermuda’s elected determined to return the building to its legislature is nearing the conclusion of historic origins and revert to wooden a much-needed facelift as the first part windows. of a two-phase restoration and upgrade To this end, CNC Automated project. Carpentry was contracted to fabricate

Sessions House was originally built in 99 custom windows of various shapes 1819, and Bermuda’s House of Assembly and sizes, all of which had to match and courts have been meeting there the specification details of the original since 1821. Over the years a number windows. of additions were made to the original Made of Accoya, which is a specially Georgian building; today, that original modified wood for stability across structure is completely surrounded by a variety of climate conditions, the these additions. windows took nine months to build

Perhaps the most significant using the company’s CNC (Computer modification began in 1886 when Numerical Control) technology. members of the House of Assembly Installation of the windows was done decided to honour Queen Victoria’s by Limestone Construction over a period Golden Jubilee with the addition of a of three months. For owner Audley clock tower. This initiative ultimately Campbell, this is one several restorationresulted in the installation of the type projects for Limestone, including distinctive Florentine-style façade across subcontracting to build up the pillars for the entire southern side of the building, the Railway Trail bridge at Police Beach complete with terracotta arches and and restoration of the footbridge at Fort details, a turret, and the aforementioned St. Catherine. clock tower. He says projects like these are

Today’s restoration began in 2016 interesting, and he continues to be with a plan to replace all the windows in impressed by the workmanship of those the building. That project has also since who came before him: “You can tell they expanded into a complete restoration of were some master builders (at Sessions the exterior of the building to include House). They wouldn’t have had the tools patching and sealing the walls, replacing or measuring equipment we have today, the lightning rods, roof works, and so to see the joinery is pretty amazing.” restoring the clocks. This exterior work, The façade also needed special while delayed a couple of months during treatment to address the impact of the recent Shelter in Place, is scheduled Bermuda’s climate over time. Designed to be complete by the fall of this year. by Bermuda’s governor at the time, Sir

Phase Two will see the administrative Thomas Gallwey, who was an engineer spaces of the building updated as well by trade, the Italianate style and use as a complete overhaul of the HVAC, of terracotta reflected the trend in mechanical, engineering, and plumbing London, despite the material not being

Sessions House undergoing renovations

We are proud to have been c hosen as General Contractor f or the Sessions House r enovations .

(441) 535-0335 info@limestone.bm

Sessions House showing the natural brown-orange terracotta

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• mobile welding & fabrication • structural steel welding & steel erection • stainless steel & aluminum fabrication & welding • ornamental gates & railings fabrication • pipe fitting & welding services • rust removal & remediation • welding inspection & testing UT, M.T, V.T • underwater welding & cutting   
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The New Airport, BELCO’s New Power Station and Sessions House projects.

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particularly well-suited to Bermuda.

“Terracotta was popular in London for civic buildings in the 1890s and was adopted for the Sessions House design with the terracotta supplied by the Doultons of Lambeth, London,” says Steve Conway, chief surveyor for the government of Bermuda and former executive director of the Bermuda National Trust. “Considering the age of the building, the terracotta has fared well, but it has suffered from the exposed location in Bermuda’s salty atmosphere.”

To address this problem, the project managers took advice from an expert in the United Kingdom but restoring with the original material was determined to

be excessively expensive.

“Because of the cost we have used an alternative method of patching and repairing the terracotta with cement coloured to match it,” says Dalton Burgess, project manager and building surveyor for the government of Bermuda. “The technique has worked well and should stand up over time.”

Limestone Construction was also hired to complete this work, which included cleaning the areas that didn’t require repair. The result is a noticeably brighter colour defining the details of the façade.

As an old Bermuda building, the walls, which are a combination of Bermuda stone and concrete block, and the roofs, which include both Bermuda slate and flat concrete sections, required the regular treatment for patching and sealing them.

The final part of the exterior works has been the restoration of the faces of Queen Victoria’s Jubilee Clock. Measuring seven feet across, all the glass has been replaced, while the metal face and parts were rust-treated, primed, and painted by Perfect Pass Welding & Diving Services, who specialise in metal work. The original mechanisms of the clock were previously replaced with electronic versions and are in good working order.

In addition to the unique construction aspects of the building, its historic and social importance have not been lost on those tasked with restoring it.

“The House of Assembly had to relocate for this project, so it’s not every day something like that happens,” says Dennis Reid, project manager and building surveyor for the government of Bermuda. “We’re really quite honoured that it’s being done on our watch.” Q

KEY CONTRACTORS

• Limestone Construction Ltd • Perfect Pass Welding & Diving

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