Boston, MA

The Atrium

Scope/Solutions
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Project Summary

Scope/Solutions

The four-story building at 1079 Commonwealth Avenue is a concrete structure constructed in the early 20th century for the Packard Motor Car Company. In the mid-20th century, the building was converted to apartments, serving as an early example of many adaptive reuse projects in Boston. The facade was reclad with EIFS in the 1980s and remained largely unchanged until a recent project to update the building. SGH provided structural and building enclosure engineering services for the project, which included replacing the roof, recladding the facade, and repairing deteriorated concrete components in the two-level parking garage.

Our work began with a condition assessment of the garage, facade, balconies, and roofs, and included visually surveying the structure and conducting field and laboratory testing to identify damage and deterioration. We developed rehabilitation options for the owner’s consideration, ranging from localized repairs, to a full facade reclad to replacing the building.

SGH served as the structural and building enclosure engineer of record for the renovation and developed a plan to repair existing damage, extend the building’s useful life, and update the facade’s appearance and performance. We coordinated with the property manager to phase the work to help them meet their budget and minimize disruption. The project included:

Reconstructing exterior walls and recladding the building with composite metal panels
Replacing the windows with flanged curtain wall assemblies
Repairing concrete balconies, applying a new waterproofing coating, and installing new railings
Replacing the existing low-slope roofs and reconstructing the parapets to meet current code requirements
Coordinating the roof replacement with the installation of new rooftop mechanical equipment and adding roof anchors for a facade access system
Repairing cracks and deteriorated concrete components in the below-grade concrete parking structure and applying a traffic-bearing waterproofing coating

SGH provided construction administration services, including reviewing submittals and applications for payment, visiting the site to observe ongoing work, and helping the project team address field conditions.