Barba + Wheelock Architects
Architects
The house shell is modular, the roof panelized, and the garage stick-built. All come together in this single-floor living space with ample light and light airy spaces with a high, open ceiling.
The 1937 massing of the Louis B. Goodall Memorial Library is a Georgian Revival one and one-half story, tripartite building. The structure’s brick facade, topped with a slate roof topped with domed cupola, was designed by Sanford native, William O. Armitage. A substantial two-story addition was constructed in 1976, connected to the rear elevation of the original massing with a one-story hyphen.
B+W’s project includes removal of the existing circa 1990 entry vestibule and adding a new small entry vestibule with an upward curving cantilevered roof ushering patrons into the 1976 Addition.
The team at Barba & Wheelock has been nothing short of incredible to work with on our library renovation project. Through every step of the process they have been kind, professional, and attentive to even the smallest details we bring to the table. We cannot thank them enough for helping to turn our dream into reality to create a space that will have a lasting impact for our community.
– Nicole Bowley, Interim Director, Goodall Memorial Library
A larger, 636 SF addition will also be added to the rear of the 1979 addition, allowing additional meeting rooms, storage, and staff work rooms. The masonry veneer two-story addition will be on a similar scale as the 1976 addition and incorporates a modern stone veneer, echoing the language of both earlier building sections. The vestibule and new addition’s design are both a product of their own time and will be both distinctive from the 1976 addition as well as the 1937 original construction. The selection of modern, locally produced, masonry materials in compatible colors will complement, but be distinguished from the 1976 and 1937 brick masonry facades.
Minimal work is planned for the historic 1937 building. Exterior work is limited to repointing, minor masonry repairs, and installing new exterior storm windows. On the interior of the library, the 1976 addition’s first and second floors are going to be reconfigured to provide space for a new meeting room that will have its own separate after-hours entrance. A new circulation desk will be installed allowing staff to better meet the needs of patrons. Other added spaces include additional staff workspace, two new bathrooms, and small meeting rooms.
The 1976 addition will also receive a skylight to bring additional light into the second floor. A water feature and interior planting bed will also liven up the second floor space. Throughout the 1976 addition, we will be replacing the existing double hung windows with new awning and fixed picture windows to bring more light into the reading spaces.
The project is designed to be in compliance with the Secretary of the Interior’s Standards for the Preservation of the historic library building, and Standards for the Rehabilitation of Historic Structures through modification and construction of additions. B+W has taken careful consideration to design new additions that respect and pay homage to the historic building and to distinguish the new design from earlier construction phases.
Changes include a new reredos, accessible dais, and a demountable altar rail for communion to open up the altar to a variety of uses. The work involved removing all of the pews, replacing key sections with matching wood chairs, accommodating more spaces for ADA, refinishing the relocated pews, new pew cushions, all new flooring surfaces, painting walls, and improved lighting and electrical changes at the Chancel.
I would like to take a moment to compliment Tim for all of his hard work and perseverance during our project at First Lutheran in Portland. It has been a pleasure to work with Tim during these months and I really appreciate how he approaches each aspect of the work with ease, confidence and definitely keeping us informed with every decision.
We have been through a number of challenges as most projects can endure, but the level of support offered by Tim throughout has been outstanding. Tim worked through a number of vendor issues with precision measuring, additional diagrams and schematics as required. He was constantly proactive in completing his work and led the charge for the contractor and subcontractors to stay on track.
I am so glad we chose your company to partner with during the long lead time before we got underway. Thank you so much for your patience as we deliberated as only a non‐profit can do best! We are also very thankful for the finished product and your wonderful design ideas.
– Ken Conant, Property Committee Member, First Lutheran Church, Portland
B+W provided detailed cost estimates, chair selection and all finishes. Work also included Sanctuary window replacement. Next phases will include Sanctuary lighting and sound system replacement.
A new home and studio for the Architects is comprised of their 1,750-square-foot house and an independent, 1,000-square-foot architectural studio. Sited on a previously undeveloped parcel of land in a Portland neighborhood, the challenge was to both fit the new structure into the rhythm of the neighborhood, and yet create the least disruption of the natural habitat.
Without question, the site itself informed the design of the building. We located the house at the ecotone – perching it on an overlook between a native wildflower meadow that provides relief from the bustle of the street and nestled up to the peacefulness of over a hundred acres of sanctuary land.
Positioning the house on the slope allowed for an embedded full-height lower level in the hillside. By building upward instead of outward, the house touches the land lightly, also reducing maintenance and heating costs.
