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Let’s start with a little Jeopardy. Who likes Jeopardy? Who remember
Remote Control on MTV? Let’s stick with Jeopardy.
In my best Alec Trebek - Answer: 1,344,000
Question: What is the environmental benefit expressed in aluminum cans
that is wasted when one two
two-story
story building is torn down?
From mining the bauxite, to making the can, to filling it, a consumer driving
to buy it, to the person who recycles the can to the company that picked it up
at the curb. 1,344,000 times that effort is wasted when we landfill a building.
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What is sustainability? What does sustainability have to do with old buildings?
Actually it has a lot. This presentation is about the restoration of an old train depot.
I don’t think you can talk about sustainability without talking about restoration, and
vice versa.
Sustainability in general terms is the ability to endure or survive. The USGBC
borrows from the 1987 UN definition of “meeting present needs without
compromising the ability of future generations to meet their needs.” Through
building restoration our industry does that plus so much more.
Trends – the future is the past, old school, returning to our roots, examples: fashion,
music, architecture
Value and impact of restoration
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If you want to see the future of sustainability just look to the past. Building
restoration is an important tool in sustainable development and will play a
much bigger role in the future.
You can group the benefits of restoration into three categories:
Economic
Social
Environmental
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The economic benefits are numerous – too numerous to expound upon here.
However, here are a few worth mentioning. Like politics, restoration is local
– as in more local jobs. Moreover, restoration is labor intensive which
means more of the project value results in worker income that will then be
spent in the local economy.
The affects of restoration extend beyond the building itself. As buildings are
restored and property values rise, so too do the values of adjacent
properties. Do unto your neighbors as you would do unto yourself.
Building restoration makes economic sense. There are volumes of statistics
that show the positive impact building restoration has on local economies.
The book The Economics of Historic Preservation is loaded with statistics on
the positive impact building restoration has on local communities. Here is
just one statistic to consider.
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Architecture embodies our heritage – it tells our story. If you travel the cities
of the world, you can read their stories in the buildings of their skylines. It is
an important story. Building restoration preserves our link to the past.
Building restoration is a moral imperative.
Building restoration is a reflection of our values – what is important to us as a
community.
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Perhaps one of the most compelling reasons for building restoration is the
emphasis on sustainable construction to lessen the impact of the
construction process on the environment. What could be more sustainable
than reusing an existing building? The list of how building restoration
contributes to green and sustainable construction is long. Here are just a
few items to consider:
Restoration uses existing resources.
Restoration preserves the embodied energy of existing materials. Moreover,
demolishing an existing building and replacing it with new construction often
results in the use of materials containing higher embodied energy such as
aluminum and plastic.
p
in existing
g developments,
p
thus utilizing
g
Restoration byy definition takes place
existing infrastructure such as sewer, power and roads. Additionally, existing
buildings tend to be in areas near mass transportation.
Restoring a building keeps construction debris out of landfills.
You might say that restoration is the ultimate act of sustainability.
Restoration was green before green was cool
cool.
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So why did I tell you all of that? In the words of Ron White, “I told you that story so I
could tell you this one.”
Because the Boulder Depot project is the epitome of the value of restoration on all
levels. This is the story of a building coming full circle.
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The Boulder Union Pacific Depot was built in 1890 and served as the terminus for
the Union Pacific Railroad. It was constructed near downtown on the corner of 14th
and Water Streets (now called Canyon Boulevard). The rails intersected in an area
know as the “Wye.” Trains were turned to back into the city of Boulder.
The Depot was built in a Romanesque Revival style, constructed of sandstone for
the Skunk Canyon quarry. The walls were composed of an outer wythe of
sandstone and an inner wythe of field stone and rubble. Over the years various
materials had been used to repair and rebuild the inner wythe. The roof was wood
frame with a cupola. The design would become common for many rail depots
across the western United States.
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It said that our architecture is an expression of our values and that our buildings tell the
story of our communities. It is part of what makes certain buildings loveable. Boulder
Depot has stood witness to many events over its existence. The building was
commissioned in 1890. The Depot interior was decorated with flowers and filled with music
during the festivities.
Passenger and freight service began in 1890 and continued until 1957. It was the
stepping off point for visitors coming to summer at Chautauqau Lake and what would
become Rocky Mountain National Park. The Depot survived the Great Boulder Flood of
1894. I
In 1900 crowds covered the platform as Theodore Roosevelt campaigned for President
McKinley. The depot also saw the likes of Williams Jennings Bryan and John Philip Sousa.
Also in 1900 the first automobile appeared in Boulder and number 26 by 1907. By 1911,
the daily stagecoach was replaced by the Stanley Steamer Car. In 1915 William F Cody
(Buffalo Bill) came to town via the platform at the Union Depot.
