Challenges in Renovation of Vintage Buildings

Structural engineers often encounter various unique design and construction challenges during renovations of vintage buildings. If such challenges are not properly addressed, they may result in major consequences. This paper provides a case study of a flawed structural renovation project and discusses the common challenges that engineers may face during renovation projects. The subject building is a six-story vintage residential building with a structure consisting of exterior load-bearing brick masonry walls, interior cast iron and wood columns, and wood floor framing. The renovation project mainly included the addition of a penthouse, addition of a freestanding fireplace and chimney, and converting a roof into a roof garden for the owner of the top story of the building. Due to several serious structural issues that were discovered during and after the renovation project, the penthouse, fireplace, and chimney had to be demolished, and usage of parts of the apartment was restricted to prevent structural members from being overstressed. This paper presents these issues, the authors’ investigation, the remedial work, which was designed by another firm to address the issues, and discusses the standard of care when renovating a vintage building.