Colma, Calif., is known as the “City of Souls”: 1½ million people are buried there. In May 2013, a major piece of that landscape, the 124-year-old Noble Chapel, suffered a three-alarm fire that almost completely destroyed its 1937 crematorium.
A Building Team led by ARG Conservation Services not only reconstructed the crematorium but also upgraded electrical, mechanical, heating, and fire sprinkler systems and replaced the roof.
Large stained glass windows were removed and sent to Los Angeles for restoration. This left the building vulnerable to weather conditions during construction, so the team shrink-wrapped the structure to guard against inclement weather. As portions of the building were finished and deemed weather-tight, the shrink wrap was removed and work proceeded on that section.
The project was completed five weeks ahead of schedule.
PROJECT SUMMARY
Silver Award Winner | Colma, Calif.
Building Team: ARG Conservation Services (submitting firm, architect, GC); Cypress Lawn Memorial Park (owner/developer); SOHA Engineers (SE); LIST Engineers (ME), O’Mahony & Myer (EE), Gladding McBean (terra cotta consultant).
Details: 3,505 sf. Construction cost: $5.2 million. Construction time: February 2015 to October 2015. Delivery method: Design-build.
Related Stories
Reconstruction Awards | Nov 12, 2018
Cincinnati Music Hall: Saving a cultural anchor
Cincinnati uses ‘skillful triage’ to bring its endangered Music Hall up to date.
Reconstruction Awards | Dec 1, 2017
Rescue mission: Historic movie palace is now the centerpiece of Baltimore’s burgeoning arts hub
In restoring the theater, the design team employed what it calls a “rescued ruin” preservation approach.
Reconstruction Awards | Dec 1, 2017
Gothic revival: The nation’s first residential college is meticulously restored
This project involved the renovation and restoration of the 57,000-sf hall, and the construction of a 4,200-sf addition.
Reconstruction Awards | Dec 1, 2017
Rockefeller remake: Iconic New York tower is modernized for its next life
To make way for new ground-floor retail and a more dramatic entrance and lobby, the team removed four columns at the ground floor.
Reconstruction Awards | Nov 30, 2017
BD+C's 2017 Reconstruction Award Winners
Provo City Center Temple, the Union Trust Building, and the General Motors Factory One are just a few of the projects recognized as 2017 Reconstruction Award winners.
Reconstruction Awards | Nov 29, 2017
College credit: Historic rehab saves 50% on energy costs
The project team conducted surveys of students, faculty, and staff to get their input.
Reconstruction Awards | Nov 29, 2017
Amazing grace: Renovation turns a church into elegant condos
The windows became The Sanctuary’s chief sales edge.
Reconstruction Awards | Nov 28, 2017
Broadway melody: Glass walls set just the right tone for a historic lobby in Lower Manhattan
The adaptation of the 45,000-sf neoclassical lobby at 195 Broadway created three retail spaces and a public walkway.
Reconstruction Awards | Nov 27, 2017
Higher education: The rebirth of a Washington, D.C., high school
The project team, led by architect Perkins Eastman, restored the original cupola.
Reconstruction Awards | Nov 27, 2017
Bank statement: A project team saves a historic bank, yielding 100% leaseup for the developer
The project team had to fix poor renovations made in the ’50s.
