Projects Archives - Metropolitan Restoration and Waterproofing Corp

Lewis J. Warner Theatre, Worcester Academy, Worcester, MA

Project Size and Scope
Complete restoration of the exterior building envelope of historic theatre building on the National Historic Register.

Project Background
The complex, multi-faceted project required comprehensive restoration of the building’s grand facade, including replacement of numerous intricately designed, but badly eroded cast stone architectural elements – cornices, medallions, and parapet caps. A new slate and copper roofing system was also installed.

Metropolitan Restoration & Waterproofing was awarded the 1998 Concrete Repair Award for the New England Chapter of the International Concrete Repair Institute (ICRI) for the major historic restoration of Worcester Academy’s Warner Theatre.

Learn more about the project and the ICRI (International Concrete Repair Institute) Award that Metropolitan Restoration & Waterproofing received for the historic restoration of the Lewis J. Warner Theatre in a New England Real Estate Journal article. Click here.

Jillians, 145 Ipswich Street, Back Bay, Boston

Project Size and Scope
Exterior masonry and roofing restoration of the historic warehouse style brick building. In the course of retiring the facade of the warehouse, Metropolitan rebuild several architectural features, including a stepped parapet on the gabled roof, and a masonry arch measuring 13 ft. in diameter, as well as the entire masonry shelf to accommodate the installation of nearly 100 ft. of newly fabricated copper gutter. Additional repairs included removing and replacing the outer Wythe of damaged brick masonry, roaring the precast concrete sills, and tying the newly retired roof of modified asphalt into the gutter and flash stepped parapet. In addition, cracked brick masonry required epoxy injection and considerable repointing of brick work. The building also needed replacement of window sealants.

Due to the proximity of the building to the Conrail-Amtrack rail line, Metropolitan faced serious logistical and practical obstacles. Since one of the building’s walls rested a mere 12 ft. from the train tracks, a unique system of “suspended staging” was designed and erected for the project. A system scaffold was erected on the sloped roof in order for the suspended scaffold to be hung from the roof.

Project Background
Built circa 1890, the building had suffered significant damage as a result of years of water infiltration. Water had penetrated the building’s masonry through the roof gutter system and had caused masonry deterioration due to the freeze/thaw cycles. A lengthy permitting process delayed the project for three years, resulting in additional damage to the building.

The historic building at 145 Ipswich Street in the Back Bay houses one of Boston’s hottest night spots, Jillians Billiard Club, as well as three nightclubs operated by Lyons Group Management.

Fenway Studios, Boston, MA

Project Size and Scope
Elaborate exterior masonry and roofing restoration of 5-story, 50,000 sq. ft. brick building located at 30 Ipswich Street in Boston’s Back Bay. Fenway Studios is a National Historic Landmark building. The $905,500 project was partially funded through a grant from the Massachusetts Historical Preservation Fund through the Massachusetts Historical Commission. the was the on an extremely tight site in the historic Beacon Hill area of Boston.

All work was required to strictly conform to the Secretary of the Interior’s Standards for the Treatment of Historic Properties.

Project Background
Metropolitan’s scope included the extensive repointing of the brick exterior, replacement of brick, reconstruction of two main chimneys, and replacement of eight red slate slabs used as chimney caps. MRWC’s research to locate the resource for the red slate slabs led the firm to the only operating quarry of red slate that could produce the slate to the required size. The slabs were cut to meet specifications provide by Metropolitan and project architect Turk Tracey and Larry Architects LLC of Portland, ME. It is believed that the quarry is the same quarry that provided the red slate for the building in 1905. Metropolitan undertook special measures to match the original mortar on the facility’s exterior.

Additional details of the scope included the rebuilding of sections of the parapet walls at the roof to match the original design, and four large distinctive designs inset on the end elevations of the building were repaired and restored to their original design and color. Metropolitan also added custom fabricated seismic bracing to existing sections of the parapet wall fro strengthening, and replaced numerous structural steel wind lintels which had decayed over the years.

Bostonview Apartments

130 – 140 Bowdoin Street, Beacon Hill

Project Size and Scope
Elaborate reconstruction of 18-story apartment building on an extremely tight site in the historic Beacon Hill area of Boston. The project included the total reconstruction of the building’s parapets and extensive brick veneer exterior reconstruction in contiguous areas.

Project Background
This 1960’s building had extensive water infiltration problems stemming from faulty parapet construction, and the project required extensive troubleshooting of the brick veneer exterior facade to determine the source of the water problems.

Perkins Court – Harvard College Observatory Cambridge, MA

Project Size
6,000 s.f. Plaza Deck Reconstruction

Project Background
The project entailed the removal of the existing plaza deck pavers, and overburden, as well as the installation of a new waterproofing membrane and new plaza deck pavers.

Frank Wood Center Sherrill House Expansion Project Boston, MA

Project Size
6-story, 57,000 S.F. additon to an exisiting Adult Care facility; required complete Air/Vapor Barrier System.

Project Background
Metropolitan was hired in the pre-construction phase as consultants to design and detail the waterproofing and air barrier systems. In addition, Metropolitan was hired during the construction phase to install both the waterproofing and air barrier systems.

Willard Building Quincy, MA

Project Size
3-story historic structure requiring extensive restoration of masonry gables, roofs, copper gutters, and chimney

Project Background
A turn-of-the-century school building, the Willard Building had been converted to office space. The building required exterior waterproofing and complicated restoration work. Remedial repair measures had previously been taken during the conversion but were unsuccessful in solving the water infiltration and actually accelerated the deterioration of the masonry structure.

Stop&Shop Corporate Headquarters

Project Size
10-story office building; required comprehensive exterior waterproofing

Project Background
The building had experienced water infiltration problems since its original construction. Previous measures that had been taken by several waterproofing industry professionals had proven ineffective.

Bedford Towers, New Bedford, MA

Project Size and Scope
Replacement of 476 faulty exterior facade panels that encompass 8,330 sq. ft. of the seven-story building. The panels are par of the buildings window system. The project was necessitated due to water and air infiltration through the existing facade panels. Metropolitan utilized a newly designed, insulated exterior refinished panel designed to eliminate all batten strips. It incorporates an engineered sealant edge system that joins the panel in the middle. The new panel installation helped reduce the overall energy cost of the building by increasing the R-Value. The new panel design also allowed for more efficient installation than traditional panel designs. A suspended wire rope power staging system was utilized for the project.

Chelsea Village Apartments, Chelsea, MA

Project Size and Scope
Replacement of 343 existing leaking and delaminating facade panes with newly designed, insulated exterior panels. A total of 2,100 sq. ft. of the eight-story building’s facade was replaced.