Historic preservation brochure

BEDROOM 107 SF LIVING / DINING 139 SF

Historic Preservation Projects CL. 8 SF

REF.

Statewide Historic Preservation Honor Awards, Maine Preservation

KITCHEN 104 SF ENTRY 94 SF

CL. Ceremonial Courtroom, Kennebec County Courthouse, Augusta, ME10 2016 SF Meetinghouse Lofts, South Portland, ME 2016 Lamb Block, Livermore Falls, ME 2013 U. S. Marine Hospital, Portland, ME 2008 Gorham Municipal Center, ME 2007 Lewiston District Courthouse, ME 2003 CL. Baxter Memorial Library, Gorham, ME 2003 4 SF Maine Criminal Justice Academy,Vassalboro, ME 2002 TLT.

Historic Preservation Awards, Greater Portland 54 SF Landmarks Meetinghouse Lofts, South Portland, ME 2016 U.S. Marine Hospital, Portland, ME 2008

HISTORIC PRESERVATION

PDT Architects

Ceremonial Courtroom Renovation Kennebec County Courthouse AUGUSTA, MAINE

Renovation Completed 2015 Statewide Historic Preservation Honor Award, Maine Preservation, 2016 The courtroom is part of an 1885 addition to the original structure and was probably remodeled in 1891. Its style is consistent with the period’s Renaissance Revival. After holding sessions in this room for nearly a century, the Maine Supreme Court moved to Portland in 1970, and the room was no longer used.

The courtroom has been carefully cleaned and renovated, and a new glass entrance vestibule helps with visibility, security, and energy efficiency. The bench has been extended on each side to seat all 7 justices. ADA handrails, ramps, braille signage, and other code requirements have been added for complete accessibility.

Up-to-date technology installed includes sprinkler and alarm systems as well as audio, data, and video. Meeting and jury deliberation rooms behind the courtroom were refurbished and are also now accessible.

HISTORIC PRESERVATION

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The buildings are connected by a glass bridge that provides access and security to the ceremonial courtroom. As the site slopes down considerably, the bridge attaches the second floor back of the Kennebec County Courthouse to the third floor of the new Capital Judicial Center. Members of the public go through security at the entrance to the new courthouse, go up to the third floor, and cross the bridge.

This photo of three towers shows the relationship among (l to r) the Kennebec County Courthouse, the Probate Court, and the new courthouse.

“Associate Justice Joseph Jabar said he expects the court to hear oral arguments in cases in Augusta at least twice a year because the large, ornate courtroom in the historic building has been renovated and the bench was enlarged.

‘They’ve done a good job making sure it’s looked the way it’s always looked,’ Jabar said.”

—”Former Kennebec County Courthouse ready to host high court,” Kennebec Journal, September 7, 2015

HISTORIC PRESERVATION

PDT Architects

Meetinghouse Lofts Anew Real Property Development SOUTH PORTLAND, MAINE

Renovation and addition 30,620 sf Construction cost $3.5M Completed 2016 Historic Preservation Award, Greater Portland Landmarks, 2016 Historic Preservation Honor Award, Maine Preservation, 2016 The 1927 former Roosevelt School has been converted into one- and two-bedroom condominium units that take advantage of the high ceilings and oversized windows of the historic building. The units are designed to provide single-level living in the Meetinghouse Hill neighborhood.

The retrofit aims for a high-performance, energy-efficient building while preserving the historic school. The property, long a public space, has been kept open, with a public walkway through the grounds. The former school building houses ten units, while nine occupy a 3-story contemporary addition.

Building amenities include covered parking, an elevator, a fitness center, indoor storage, gas fireplaces, energy-efficient appliances, and high-grade interior finishes.

HISTORIC PRESERVATION

PDT Architects

John Calvin Stevens designed the Roosevelt School, built in 192728, as a neighborhood elementary school on Meetinghouse Hill in South Portland. The east-facing brick and cast stone [-shaped building served as a public school until 1983.

By 2014, when developer Ethan Boxer-Macomber acquired the empty building from the city, neighbors recalled it as “run down and a liability” (in Keep Me Current, 12/3/15).

The exterior of the building was cleared of vines, repaired and repointed. Historic entries, doors, and transoms were restored; no new window openings were cut. High-quality custom replacement windows match the original mullion pattern.

All of the units on the historic side of the building have remarkable light from deep windows, and some have exposed brick walls. Public entries and lobbies have been cleaned, painted, and carpeted.

“ We commend PDT Architects for their architectural vision for Meetinghouse Lofts.The project team embraced a high level of preservation standards in a community without a preservation ordinance or requirements for a formal design review.The project compatibly revitalizes a vacant school building and preserves a valued neighborhood landmark.”

