The B. Thomas Golisano Hope Lodge Hospitality House, located on the edge of the Colgate Rochester Crozier Divinity School (CRCDS) campus in Rochester, N.Y., was destined to change the lives of many who have called the building home.
Constructed in the 1930s, the structure hosted CRCDS’s theological studies while serving as a seminary dormitory. Composed and rendered in the collegiate gothic style by architect James Gamble Rogers, the “Castle on the Hill” echoed similar structures found on the campuses of Yale, Columbia, and Northwestern.
Over time, the number of students requiring dormitories dwindled, and CRCDS found itself with more space than it needed.
Eventually, school officials decided to operate within a smaller footprint. However, CRCDS was still tasked with maintaining all campus buildings, including the now-vacant structure. As expenses related to the building mounted, school officials considered demolishing it.
With the future of the structure in doubt, the nearby American Cancer Society’s Rochester Hope Lodge was quickly outgrowing its facility of 25 years. It did not take long before CRCDS and American Cancer Society realized the benefits of a partnership.
Click here to view profiles of other reconstruction projects that have been recognized as part of BD+C's 28th Annual Reconstruction Awards.
As the partnership between CRCDS and American Cancer Society evolved, the CRCDS’s vacant theological studies center and seminary dormitory were selected as the home for the new Hope Lodge. Design concepts were quickly formulated, and a budget established thanks to $8 million in fundraising efforts, led by philanthropist B. Thomas Golisano.
The early stages of the reconstruction project progressed smoothly until a hazardous materials survey conducted on the facility revealed the presence of asbestos in the finishes and roofing materials. But it was also infused in the plaster covering the walls and ceilings throughout the buildings.
GIVING THE BUILDING ENVELOPE THE ONCE-OVER
In addition to the asbestos removal, the existing floor layout would have to be gutted as the narrow double-loaded corridor did not meet current egress requirements. The single-occupant rooms were cramped and much too small for the needs of Hope Lodge. Finally, the historic masonry exterior and the slate roof of the building had suffered decades of deferred maintenance and were in need of repair.
“We were, in many ways, creating a new building envelope. The restoration of the historic exterior required close coordination with the new interior perimeter,” says Jim Durfee, AIA, principal architect, Bergmann Associates.
The Building Team, consisting of local firms Bergmann Associates (architect), Torchia Structural Engineering (structural engineer), and LeChase Construction (construction manager), faced other design issues on the Hope Lodge project as well.
PRODUCT LIST
B. Thomas Golisano Hope Lodge, Hospitality House, Rochester, N.Y.Masonry Cleaner: Sure Klean
Roofing: Carlisle Epdm
Windows: Oldcastle Ogep Series 2000
Gypsum Board: USG
Window Treatments: Drapery Industries
Interior Signage & Donor Wall: Id Sign Systems
Artwork: Great American Art (Brontman’s Corporate Dimensions)
Furniture: Om Workspace (Carolina & Grand Rapids)
Lamps: Crown Electric
Interior Architectural Woodwork: Solid Surface, Zodiak
Solid Surface: Corian
Plastic Laminate: Formica
Plastic Laminate: Wilsonart
Acoustical Ceiling: Acoustical Ceiling Tile, Armstrong World Industries, Inc.
Tile Carpeting: Modular Tile Carpet, 24" X 24" Shaw Contract Group Collection, Dressed To Kill
Modular Tile Carpet: 18" X 18" Bentley Prince Street Collection, Saturnia
Modular Carpet Tile: 24"X24" Patcraft & Design Weave Collection, Construkt Series
Walk-Off Mat: 12"X12" Roppe Surface Walk-Off Mat Collection, 'Rop-Cord' Rubber (Tire Tread) Tiles
Interior Paint: Sherwin Williams, Pro-Green Interior Latex
Toilet Compartments: Hadrian
Plumbing Fixtures: American Standard
Fan Coils: Enviro-Tec Johnson Controls
Heat Recovery Units: RenewAire
Air Handlers: Mcquay
Elevators: Otis
One complicated design-related issue involved the original engineering of the two adjoining structures, Trevor and Eaton Halls. The independent structures each had their own floor levels, which did not align. “The existing footprint was particularly challenging. The fact that these were really two separate buildings separated by a quirky staircase made achieving a clear floor layout difficult,” says Durfee.
In order to get the buildings to function as one structure, a strategically located ramp allowed the second level of the structure to function contiguously while a centrally located stair with multiple flights and landings to each building provided occupant circulation.
The Building Team also faced low floor-to-ceiling heights that complicated insertion of a new HVAC system. Eventually, a four-pipe, console fan coil system was installed in order to minimize the need to extensive air distribution ductwork.
“The biggest challenge was threading new utilities through the new layout working around a very limited floor to floor height. This required careful design and utility coordination in order to maintain our aesthetic goals for the space,” says Durfee.