The depot was also the “emotional
emotional heart of Boulder
Boulder” as it witnessed the departures of
soldiers heading of to the Spanish-American War as well as World War I. It was the scene
of joyous reunions as well as somber moments and families received the coffins of their
fallen loved ones.
In 1957 a new “modern depot” was constructed on the main line that ran from Denver to
Cheyenne. The new depot was better equipped to handle freight and trains did not have to
back into the center of town. As a consequence, the last passenger train into downtown
Boulder was the Colorado and Southern #29 on December 7
7, 1957
1957.
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This is an architect’s rendering of the “new and modern” design for the 1957 depot.
The building had many advantages over the Union Pacific Depot in its ability to
handle freight as well as modern amenities for travelers; however, any and all form
was sacrificed for function.
To quote a local Denver resident, “this thing looks like a turd.”
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The building then operated as a Greyhound Bus Terminal and travel agency until
1973. Under threat of demolition by the city, it was purchased by the Boulder
Jaycees and moved to the corner of 30th and Pearl. The Jaycees used the depot as
a community meeting space until 2007.
In 1979 the Depot received landmark status and some important protections.
In 2007, as part of an effort to redevelop the Crossroad Commons Shopping Center,
the City of Boulder purchased the Depot with the intent of relocating the building to
an adjacent property within the Transit Village development. The move in 2008
what we will be talking about this morning.
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A number of factors contributed to the effort to relocate the Depot, driven by the
various stake holders.
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The Boulder Jaycees still owned the structure. After purchasing and moving the
building in 1973 – effectively saving it from demolition – it was moved to it’s current
location. The land was leased from Regency Centers and was under contract until
2023.
With significant retail development in the area, Regency Centers decided they
wanted to use the land to expand retail.
Over the past 20 years multiple negotiations had taken place to allow the City to buy
the building back from the Jaycees. Multiple uses were considered, ultimately
culminating in a plan to re-use the Depot as a transportation hub.
This required that someone bear the cost of moving the structure. Regency Centers
assumed that responsibility. To cover their interests, they hired The Leffler Group to
ensure the building was moved in a safe, responsible manner.
Acrimonyy of moving
g endearing
g structures further and further out of town to make
way for new construction
Jaycees:
Land lease to expire maintenance and upkeep rising, need for meeting space, could
not afford move
R
Regency:
Crossroad Commons most valuable property in Boulder, PR issues if they force the
tear down of the Depot
City:
Image, desire for revenue from development as well as desire for sustainable
development
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Its been said that “good things happen when you make a sales call.” Our
involvement in the Depot project began when our local sales team made a cold call
on a engineer to talk about structural reinforcement using carbon fiber and glass.
After several months, Leffler Group called BASF with an opportunity – The Boulder
Depot.
FRP was presented as an alternative to the shotcrete reinforcement method. FRP
provided many advantages over the shotcrete method; however, it had a higher
installed cost. At that point it looked like the project was dead for FRP.
Sometimes in life you have to let people come to the right conclusion on their own.
FRP was the technically superior solution – all the facts backed it up. As it turns
g
cost to move the building
g was based upon
p the existing
g size and
out, the original
weight of the building. With the additional cost of the shotcrete reinforcement were
included, fiber reinforced polymer was a competitive solution. In addition, it provided
a superior repair solution. A “legacy” repair – one that could stand for multiple
generations. When is “good” not good enough? How often do you tell your customer
– “if it was my building”…
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The City of Boulder retained the structural engineer from the move in 1973. This
move was successful in that the building remained in one piece, but significant
damage had taken place requiring stablization if the building was to be moved
again.
INTERIOR PICTURE HERE WITH SHOTS OF THE VARIOUS BLOCK AND WALL
CONDITIONS.
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1. Take the building apart, catalogue it, store it in a building until a permanent site
can be chosen. Not a good option because of the expense and the likelihood
that the building would never be reassembled. There are several historic
building in Denver that are catalogued and sitting in storage yards.
2. A second option was to brace the structure on the interior and exterior. This was
quickly discounted as inadequate to protect the building though a move.
3. This design plan resulted for lessons learned on the first move. The nature of a
masonry wall as well as the rubble interior wythe made a transfer of axial loads
problematic. In order to compensate, literally thousands of holes would be
drilled and filled with epoxy. Alternative plans to use a grout to fill the void were
discounted because of the negative effects of grout bleed on the limestone and
the mortar.
SHOW DWG OF SECTION OF WALL. I’LL FILL IN SOME OF THE DETAILS OF
THE DISADVANTAGES OF THIS APPROACH.
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Fix with modern materials was in keeping with 19th century methods – the pinning
and shotcrete method was a short term engineering solution. Offered to get the
building from point A to B.