—Citation for the 2016 Preservation Honor Award, Greater Portland Landmarks

HISTORIC PRESERVATION

PDT Architects

People Plus Senior/Teen Center BRUNSWICK, MAINE

Renovation 6,512 sf Completed 2010 New construction necessitated a move for Brunswick’s senior and teen centers to the former Union Street School, an 1862 brick building with two additions from 1941. The choice of this building, the former superintendent’s office, moves the senior center to a quieter, more walkable location closer to other town services and shopping.

PDT did a feasibility study before the town approved a lighttouch renovation with a limited budget. Code issues, including ADA and life safety, dictated new entrances, a wheelchair ramp, and a new elevator.

There are new finishes throughout, with exposed brick, new carpeting, and a warm color scheme in offices and meeting rooms.

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PDT Architects

A new kitchen allows the senior center to serve meals and run a small café, and the former gymnasium, with a new insulated floor and mirrors, is available for fitness activities and large group activities.

New building systems—including a sprinkler system, a natural gas heating system, and air conditioning—replace inefficient systems and bring the building up to code.

HISTORIC PRESERVATION

PDT Architects

U.S. Marine Hospital Renovation Martin’s Point Health Care PORTLAND, MAINE

Completed 2007 Statewide Historic Preservation Honor Award, Maine Preservation, 2008 Special Preservation Honor Award, Greater Portland Landmarks, 2007 As Phase 1 of the Master Plan for their historic 12-acre campus, Martin’s Point Health Care decided to renovate this signature building, the 1859 U.S. Marine Hospital, designed by Ammi Young.

The H-shaped building, which occupies a beautiful, prominent site at the northeast entrance to Portland, is Italianate in style, with well-preserved cast-iron front porches.

Exterior renovation included sandblasting and painting the masonry and wood cornice, repointing the brick, rebuilding original windows, and replacing the first floor windows, which were not original. The cast iron porches were repaired and repainted. Side verandas that had been hidden in an earlier renovation are now supported and visible for the first time in decades. Inside, mechanical and electrical systems were replaced, and bearing wall arches repaired.

HISTORIC PRESERVATION

PDT Architects

Third-Floor Interior Renovation Martin’s Point Health Care PORTLAND, MAINE

Interior fit-up 7,700 sf Completed 2008 The third floor of the U. S. Marine Hospital building affords magnificent 360-degree views of Portland and Casco Bay. This interior fit-up project includes the boardroom, two large conference rooms, three smaller conference rooms, a kitchen, and an employee fitness center.

The floor is flexibly planned so that it can accommodate a large conference or several smaller simultaneous meetings. The largest of the conference rooms can function as a central gathering place for group meetings or meals, with the others available as breakout spaces.

One of the enclosed porches was converted into a comfortable break-out and dining area; the other is part of the employee fitness center, which includes locker rooms and two exercise rooms.

HISTORIC PRESERVATION

PDT Architects

Gorham Municipal Center GORHAM, MAINE

Renovation 54,000 sf Construction cost $4.7M Completed 2007 Statewide Historic Preservation Honor Award, Maine Preservation, 2007 Gorham Municipal Center is a complete renovation of the former Shaw Middle School, which was built in 1939 as the town’s high school.

The project gives a third life to this much-loved facility and includes town and school offices, Town Council Chamber, Gorham Cable Access Television studio, and facilities for the Recreation Department. The building is completely renovated, with new windows and roofing, new elevator/stair tower, new entries, and all life safety/ADA upgrades.

Its central location near Baxter Memorial Library, Baxter House Museum, and the high school reinforces the walkable nature of the village. The new rotunda entrance is visually linked to the Baxter Memorial Library entrance.

HISTORIC PRESERVATION

PDT Architects

The new Town Council Chamber, transformed from the former school auditorium, is provided with state-of-the-art broadcast technology for local cable access TV (GOCAT). The control room is in the former balcony, and the TV station has its own studio in the former school library.

Historic features like blackboards and built-in bookcases were saved and restored, and new built-ins detailed to match the old.

Original floor and wall tiles, paneling, balusters, and handrails were saved where possible and inspired the color palette used in the renovation.

HISTORIC PRESERVATION

PDT Architects

Maine Criminal Justice Academy VASSALBORO, MAINE

Renovation 80,800 sf New construction 24,000 sf Construction cost $11M Completed 2001 Statewide Historic Preservation Honor Award, Maine Preservation, 2002 The brick-and-limestone Oak Grove complex, a former boarding school, was built in sections between 1928 and 1962. The English Tudor structure overlooks the Kennebec River, with a magnificent view toward the western mountains. Bought by the state in 1989, it sat empty for a decade until the Maine Criminal Justice Academy selected the property for its new home.

Many of MCJA’s functions fitted into Oak Grove’s classrooms and specialized spaces with relatively little reorganization. The lecture hall was inserted into the old chapel, making use of the existing floor-to-ceiling windows and laminated ceiling trusses.

