By: Bruce Adib-Yazdi, AIA, LEED AP

This week I attended the Springfield Design Association meeting where 417 Magazine celebrated the Interior Design Awards for 2010. BR&P was one of the award recipients for the work at The Branson Airport, and since Brittany Norton (interior designer who worked on the project for BR&P) is no longer in the area, as principal in charge of the project I represented our team. First off, these folks seem to know how to have fun - no big fancy award program, just great wine from Wine Styles and food from Touch and lots of good networking.

Another thing I noticed is that they really have a passion about their work, and I felt very included - especially when Melissa Turpin gathered a group of us to go look at the newly renovated bathrooms at the Residence Inn - and they invited me to come along! I gracefully declined to go into the women's restroom with 6 other ladies. And when it came time to recognize the award recipients, we were asked to gather in the front of the room, and when the recipients were introduced, Melissa closed with a 'Thanks gals!' I even came home with a nice burlap carry all bag with bamboo handles!

All fun and games aside, it was clear that while this group knew how to socialize, they also know their stuff when it comes time to get to work. The projects represented at the awards show a deep understanding of how the colors, textures, lighting and other interior elements affect how you experience a built environment. They know how to weave clients' values, functional requirements, and fashion preferences into a room, or whole building.

This meeting reminded me of how important this aspect of work can be; and while the reps always seem to have something up their sleeve (one rep came by our office one day at 4:30 with a full martini kit) they are also part of the process in helping us identify new, innovative products and solutions. So the next time you get an invitation to an SDA event, don't pass it up. And the next time a rep calls for an appointment, remember to schedule it at about 4:30 p.m.

No, I don't mean about gambling or how to cram 36 hours of excitement into 24 hours. I was thinking that we, as architects, can learn a lot about our profession by studying what they have done there and how it has worked out. To be sure, there is a lot about Las Vegas that is larger than life and grander than grand ever thought about being. The sheer scale of the development there blows my mind.

I just got back from a four day trip there to celebrate my brother-in-law's 60th birthday. The fact that he has made it 60 years is amazing given that he is an attorney - but that is another story. This time we stayed at the Aria Casino and Resort in the new City Center Development which MGM Mirage developed with significant help from their friends at Dubai World. The project was started by MGM Mirage; Dubai World became a joint partner during the project's construction phase. It is the largest, privately-funded construction project in the history of the United States.

With a cost somewhere above $11 billion, this project took a very large collaborative effort of many large and signature architects and construction specialists. Pretty tough to get your arms around the project. It is truly something you have to experience. Sometimes, as is typical Vegas, you suffer from sensory overload. Just too much to experience.

Looking at it from a distance, you sense some pretty impressive sculptural elements in the development. Not all of them "speak" to each other. That could be what you get when you have four major elements each designed by high profile signature architects. Each element alone is impressive and significant. However, I do not think that they relate to each other, they merely connect and sometimes fight for your attention.

Down on the street level, at the base of these buildings they lose focus. There is no human scale and there is nothing to make a human walking alongside them feel comfortable. They are somewhat harsh as they do nothing to protect you from the sun, and the rain (if and when it ever does rain), the heat and the wind. The extensive use of glass adds stress and further reduces any shade provided by one building with reflected sunlight from adjacent buildings.

When you go into these buildings you are immediately impressed by the extensive use of granite, marble, glass, steel, exotic wood and a multitude of materials. Way finding in these facilities has been relegated to extensive signage programs, diagrammatic maps and good old fashioned humans who seem to be everywhere pointing the way for visitors. To be sure, with something this large, way finding cannot be intuitive. Add to that the sales and marketing effort which forces everything and everyone to have to go through the casino to get to anything.

The really neat and zoomy things they do to accentuate spaces has to make you wonder what they were thinking. Take, for example, this image:

This wall, in a hall off the Sky Suites area of Aria has a foil wallcovering behind 3" diameter tubes floor to ceiling set off of the wall with standoffs of varying depth. It sort of undulates. Looks neat.

Now think about this: how do they clean the dust off the wall? The spacing between the tubes is maybe 6" and the deepest standoff is 30". In five years when this foil is dated looking, how do they change that wall covering? How do they change the lamps?

This is a case where zoom and effect was considered and maintenance and long term costs were not.

The lighting and the use of water falls and fountains does help to make the place feel special. They can be used as landmarks in finding your way around. Even their artwork is special. Check out this sculpture. (I think that is what this is called).

