Georgia Institute of Technology
Lloyd W. Chapin Building
Atlanta, GA
Georgia Tech selected Lord Aeck Sargent to renovate the 1910 Chapin Building, constructed as an infirmary, for use as the Center for Student Diversity and Inclusion.
The program included large tutoring spaces, offices, breakout student spaces and a conference room, all of which fit well with the original configuration of infirmary rooms. Non-original fabric, including interior and exterior fire stairs, were removed in the process of renovation, while an elevator was added for ADA-compliance, and a new wood staircase was built following the configuration of the original. The exterior was in relatively good condition, requiring miscellaneous repair and remediation.
The project was an opportunity to restore the original fabric and to revive the original character and charm that had been lost over more than 100 years of use, during which the interior of Chapin had been altered significantly. Preservation design features of the rehabilitation include the following:
- Restoring the original rope joints at the marble base at the exterior
- Rehabilitating unique exterior “ventilator” features at the roof
- Replacing non-original windows with operable aluminum-clad wood windows that have the original configuration of lites
- Raising ceilings close to the original heights, which allowed the full height of the windows to be exposed at the interior
- Restoring original plaster walls and ceilings, including the building’s unique coved plaster corners at wall and ceiling junctures
- Restoring wood floors, uncovered during the rehabilitation
- Restoring the original configuration of interior spaces
- Rebuilding a wood stair in the original U-shaped configuration
In rehabilitating this historic resource, Georgia Tech adhered to the goals of its Campus Historic Preservation Plan – to preserve and protect campus historic resources – and advanced its commitment to sustainability by reusing and improving the energy efficiency of an existing structure.
The project is certified LEED Platinum.