Handicap accessibility throughout the facility also proved problematic. The development of two exterior access points on different levels of the complex and the strategic insertion of two new elevator shafts provided a solution.
BUILDING TEAM EARNS CLIENT’S RESPECT
Hope Lodge provides free lodging and support for out-of-town patients drawn to the regional medical treatment centers in Rochester. By offering patients and caregivers a temporary home during extended periods of treatment, the Hope Lodge program frees patients from emotional and financial burdens, allowing them to concentrate on care, recovery, and quality of life.
The new 28,000-sf B. Thomas Golisano Hope Lodge Hospitality House doubled the capacity of the former Rochester Hope Lodge, while also providing 8,000 sf of office space for the American Cancer Society.
Irregular shell space resulted in unique layouts for all 30 guest rooms, each of which included a private bathroom. Common spaces and services include laundry, kitchen, dining room, living area, and a library.
On the exterior, the gothic architecture was fully restored, including the masonry, the replacement of the slate roof, and new steel sash windows that maintained the appearance of the original windows.
“I was initially concerned about the various complexities inherent in this project and with the structure of the building we were to renovate,” says Matthew Flanigan, regional vice president, American Cancer Society. “Very quickly, the Building Team assured us they were up to the task, and just as quickly began to show they were qualified. Working with this team of professionals was seamless through the many phases of planning to post-construction wrap up. Ultimately, it’s the Hope Lodge Hospitality House guests that have confirmed our true pleasure in this outcome.” BD+C
--
Click here to view profiles of other reconstruction projects that have been recognized as part of BD+C's 28th Annual Reconstruction Awards.
Related Stories
| Jan 25, 2011
Bloomberg launches NYC Urban Tech Innovation Center
To promote the development and commercialization of green building technologies in New York City, Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg has launched the NYC Urban Technology Innovation Center. This initiative will connect academic institutions conducting underlying research, companies creating the associated products, and building owners who will use those technologies.
| Jan 25, 2011
Top 10 rules of green project finance
Since the bottom fell out of the economy, finding investors and financial institutions willing to fund building projects—sustainable or otherwise—has been close to impossible. Real estate finance prognosticators, however, indicate that 2011 will be a year to buy back into the real estate market.
| Jan 25, 2011
Chicago invented the skyscraper; can it pioneer sustainable-energy strategies as well?
Chicago’s skyline has always been a source of pride. And while few new buildings are currently going up, building owners have developed a plan to capitalize on the latest advances: Smart-grid technologies that will convert the city’s iconic skyline into what backers call a “virtual green generator” by retrofitting high-rise buildings and the existing electrical grid to a new hyper-connected intelligent-communications backbone.
| Jan 25, 2011
AIA reports: Hotels, retail to lead U.S. construction recovery
U.S. nonresidential construction activity will decline this year but recover in 2012, led by hotel and retail sectors, according to a twice-yearly forecast by the American Institute of Architects. Overall nonresidential construction spending is expected to fall by 2% this year before rising by 5% in 2012, adjusted for inflation. The projected decline marks a deteriorating outlook compared to the prior survey in July 2010, when a 2011 recovery was expected.
| Jan 25, 2011
Jester Jones Schifer Architects, Ltd. Joins GPD Group
GPD Group is excited to announce that Jester Jones Schifer Architects, a Marion-based architectural firm, has joined our firm, now enabling GPD Group to provide architectural services to the Central-Ohio market.
| Jan 21, 2011
Combination credit union and USO center earns LEED Silver
After the Army announced plans to expand Fort Bliss, in Texas, by up to 30,000 troops, FirstLight Federal Credit Union contracted NewGround (as CM) to build a new 16,000-sf facility, allocating 6,000 sf for a USO center with an Internet café, gaming stations, and theater.
| Jan 21, 2011
Manufacturing plant transformed into LEED Platinum Clif Bar headquarters
Clif Bar & Co.’s new 115,000-sf headquarters in Emeryville, Calif., is one of the first buildings in the state to meet the 2008 California Building Energy Efficiency Standards. The structure has the largest smart solar array in North America, which will provide nearly all of its electrical energy needs.
| Jan 21, 2011
Primate research facility at Duke improves life for lemurs
Dozens of lemurs have new homes in two new facilities at the Duke Lemur Center in Raleigh, N.C. The Releasable Building connects to a 69-acre fenced forest for free-ranging lemurs, while the Semi-Releasable Building is for lemurs with limited-range privileges.
| Jan 21, 2011
Harlem facility combines social services with retail, office space
Harlem is one of the first neighborhoods in New York City to combine retail with assisted living. The six-story, 50,000-sf building provides assisted living for residents with disabilities and a nonprofit group offering services to minority groups, plus retail and office space.
