Boston, MA
Exeter Street Theater
Scope/Solutions
Hartwell and Richardson designed the Exeter Street Theater in the 1880s as the first Spiritualist Temple in Boston. The building exterior consists of brownstone walls, a slate roof, and copper flashing. In 1995, a fire severely damaged the theater. Within twenty-four hours, SGH assessed the damage, developed a stabilization program, and began remedial design.
SGH acted promptly to assess the fire damage, stabilize the building, and design historically sensitive repairs. Highlights our of work on this project include the following:
- Developed a program to keep the building weathertight for repairs by completing the following:
- Directing removal of the fire-damaged cupola, roof, and attic
- Designing a new attic floor to serve as a temporary roof
- Designed concealed steel plates for the damaged truss to restore the strength and stiffness lost by the effects of the fire without changing the appearance of the truss
- Designed new bottom chords to strengthen all trusses
- Designed emergency repairs to damaged brownstone, sandstone, and granite walls
- Designed the replacement slate roofing and copper-clad cupola to match the original form, materials, workmanship, and appearance, thus ensuring historical accuracy
Project Summary
Solutions
Repair & Rehabilitation | Preservation
Services
Building Enclosures | Advanced Analysis | Structures
Markets
Culture & Entertainment
Client(s)
Exeter Street, Inc. | CBRE Group, Inc.
Specialized Capabilities
Repair & Strengthening | Condition Assessments | Preservation | Failure Analysis
Additional Projects
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In collaboration with Utile, SGH designed the pavilion; specified materials; and advised on all detailing, fabrication, and construction methods for the unusually-shaped roofs and the load-sensitive site.
Northeast
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Centered around the Design Academy, A/D/O is a transformed warehouse in Greenpoint dedicated to the creative arts. The space houses Urban-X, a start-up investment and advancement organization founded by MINI. SGH was the structural engineer for this adaptive reuse project.