A new 19,000-s.f. addition houses the gymnasium/tactical center, with a running track on the second level. The tactical center is equipped with garage doors, streetscape murals, and street lighting for training simulations.

HISTORIC PRESERVATION

PDT Architects

The exterior remains as faithful as possible to the original, with the exception of the removal of the ivy, replacement of windows and roofs, and repointing. Two unobtrusive stair towers provide ADA access and fire egress.

Besides new mechanical, sprinkler, and security systems, and a water heater sufficient to provide showers for the entire class at the same time, data drops were wired into every office and dormitory room. Digital projectors were provided in conference and teaching spaces, and a firearms training simulator installed.

“The multiple challenges that the Academy and its design/ development team overcame in order to breathe contemporary life into a large, empty, deteriorating historic property tells an excellent story of ‘preservation-in-action.’ Your attention to detail, particularly the preservation of historic finishes, serves as a model for others to follow.”

—Citation for the Maine Preservation 2002 Statewide Historic Preservation Honor Award

HISTORIC PRESERVATION

PDT Architects

Lewiston District Courthouse LEWISTON, MAINE

Renovation 45,000 sf Office addition 5,600 sf, sallyport addition 900 sf Construction cost $9.5M Completed 2003 Statewide Historic Preservation Honor Award, Maine Preservation, 2003 The historic Frye Block Music Hall had been used as a plumbing supply warehouse for decades, its ornate brick facade hidden behind metal paneling. To encourage downtown development, the city sold the building to the state for a dollar, and PDT was asked to fit the courthouse program into the shell.

The first floor comprises offices and public windows, with the DA’s office in a small addition. Entirely separate circulations for prisoners, staff, and the public ensure security.

Four courtrooms dominate the second and third floors, with the library, judges’chambers, transaction windows, and a children’s playroom. A second addition

HISTORIC PRESERVATION

PDT Architects

“The driving force behind this challenging project was the goal to keep the courthouse downtown to revitalize Lisbon Street. . .

This project represents the triumph of historic preservation and downtown revitalization values over many other considerations.

Reuse of this building was not programatically ideal, easy, or inexpensive, but the building’s place in the history of the community, its location, and its aesthetic qualities made the project worthwhile. It changed a prominent, empty building into a center of civic activity, increasing daytime traffic and business activity downtown. It also gave rise to several other civic improvements in the neighborhood.”

—Earle Shettleworth, Director, Maine State Historic Preservation Commisssion, on presenting the 2003 Statewide Historic Preservation Award to the Lewiston District Court

“In order to make the project a success, we needed someone with the vision to realize what the building could become, and we found that vision in PDT Architects.”

—James T. Glessner, State Court Administrator, accepting the Maine Preservation Statewide Historic Preservation Honor Award for the Maine Judicial Branch, 2003

HISTORIC PRESERVATION

PDT Architects

Baxter Memorial Library GORHAM, MAINE

Renovation 8,000 sf New construction 11,740 sf Construction cost $2.5M Completed 2003 Statewide Historic Preservation Honor Award, Maine Preservation, 2003 Baxter Memorial Library was given to the town in 1908 by former Portland Mayor James Phinney Baxter. Designed by Otis E. Moulton, the Georgian/Colonial Revival pink granite building has black granite quoins and banding with yellow-painted wood columns and trim.

Exterior features of the addition, including window configurations, color choices, and roofing materials, were adapted from the original building. The restored reading room, with Baxter’s portrait over the fireplace, still has original red oak woodwork and furniture.

HISTORIC PRESERVATION

PDT Architects

Where the old library’s spaces were compact, highly finished, and formally delineated, the addition is large, open, and flexible.

And while the old library building fronts on the main street, the sheltered rotunda entrance opens off of a new parking circle that serves the Gorham Municipal Center and the historical society.

The designers’ aim was to keep the profile of the addition relatively modest, so as not to challenge the lines of the historic building. A light court allows two full-height sunlit stories and reverses traditional landscaping, so that library visitors see a succession of terraced plantings from inside the building.

“The rear addition is hyphenated to delineate the older structure from the new, an important consideration in addition design in American historic preservation ethic.”

—Citation for the Maine Preservation 2003 Statewide Historic Preservation Honor Award

HISTORIC PRESERVATION

PDT Architects

Drummond Woodsum Law Offices Nathan Winslow Block PORTLAND, MAINE

Renovation 24,000 sf New construction 16,000 sf Completed 1985 PDT renovated and combined two historic buildings for one of Portland’s largest law firms. The uneven floor heights were resolved through an elevator and service core opening to both sides. A new floor on the roof added office space and opened views of Portland Harbor. Interior features include original heavy timbers and exposed brick. PDT selected the furnishings and designed custom staff work stations.