That looks like the result of a college fraternity trip on the Buffalo River!

However, on a more practical and common sense level, they missed some little things. In the rooms, they went to a high tech electronic system that manages all the lighting, draperies, temperature, sound systems and the TV. I spent three nights there and still could not figure out how it all worked. Push one button wrong and you plunge the entire room into darkness and turn off the TV (right in the middle of a show). It takes frantic scrambling to get everything turned back on. On the last day, I discovered that they have "lighting scenes" programmed for you to use. One for wake up, one for everyday use, one they called "romantic," and one for watching TV. As part of the scenes the draperies open or close, fully or partially, lights dim or go on or off, music plays or not, etc. There should be a manual for this.

But guess what? There are no receptacles by the bed. Anything that you have that you want to plug in has to be plugged in on the desk across the room. I have sleep apnea and have to have a CPAP machine to sleep. They had to bring me a bright yellow industrial strength extension cord to run across the room from my bed to the CPAP machine. This was a tripping hazard in the middle of the night on the way to the john.

Incidentally, the desk across the room is right in front of the 42" LCD TV. So, if you want to work on your laptop while your wife watches TV, you have a problem.

Spending time wandering around this massive development provided you all sorts of things to ponder and learn from. There are some really innovative things they have done which you can file away and possibly apply to projects we may have. there are also things you can file away as something to not do. there are things we will never get the chance to consider doing simply because of the cost and complexity. Maybe that is what is great about architecture, most of what we do is unique and special and, for the most part, are not repeated over and over again. We have to learn from the success and failures of our fellow design professionals.

Following are some key points, excerpts and paraphrasing from an Urban Land Institute lunch I attended in Kansas City last week. Dan Lowe, Managing Partner of RED Development LLC. Dan went through a quick summary of some of the regional centers they were still actively developing, and how the projects have stayed alive. Many of the common issues are in the list below.

Truth - Frugal is the new 'black.' And that does not necessarily mean low price. Higher levels of service for the same price, or other value added experiences also contribute toward people feeling like they are getting more for their money.

Truth - Traditional debt market is almost non-existent. National banks are pretty much out, regional banks are strapped or being highly regulated.

Myth - Discounted notes are abundant. The idea that the recession and foreclosures will drive down all appraisals is false. Yes, there are some deals out there, mainly in the instance where developers still own the project. But the majority of 'distressed' properties are still holding value.

Trend - Urban infill is hot. Greenfield and suburban development is cold.

Trend - Land value can no longer assumed to be a line on the 'expense' list. Landowner participation, or outright ownership needs to help build equity in the loan.

Truth - In 2009, there were many tenants asking for rent reductions, and assistance in financing inventory. So far they have not had a single request in 2010.

Myth - Kansas City is a 'major' market. Top institutions do not see the KC metro area as a major market. There needs to be work to promote the metro area, and strength in demographics.

Trend - Co-Tenancy leases should no longer be part of a leasing strategy. Each retailer needs to look at their specific market and demographics, and not rely on adjacent tenants to drive traffic.

Trend - Outlet center development will continue to be a strong segment, with more experiential spaces, and more stable (less cyclical) business.

Trend - Transit is becoming more important to commercial development, especially with the urban development trend.

Fact - You can't do (as a business) what you did 2 1/2 years ago. Your thought process and business strategy needs to evolve, if it has not already.

My take away was that while times are definitely tough in commercial real estate development, the last couple of years have forced the parties to look at different ways of doing business. And for the most part, those that survive will be stronger as a result. How have things affected your business and have you adapted?

By: Christophwer Swan, AIA

Last night BR&P was presented a Merit Award for our restoration project of the historic First Church of Christ, Scientist located in Midtown Springfield.  The Professional Jury bestowing this award sponsored by AIA Springfield consisted of Anne Marie Decker, AIA, Principal with Duvall Decker Architects, P.A., Roy T. Decker, AIA, Principal with Duvall Decker Architects, P.A., and David Cronrath, AIA, Dean of LSU College of Art & Design at Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge.

I see this award as icing on the cake because it was already a success for a number of reasons.  It is extremely rewarding to have worked on a project where there was great collaboration between the Owner and the Architect joining forces to preserve a great building. The project was on time, on budget, and completed $6,400 less than the bid amount.  Why was this project so successful?