The solar orientation further informed the house’s alignment, looking toward the narrow view of the Fore River tributary. The long side of the house faces true south so that the living spaces on the south and west receive sunlight all day and benefit from passive heat gain all winter. One desire was to use some design principles of Vastu Shastra, a traditional Indian system of architecture. As a result, the front door faces east where the rising sun shines into the house to start the day.
The mother trees to the south provide wonderful comfort and summer shade for the long wall of full-height glass, without the need for solar shades. Shares in a solar farm offset the electrical use to approach net-zero.
Adaptability is key for aging in place: The main stair is wider to allow either adding a chair lift, but if we decide on one-floor living, the screen porch can be readily converted to a primary bedroom.
The architecture studio is on the lower level. With one large space and services tucked along the perimeter, the lower level is also adaptable to future uses: architecture studio, apartment, or even a place for the ping-pong table. It has two entrances, one shared and one independent entrance.
The main approach has a gabled roof, punctuated windows, and nautically evoked wood detailing. The entry mudroom opens up into a large room with floor-to-ceiling glass framing the forest beyond. The living room floats out over the land, like a ship’s bow, making one feel as if being transported via ferry to the islands, leaving the city behind at your back. The room is bathed in sunlight that plays on the off-white walls, with pops of colorful art and objects.
The multifunctioning spaces: living, dining, kitchen all reside in one large volume. The washer and dryer are tucked under a built-in sideboard. With a small sink, the sideboard serves as a bar, serving counter, flower-arranging area, and extra pantry storage, as well as a laundry.
The buildings at St. Alban’s evolved as three separate buildings serving diverse needs, but without a master plan in mind. Facilities included a turn-of-the century residence that serves as the rectory (the original estate that donated the land), a 1954 church building and a 1970s parish hall. The new plan combines the parish hall and the church in a long-term vision set by the parish to respond to the changing needs of their community.
The solution creates a unified building that is fully integrated and accessible by removing the 1970s parish hall from the site and creating an addition to the mid-century era church for new community uses. This allows parishioners to remain in one building to encourage interaction and provides a primary arrival and entrance to St. Alban’s. A secondary entrance also allows for after-hours use of lower level classrooms. The siting creates space for outdoor play areas for children and contemplative gardens.
I wanted to express our appreciation for the outstanding job that your firm did in the design and implementation of the new building. I was particularly pleased and impressed with the way that you made a significant reduction in the space while retaining the character of the original design.
The impact of the new structure on the parish is truly exciting. Our membership and attendance have risen significantly over the past year due in large part to the attractiveness and enhanced functionality of the new parish hall. Our neighbors are delighted.
–Donald Bonoff, Chairman, Building Committee, St. Alban’s Episcopal Church, Cape Elizabeth, Maine
The new parish hall had to be consistent with the existing structure and sympathetic to the surrounding architecture. The addition also contains a fully-equipped kitchen, administrative offices, larger classrooms and more meeting space. Parking, traffic flow, outdoor spaces, site lighting, storm water runoff, and amenities were much improved. The property was developed in such a manner as to allow for future subdivision should the Owner wish to divest of the residence.
Barba + Wheelock returned about six years after the completion of the parish hall to design and implement a youth room on the previously unfinished third floor, completing the master plan for the church.
The initial design challenge was to integrate a new building type and new construction form into the historic campus. The designs respond to the historic context of Main Street in the Saco Historic Preservation District as well as a predominately red brick campus, which has evolved via several construction campaigns during its nearly 125 year history. The residential quality of other Main Street (and Academy) houses and historic detailing from the campus’ education buildings informed our design. We believe this approach has achieved a dormitory and future village that complements both the community of Saco and the Academy.
Locating the first dormitory building – Nelson Residence Hall – on a previously unoccupied lawn at the campus’ main entrance, now forms a gateway to the historic campus. The long axis of the dormitories faces south-southwest for optimal solar exposure and frames the entry to campus create greens or courtyards between each of the proposed buildings. The street façades, of this and the forthcoming buildings, are designed to establish the street rhythm found on Main Street south of the campus.
Nelson Residence Hall, completed in Summer 2009, is constructed with durable standing seam roofs and fiber-cement cladding in neutral colors that acknowledge existing patterns and textures found on campus buildings without resorting to mimicking the brick, which the project’s budget could not justify.
A tight building envelope with high thermal insulation performance was achieved with the use of ICF (insulated concrete forms) for the foundation and first floor walls and conventional framing with dense pack cellulose insulation at the second-floor level. The use of ICF benefits the interior architecture as its wall depth creates deep recesses at the windows adding a layer of space for use by the residents. ICF also allowed an economical and seamless construction season as the contractor was able to pour concrete walls throughout the winter without concern for special freeze protection. The ICF walls achieved a R-48, far exceeding any current energy code.