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PDT Architects

Façade and Lobby Renovation Nathan Winslow Block PORTLAND, MAINE

Renovation 24,000 sf Completed 2009 Long occupied by Drummond Woodsum, one of Portland’s largest law firms, 245-251 Commercial St., first renovated by PDT in 1985, was sold to a new owner and renovated for offices, retail, and a restaurant.

Working with the city Historic Preservation Commission, PDT settled on a light-touch exterior façade renovation with new windows and color schemes.

In the lobby, the exposed brick side wall was retained and a new, sculptural light wall adds interest while providing sound insulation from the restaurant next door. New carpet, wallcoverings, lighting, and an oval ceiling panel add modern notes that contrast with the traditional exterior. Four floors of offices, corridors, and bathrooms were renovated and repainted.

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PDT Architects

Carriage House Victoria Mansion PORTLAND, MAINE

For most of the period from 1984 to 1996, PDT worked in its favorite historic preservation project, the Carriage House of Portland’s Victoria Mansion.

In 1984, the Victoria Society, which runs the mansion, could not afford to restore the Carriage House. The stable floor was collapsing, the original shutter doors were beyond repair, and the exterior stucco had peeled away from the brick.

PDT initiated a complete exterior restoration and interior renovation. The restored stucco was scored in the original Italianate block pattern to match the mansion, and the wooden doors and belvedere were completely rebuilt. The project was published in Professional Office Design.

In the fall of 1996, having outgrown the Carriage House, PDT moved across town to roomier quarters. The Victoria Society has redesigned the interior and now uses the building for offices and a gift shop.

HISTORIC PRESERVATION

PDT Architects

The Great Bowdoin Mill TOPSHAM, MAINE

Study and concept design 75,000 sf Completed 1997 Situated on an island in the Androscoggin River between Topsham and Brunswick, these yellow and white wood-framed and brick factory buildings are among Maine’s most well-known properties.

The buildings, listed in the National Register of Historic Places, were constructed between 1840 and 1940.

In collaboration with Topsham Development, Inc., and a team of private developers, PDT Architects produced a study of this historic preservation and adaptive reuse project and recommended converting the prominent mill complex into an office center.

The 75,000-sf project involves substantial reconstruction of the island site to accommodate parking. The model above shows the complex with the important buildings preserved and adequate parking added.

HISTORIC PRESERVATION

PDT Architects

Prescott Heights Elderly Housing SOUTH BERWICK, MAINE

A prominent 1870s Mansard-towered residence set on a hilltop in South Berwick, the Prescott Mansion might have been subject to HUD regulations that would have destroyed many of the historic features of the house.

PDT worked with the Maine Historic Preservation Commission to list the mansion as a historic place, thereby invoking Department of Interior guidelines that saved the architectural fabric of the building.

PDT divided the house into four apartments for elderly residents while minimizing disruption to the character of the original design. The original barn was beyond saving, but a replica houses several more apartments.

HISTORIC PRESERVATION

PDT Architects

John D. Carroll Block PORTLAND, MAINE

Early in the 1980s, when Commercial Street was being redeveloped, PDT desgned the renovation of this 1863 warehouse on the Portland waterfront.

By adding new floors within the structure and on the back slope of the rooftop, the architects added 6,000 sf to the existing 15,000 sf of industrial space.

The design, for retail use on the ground floor and offices above, maintained the characteristic roof line, brought light and harbor views to the water side, and preserved the building’s status on the National Register of Historic Places.

HISTORIC PRESERVATION

PDT Architects

Portland High School PORTLAND, MAINE

Renovation 200,000 sf Additions 50,000 sf plus a 450-space parking garage 1,200 students Completed 1990 Special Citation, Exhibition of School Architecture, National Convention of the American Association of School Administrators, 1991 The second-oldest operating public high school in the United States, Portland High School is the oldest in its original building, which dates from 1863 and is on the National Register of Historic Places.

PDT was charged with renovating and expanding the five-story building as well as designing a new parking garage on a site of less than three acres. PDT developed additions above, within, and beside the existing building.

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The architects relieved overcrowding and improved circulation by adding corridors to the E-shaped plan to create a figure-8 plan.

A new floor of classrooms was added above the gymnasium, and poor acoustics and sight lines in the existing auditorium were corrected by removing the balcony and installing new stepped seating within the existing shell.

“An exciting, innovative, and sensitive solution to a tough design problem.”

—Citation from the American Institute of Architects and American Association of School Administrators, 1991

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BEDROOM 107 SF LIVING / DINING 139 SF

CL. 8 SF REF.

CL. 10 SF KITCHEN 104 SF ENTRY 94 SF

CL. 4 SF TLT. 54 SF

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PDT Architects