I believe the first reason is that the Owner, the City of Springfield, hired us before they even knew what they wanted to do with the building.  We were initially consulted to conduct a thorough investigation into the building to document the scope of the preservation, environmental studies, a structural analysis, and a cost estimate for the stabilization of the structure.  This was compiled into a booklet that was eventually used to formulate the scope of the work for the stabilization and restoration of the building. 

I believe the second reason for the project’s success is that the City of Springfield worked with Butler, Rosenbury & Partners to space plan several potential tenants for the building.  There were a number of City offices that needed a new home and we programmed and evaluated the feasibility of each tenant for the space.  We looked at everything from traditional offices to a TV studio.  It was finally determined that the historic structure would be the new home of the Springfield-Greene County Health Department – Environmental Services Division. 

I believe the third reason for the project’s success was a conscience effort to anticipate the unexpected.  Any time you renovate and existing building, there will be surprises that arise during construction.  The impacts of these surprises were minimized by having a clear understanding of how the building was originally constructed and anticipating potential areas where changes orders might hide.  A careful balance of allowances, unit prices, and minimum bid quantities were established in the construction documents and ultimately saved the City of Springfield thousands of dollars in change orders. 

I see this project as a benchmark for all of my projects.  It is imperative to meet the technical requirements of a project such as budget, time, and accuracy, but it is even more rewarding to meet those requirements while preserving a cultural resource, giving those buildings a new purpose for years to come, and being recognized by your peers for excellence in design.

I never really thought much about it as this firm got bigger. The firm evolved from a sole proprietorship back in 1978 (where I was the owner, receptionist, bookkeeper, chief architect, project manager, draftsman and errand boy) to a fairly large organization with a full cadre of administrative support staff, a marketing department, IT department, architects, engineers, landscape architects and interior designers. Let me tell you that running "your" business is much different from running an organization with many owners and employees whose livelihood relies on the success of the business.

In 1995 I got a call from Bob Grabill of the Chief Executive Network (CEN). This organization was just forming and, as he explained it, the primary purpose of the group was to get CEOs of A/E (architecture and engineering) firms from across the country together twice a year where we could discuss issues and compare notes with each other and hopefully assist each other in growing our business. Each of the CEOs would be from organizations across the country that were not competing with the others so there would be no reason to not share information and to be open. This two day meeting was designed to allow us to work on our business rather than working in the business. It was an interesting thought and I signed up to go see what it was about.

As you might suspect, when you are young you think you know a whole lot more than you really do. Looking back, I initially thought I'd go and share my worldly knowledge with others. After all, at that time I had successfully built a business from the ground up and ran it for 17 years. Hah! Over the years, working with this ever-changing group of professionals, I have found that you really do not know what you do not know. Every meeting offers new insights into running a professional service organization. We have speakers with special focuses and many presentations are addressing current challenges in the industry and our practices.

We always break down into groups with not more than 10, but usually about eight CEOs around the table and discuss issues that we want to discuss. In fact, we vote on the topics to discuss since there are always too many to cover in one meeting. The meetings also include the most important component called the "Ex-Officio Board." This is where each of us are able to pose a problem we are having in the form of a question and the rest of the group gets to ask questions to understand the scope of the issue and then offer suggestions and compare insights into how to deal with the problem. Can you imagine having eight or nine other CEOs advising you on how to solve a problem? Fabulous!

Think about this - where can you go to learn how to be a CEO? Where do they teach you how to balance all the business components of a professional design organization with the practical and technical aspects of your profession? When we went through college, we generally were discouraged from taking business courses since we had so little time there to learn our profession. When you get out you learn everything you need to know to become a licensed design professional. You have mentors all along the way from your college professor to your managers in the firm all the way up until you become the CEO. Then, there is no one above you to guide you. YOu are the top of the heap. As Harry Truman said, "The buck stops here." That is a huge burden. How you deal with that burden can affect the firm, everyone in the firm and all of their families. Sometimes is makes it hard to sleep at night.

I just got back from the Spring CEN meeting in Dallas. It was another excellent meeting. One of the things we did was to dig into what a CEO should be doing in the firm. The following is an abbreviated summary of what CEOs do:

• We make sure there is a clearly communicated Vision of where the organization is headed;
• We develop (with the help of others in the firm) a written Strategy that tells us where to direct our efforts and allocate our resources;
• We develop (with the help of others in the firm) our Goals for the year that drive the Vision and Strategy;
• We identify the proper Metrics which we follow to tell us how we are doing. If you cannot measure it, how do you know if you are doing it?
• We establish the proper Structure for the organization so that we can work efficiently and effectively and accomplish our Vision, Strategy and Goals;
• We make sure we have enough of the right People on the bus and they are all in the right seats;
• We Evaluate and Compensate our people for doing the right things at the right time;
• We develop the Processes and Procedures (with the help of our management team) which institutionalizes the right behaviors;
• We make sure that we have the Cash necessary to accomplish our plan. Cash is king. Without the cash to run your business, you have no business.
• We are Consistent.