Original intent was building was going to be a legacy building – not going to be
moved, but the building would last centuries
Repair is in keeping with original intent of creating a legacy building – could be
moved again if needed. Mostly it met the needs for future occupancy.
Fasteners would still be used to help hold the inner wythe to the outer – but grout
would become the primary material used to transfer loads between the inner and
outer block walls.
No loss of floor space. It afforded no long-term upgrades and would not change the
architectural finishes of the building. By avoiding the additional 2” of shotcrete on
the interior wall, doors and window wells remain true to their original architectural
character.
By reducing
B
d i th
the number
b off ffasteners
t
used,
d we redu
d tto existing
i ti materials
t i l – fear
f
was
with the softer sandstone, that the potential existed to crack the outside stones.
Multi generational repair on building that was designed to be multi generational –
USGBC definition of sustainability
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The interior had a variety of building materials – including rough cut stones, brick
and CMU. The brick and CMU were additions after the 1973 building move. Whole
sections of the interior stone collapsed requiring replacement. While the CMU
provided vertical stability, it is very week in other planes – thus needing additional
treatment.
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With a variety of interior building materials, stabilizing and securing the interior wall
to the exterior. Note the holes present in the CMU block wall – this helped develop
columns through the block wall as well as act as ports for filling the CMU block.
When selecting the grout, one significant engineering hurdle to cover was finding a
product or mix design that would not bleed at all. The concern was that bleed water
from the grout would cause swelling and damage to the lime slurry mortar used on
the exterior wythe. In addition, there was concern that bleed water and other
contaminants could cause aesthetic damage to the exterior cut-block limestone.
With a hundred years of patina on the exterior, any major cleaning would change
the historical character of the building.
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Prior to the application of the carbon fiber, we had to smooth the wall with a fiberreinforced repair material.
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Now the inner and outer wythes have been tied together with a specialized grout.
The interior wall is complete and now a grid of CF is applied in strips (as many as 5 layers depending
on the stresses involved).
Note the transition in plane from the lower wall to the upper section. This needed to be no more than
a 4:1 transition.
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Now the inner and outer wythes have been tied together with a specialized grout.
The interior wall is complete and now a grid of CF is applied in strips (as many as 5 layers depending
on the stresses involved).
Note the transition in plane from the lower wall to the upper section. This needed to be no more than
a 4:1 transition.
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ON THIS SLIDE I’D LIKE TO USE THE TIME-LAPSED PHOTOS STACKED TO SHOW THE
LAYOUT AND INSTALLATION
INSTALLATION. WITH THE LAST SHOT BEING A CLOSE UP OF THE GUYS
ROLLING THE FABRIC ONTO THE WALL.
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ON THIS SLIDE I’D LIKE TO USE THE TIME-LAPSED PHOTOS STACKED TO SHOW THE
LAYOUT AND INSTALLATION
INSTALLATION. WITH THE LAST SHOT BEING A CLOSE UP OF THE GUYS
ROLLING THE FABRIC ONTO THE WALL.
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ON THIS SLIDE I’D LIKE TO USE THE TIME-LAPSED PHOTOS STACKED TO SHOW THE
LAYOUT AND INSTALLATION
INSTALLATION. WITH THE LAST SHOT BEING A CLOSE UP OF THE GUYS
ROLLING THE FABRIC ONTO THE WALL.
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BUILDING WAS STUCK AT THIS INTERSECTION FOR 24 HOURS AS
SPECIALIZED RAMPS WERE BUILT TO ALLOW TRAVEL OVER FIBER – OPTIC
CABLES. IF SEVERED OR DAMAGED THE ESTIMATED COST OF THE DOWN
TIME WAS $250K PER DAY. THEY EXERCISED EXTREME CAUTION.
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BUILDING WAS STUCK AT THIS INTERSECTION FOR 24 HOURS AS
SPECIALIZED RAMPS WERE BUILT TO ALLOW TRAVEL OVER FIBER – OPTIC
CABLES. IF SEVERED OR DAMAGED THE ESTIMATED COST OF THE DOWN
TIME WAS $250K PER DAY. THEY EXERCISED EXTREME CAUTION.
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BUILDING WAS STUCK AT THIS INTERSECTION FOR 24 HOURS AS
SPECIALIZED RAMPS WERE BUILT TO ALLOW TRAVEL OVER FIBER – OPTIC
CABLES. IF SEVERED OR DAMAGED THE ESTIMATED COST OF THE DOWN
TIME WAS $250K PER DAY. THEY EXERCISED EXTREME CAUTION.
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Location to accommodate redevelopment of Crossroad Commons
Locate as close as possible to train tracks
View corridors – preserve desirable views
Maintain proportion of new buildings adjacent to The Depot
Restoration of open air pavilion, only seen in historic photographs
Application to NHTP for funds
Fund raising efforts
Development partners
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