Charlottesville, Va
Teamed with Architectural Resources Group, Frazier Associates was retained in the restoration of Garrett Hall at the University of Virginia. This historic structure was designed by the New York firm of McKim, Mead & White as a dining hall in 1907. Its restoration creates office and classroom space for the new Frank Batten School of Leadership and Public Policy. The project addressed longstanding structural issues in the main building, systems improvements, and code compliance. It also included exterior repairs, restoration of the staircase and lobby and the original main dining room, and the reconfiguration of interior spaces to accommodate an elevator. New fire detection and suppression, security, and IT systems were also installed. The project complied with the University’s sustainability program and was certified LEED Gold.
Under a term contract for historic preservation with the University, Frazier Associates also designed a handicap accessible entry for the historic Old Cabell Hall, located on the southern end of the iconic Lawn. Historical research and an analysis of the building’s facade as well as the surrounding Lawn helped inform the design. The selected design masks the new ramp behind a new evergreen hedge located in front of both wings of the building. These balanced plantings continue the very strong design symmetry of the original facade.
Additionally, the firm completed a mothballing plan for the University’s Birdwood Mansion. Listed on the National Register of Historic Places and the UVA Historic Preservation Framework Plan, the original portion of the house dates to Thomas Jefferson’s lifetime and includes a significant collection of 19th century outbuildings. The plan details the work required to mothball the historic mansion and its four closest outbuildings, and water tower to help insure that this important historic resource is preserved until a new use can be found.