Interesting to note that "practice architecture or engineering" is not on the list. When you take on the role of CEO, you are stepping into a whole new world which is different from what you were educated and trained in. Sure you will be practicing in your field, but you have assumed added responsibilities with this new role.

This is where I really appreciate being a part of CEN. It provides me the support and resources I need to be better. I can assure you that in our meetings last week when we discussed these elements, I scored myself on each one then totaled the scores and ended up with a 66%. On a straight grading scale where 90%+ is an "A," 66% falls in the "D" range. Pretty sobering. Hopefully, business is graded on a curve and others (if they were honest) were not too far off my abysmal score.

All of this makes me want to work harder to be a better CEO and with the the support and resources of the Chief Executive Network, I can do that.

Geoffrey Butler, AIA, CEO (in perpetual training)

It really is not rocket science. It does not take an "expert" and a lot of fees to do good green building everyday. It only takes people interested and knowledgeable in sustainable construction. We recently completed an addition and remodeling of a 1980's home in Oak Knoll Subdivision (in Springfield, MO) with my son, Sam Butler, and his company, Sustainabuilt Construction. It was a typical 1980s design with traditional styling and lots of small rooms. It really was not set up for family living or entertaining. (See link to photos at the end)

The design work was easy. It did not take much to deal with the needs of a family with three young children and their desire to give each of them a bedroom and bath of their own upstairs on the same level with the master bedroom. We added more to the house to give us the area we needed and reconfigured everything. Of course, the master bedroom needed to be updated and expanded as well.

Downstairs we added to the house and reconfigured everything. We gutted the kitchen and a few other rooms to create a new family living area with an expansive new kitchen, family area and dining area. You really need to see it to appreciate it.

The green thing was pretty amazing since we really did not have to worry about it in the design. It was all about the green ideals utilized during construction. It does take someone who understands the options and knows what is a good value and what is not.

I should tell you that this entire project did not cost any more than is would have normally cost without taking a green approach. You do not have to throw money at a project to be green. That is stupid money. Smart money is doing a sustainable thing for virtually the same cost as normal construction.

Here is a list of things we did (or my son did) during construction:

• Waste materials - use a waste hauler who separates the trash from the recyclable. Also provide recycling receptacles on site for cans, plastics and other materials.
• During demolition carefully salvage the things which still have value but cannot be used in the new design. We salvaged all the old kitchen cabinets, plumbing fixtures, light fixtures, doors and frames, windows, insulation, siding, deck material, and even the copper supply piping. All of this was donated to the Habitat for Humanity Restore. It will find a new life in another house.
• We salvaged the old granite kitchen counter tops and reused them upstairs in the master bath on the vanity and in the master closet. The cost to reuse this fabulous granite was far less than the cost to build a plastic laminate counter top and the appearance is ten times better.
• Regional materials are a big thing. It only makes sense to use materials which are grown and harvested here locally. Sam found a mill locally which made walnut flooring. The cost of the flooring was not much more than milled oak. It was only 30 miles north of us and it was beautiful. Everything we bought, we tried to source locally.
• I don't know if you can call it green, but we also took great pains to buy locally; patronizing local vendors and businesses. In many instances those people are friends and acquaintances who patronized our client or our businesses. It always pays to support people who support your business and it certainly helps to keep that money in the community where it can be circulated many times over. So, let's call that recycling money.
• The amount of insulation is important and we went for a minimum of R19 in the walls and R30 in the attic. We used EcoBatt which is made of recycled materials. Not really a premium for that. Just good common sense to get a very well insulated structure.
• The crawl space was not the normal un-insulated crawlspace with vents. That creates problems with the heat loss through the un-insulated floor as well as potential mold from moisture from less than proper ventilation. We went the other way and ran a supply duct from the mechanical system in there, and took return air back to the HVAC unit. We insulated the walls of the foundation and applied a vapor barrier to the floor of the crawlspace. This will be a big savings on the energy consumption.
• The HVAC system needed to be reworked and more equipment needed to be added. We went with very high efficiency units and well-insulated ductwork.
• We did seal the house up tightly by filing all voids with foam insulation or stuffed batt insulation.
• The windows were insulated with Low E insulated glazing, wood interiors and clad exteriors. the best we could get, but they were not really a big premium.
• All exterior doors were pre-hung insulated units with full weather stripping and proper gaskets.
• The millwork was built using a product called "wheatboard" which is really made of the leftover wheat after the grains are taken. This is a zero VOC product of a rapidly replenished raw material. Didn't really add much to the cost, but it means a lot in reducing VOCs and in the sustainable front.
• Indoor air quality is a big deal. We used no or low VOCs on the paint, mastics, carpet materials, flooring and anything and everything.

