Old bones, new rules.
The mill was listed on the state historic register, so its brick, timber columns and 412 windows had to stay. It also had to meet modern seismic, fire and energy codes to qualify for historic tax credits worth 20% of the budget.
- 412historic windows to restore
- 30 yrssince the mill last had heat
- 20%of the budget from historic tax credits
No drawings of the mill survived, and the timber columns had been patched and notched for a century. Lumen Ridge needed accurate information about what was really there before any design could be priced — and a builder able to protect the tax credits through every change.
We were appointed as design-builder with a historic architect on our team, and started with three weeks of surveying before a single design meeting.
Scan it, then save it.
A full scan-to-BIM survey turned the empty mill into an accurate model, which became the basis for design, pricing and the historic review.
- 01
Scan every column
Laser scans of all four floors mapped 1,140 timber columns to within a quarter inch, so new steel could be designed around them.
- 02
Restore, don’t replace
Our window shop restored all 412 frames with new insulated glass, approved by the state historic preservation office.
- 03
Add on top
A light steel pavilion on the roof added 9,000 sq ft of event space without loading the old timber frame.