Annapolis, MD

Annapolis Post Office

Scope/Solutions
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Project Summary

Scope/Solutions

Constructed in 1901 and part of the Colonial Annapolis Historic District, the Georgian Revival post office building at 1 Church Circle was purchased by the State of Maryland in 2013. The Maryland Department of General Services undertook an adaptive reuse project to renovate the building and convert it into government offices. SGH provided structural and building enclosure services for the project that included a roof replacement, interior restoration, and structural modifications.

SGH consulted on several aspects of the renovation project, including:

Structural strengthening. The original floors are constructed with terra cotta arches supported by wrought iron beams. Accommodating new floor openings for ductwork and plumbing required careful consideration to preserve the structural integrity. SGH collaborated with the project team to locate openings to minimize disruption and developed custom details to support the arched floor structure. We also designed strengthening and anchorage to support the installation of new MEP and fire life safety systems.

Repurposing the annex. The rear annex was originally constructed in the 1930s as a postal sorting facility. SGH evaluated its cast-in-place concrete floor’s capacity and determined it was a good candidate for locating assembly spaces, which had higher live load requirements than the typical office areas.

Egress upgrades. To meet modern accessibility requirements, SGH designed new exterior ramps, an elevator tower, and a stair tower serving the basement through the second floor.

Cupola and roofing restoration. SGH consulted on the exterior restoration of the original cupola, including replacing roofing and waterproofing assemblies on the dome and ledges, restoring functionality and appearance of the windows, and regilding the gold leaf detailing. We also assisted with the design for low-slope membrane roof replacements and historically appropriate metal gutter repairs for the steep-slope slate roofs.

Exterior wall and window rehabilitation. SGH designed building enclosure repairs, including below-grade waterproofing repairs to protect the foundation walls, repointing and natural stone repairs for the exterior masonry walls and stone balustrades, restoration of the original windows, and installation of metal flashing at cornices.