All of this is stuff that needs to be done on every project, but I can assure you that your architect can do this but the cost might scare you. Having a LEED accredited GC who can buy out the project using sustainable metrics and elements is really key. You are paying for them anyway, have them do the work to find the sustainable options is reasonable.

Aside from the fun of working with my son almost everyday on this project (which I would do for nothing), the neat thing is delivering a really neat sustainable project to our clients and doing so without spending a lot of money. It is the right thing to do and we need to do it every day.

Visit the Sustianbuilt Construction Facebook page to view before and after photos of the Feuerbacher Residence at http://www.facebook.com/pages/Springfield-MO/SustainaBuilt-Construction/73153648908.

It has finally happened. I know officially it starts on March 20th, but for me spring starts when the two magnolias in my front yard bloom. Over night all of the dormant buds opened and this morning the shrubs were covered in a beautiful deep magenta. After the magnolias bloom, the redbuds will bloom down in the valley and shortly after them, all the trees, the walnuts, hickories and oaks will leaf out and then we'll be racing on to summer.

As spring fever hits the Ozarks, so does gardening fever. Everyone gets out in their yard for spring cleanup. Now is the best time to think of ideas that can help make our yards, our outdoor environments, more usable, interesting and fun.

Personally, I live on 18 acres - part forest and part meadow with a lazy creek running through the middle. I have a never-ending list of projects that keep me busy. Most days, just following the ebb and flow of Mother Nature as she does her thing in the Ozarks is all I can do - mow a little bit here, plant some trees and flowers and really just sit back and watch.

Professionally, I enjoy working on projects that are mainly in the urban, man-made and controlled environment. Mother Nature has long since been paved over and now I am challenged with bringing bits and pieces of her back in manageable little "pockets." My main "pocket" as of late and one that I have been working on for more than two years is Park Central Square in the heart of downtown Springfield, MO. Last year, we wrapped up the design and construction of the streetscape around the outer square. This included replacing the sidewalks and ceilings over basements, upgrading the lighting, adding potted flowers and trees, (I'll talk about these items more in a future segment) and my favorite element - the removal of the 6" curb which was replaced with a ring of bollards and tactile warning tiles. This element is so important in helping to allow pedestrians better access throughout the square; especially for access into the inner square.

Currently, I am working on the inner square. Our schedule is aggressive but doable. We are going to refine design and construction documents by mid-May, bid through mid-June and start construction at the end of July. Construction is scheduled to be complete by the beginning of Spring 2011.

We are right in the middle of working out all of the unknown challenges involved in the rehabilitation of the historic outdoor space. Park Central Square is:

• A space designed by someone who did not live here
• A design that has lost some of its original elements due to its uniqueness
• A design that has felt the pressures of urban use and diminishing maintenance budgets
• A space now full of challenges and opportunities

Follow me throughout the next few months as I share our struggles and successes, and our thoughts and ideas as we work to transform the square back to the historical center of Springfield.

A multitude of injuries have pulled star athletes out of the game. Benched, people soon forget about the star that was once their hero. But some fans never falter, urging their hero to push on and return to the game. Following weeks and months of intensive rehabilitation, the athlete makes his return. Although he looks the same, he is now stronger, more agile. Like the injured hero described above, Simmons' Stable, once the commanding star of the Saddlebred Horse industry, needed loyal devotees and loving therapy to bring it back to its former glory. The Simmons' Stable Preservation Fund was such a loyal fan, championing through numerous challenges and naysayers to save the Simmons' Stable and give it new life.

After careful examination of the project and work to ensue, it became clear that restoring the 252 foot stable to its former glory would be a multi-phased process, focusing on each injury the stable incurred over time. The complete preservation and restoration process required that early on, we gather the teams involved and prioritize the process of rehabilitation. Most critical to the health of the stable was the stabilization and protection of the structure, as previously detailed by John Miller. In this entry, I'll detail the processes of protecting the revitalized structure, while preserving its historic integrity.

The first item to be restored was the roofing. Layer-after-layer of asphalt roofing shingles were stripped from the tired structure. A new shingled roof, matching that from the beginning of Arthur Simmons' reign over the horse world, soon protected that restored structure from the rain and snow which ravaged the wounded structure throughout the years. Once the roof and structure were reconditioned, the remainder of the building's exterior was to be restored.

Although budget constraints dictated that the stall windows be restored at a later date, custom-fabricated dormer windows were installed to replace the originals which had been damaged beyond repair, twisted apart by the failed structure and years of harsh weathering. At the south gable end of the structure, the unique combination of shingles and shakes were restored, resulting in assorted rows of square, diamond and fish-scale shingles. At the east and west facades, plywood that was first installed in the 1970s was removed and replaced with horizontal siding. The new horizontal siding and watertable replicated what was captured in photographs from the 1960s and earlier. Vertical siding, twisted and bent by time, was carefully removed and salvaged to allow correction of the structure. After the structure was realigned, the once warped siding was reinstalled and repainted. The stable soon began to look like its former self, the star of the Saddlebred Horse industry.

As Mexico and its residents began to take notice of the new construction; the began to pay attention to the once forgotten derelict stable. Curious residents would wander up to the stable, asking questions or merely staring in wonder as the stable transformed before them. Throughout our many visits to the stable, John and I met several such characters, kind strangers who offered prayers, cool beverages on hot summer days, or a bucket so we could rest our legs after a long day.

Nearly complete with the initial phase of restoration and with the addition of a few simple block letters painted in black, the stable embodied a minor renaissance. From Boulevard Street, passers-by could now clearly read the words: SIMMONS'S STABLE, a victory for the town and those who had worked so hard to save a forgotten star of the horse world, an era passed and a world apart.

The next day at Grassroots started off with attending a breakfast with our peer groups - other components in the country that have similar size chapters. This breakfast meeting was probably the best one I've attended in the three years. Many people shared examples of what their chapters do to serve their members and make their chapters the best they can be. The second half of the morning, I attended a meeting where we discussed how to be a better leader. The best part of this seminar was how we learned that in a confrontation with people, it is better to say "and" instead of "but." For instance, instead of saying, "I'm sorry to hear that you don't agree with me, but you really are wrong," it is better to say, "I'm sorry to hear that you don't agree with me, and I hope in the future we can come to some sort of agreement on the issue."

I had an interesting lunch discussion with several architects from Nebraska about our Springfield architects wanting the Springfield Public School staff to choose a local architect for one of our major school renovation projects. At first, they were sure that since we had done work in other states, that we had no business asking for local selection; however, when I pointed out the difference is the source of the money for these projects and how we want local tax dollars to stay local, they were nodding their heads. They also respected the fact that we had not tried to make the Nebraska firm the school chose look bad nor cast any mud upon their reputation.

My afternoon seminar was not as helpful.  A chapter the exact size as ours discussed how they had increased their revenue and membership by holding design charrettes.  They also allow members to have a reduced membership rate if they agree to do volunteer work for the chapter.  They are obviously very successful.  They have a operating budget of around $80,000, more than twice what our chapter survives on.

Instead of going home Friday night as planned, we ended up walking to dinner at the DC Chophouse.  The snow had started around noon, but it really hadn’t started sticking too much yet.  We did get our feet wet from the slush because we hadn’t brought waterproof shoes!  Dinner was delicious, as well as their home brewed Oatmeal Stout beer.  Little did we know that our stay was going to be extended much longer than expected!

By 8 am Saturday morning, the snow had accumulated to around 16 to 20 inches outside our hotel.  The city had come to a halt, and nothing was open!  We were informed by the concierge that only two museums were open – a wax museum and the News Museum.  We elected to visit the News Museum, which happened to be a very smart idea.  This museum features the history of the news in the United States and it was extremely interesting.  Brad and I stayed all day almost until they closed at 5 pm.  They have several movies tucked into corners throughout the museum, but the two parts I liked best were the displays on 911 and the Pulitzer Prize Photos. 

There’s not much to say about the next two days.  Our flights kept getting delayed longer and longer.  I spent numerous hours on the phone trying to get earlier flights.  My in-laws who had been watching the kids generously offered to stay longer.  We had no options as far as site seeing; however, there were several restaurants open.  We didn’t have any snow boots (or stores open to buy them until Monday) and so every time we went walking to eat, our feet got soaked and cold.  They had cleared the streets and the sidewalks, however, there were few good paths between the streets and the sidewalks.  Luckily there was a Borders Bookstore three blocks away to get some books to read and Brad enjoyed the hotel health spa for a couple of hours one afternoon. 

Finally on Tuesday morning, we headed to the airport by taxi because the Metro was still not running all the way out to the airport.  We’d already heard that another snow storm was coming and we knew Chicago was already having snow.  I really think it was a miracle that we got out of there.  Our flight out of DC was delayed for almost an hour, so we didn’t fly out until around 11 am.  My cousin told me later that at noon they started shutting the airport in DC down because another snow storm had started!  Chicago had several flights that were cancelled, but luckily ours was not.  We landed in Springfield at 3:30 pm that afternoon, happy to be home.  What an adventure! 

One of the challenges that face structural engineers on a historical preservation job such as Simmons’ Stables is balancing the interests of the stakeholders in the project.  In this case the stakeholders are the owners, preservation authorities and the building officials.  The owners and preservation authorities would like to see the building returned to its original condition and the building official wants to make sure that it meets the intent of the building code.  One of the great things about this project was the fact that each of the parties came to the table with open minds and a focus on solutions and moving the project forward, rather than being stubborn on preconceived notions.  

This structure is not only unique in the history of its function, but also in the materials that were used to construct the barn.  The materials were dimensional lumber; similar in size to what is used today that can be bought at any Lowe’s or Home Depot.  Typically, lumber in buildings of this age were built with rough sawn material that varied in size as each mill had their own standards. 

In 1877 there were no building codes, each craftsman was a master of their trade and an owner would hire the contractor who would then erect the structure.  Simmons’ Stable was no exception to this and it has stood the test of time for the past 100 years, with the maintenance that was done, meant to band-aide the problems to pro-long the function.  It is a utilitarian structure and was treated as such. 

One of the first challenges was the fact that there was no permanent foundation for the structure.  When we first visited, some of the frames had settled as much as 18 inches, partially due to lack of foundations and partially due to decay of the bottom of the posts.  One of the committee members that worked at the barn told us that some of the stones that supported the posts were removed because the horses would hit their hooves on them.  Another issue was in the framing itself, the roof rafters were 2x4 members that spanned approximately twelve feet, without collar ties or a center ridge beam,  They would cantilever off the frame at the face of the stalls and bear against the opposing rafters.  As the building shifted, the connections of the rafters failed and the roof dropped and pushed out on either side.  The final issue was the lack of lateral bracing in the building to transfer the lateral loads from the roof diaphragm to the foundations.

The engineering challenge came in the manner in that the building was framed.  It was originally a combination of post and timber frame methods with stick built infill.  The roof was stick built utilizing 2x4 rafters that bore at the outside wall and hayloft beam and then supported against the opposing rafter at the ridge.  There was no apparent bracing in the short direction of the building and as the building settled and deteriorated the ridge and roof framing relaxed causing drops in the ridge line as much as several feet.

After a brief analysis of the structure we realized that we could not simply replace the framing that was there, but would have to provide a structure that met two goals, be true to the intent of the original construction and satisfy the life safety requirements of the current building code.    

We decided that the refurbished structure would meet both criteria, be true to the original intent and meet current building codes.  One of the first things we did was to modify the roof framing both at the main roof and dormers.  We replaced the 2x4 rafters with 2x8’s.   We also installed a ridge beam and collar ties to improve the stability of the rafters and ridge line.  We reinstalled skip sheathing, but added a plywood diaphragm over the top to provide a diaphragm.  At the dormers we installed some engineered wood beams with steel flitch plates, but cladded them with dimensional lumber in an attempt to be true to the original appearance.  

To brace the building we used a series of tie rod braces and custom manufactured steel brackets at each stall line where they would not be visible we used light gauge steel strapping.  

 Simmons’ Stable was definitely a team effort with the owner, contractor, architect and engineering. The final product accomplished the two goals we set out with, be true to the original structure, let it tell the story and be a structure that is safe.