OVERVIEW
Boston Young Men's Christian Union is a historic building at 48 Boylston Street in Boston, Massachusetts, which was built in 1873 and constructed in a High Victorian Gothic style. The renovation of the structure consisted of a complete building renovation, including major changes to both the exterior façade and interior facilities and finishes. W.T. Rich was hired as the Construction Manager for this private project to oversee and implement all aspects of the construction process. Construction mitigation and logistics were of the utmost of importance for this occupied building as many occupants needed to be temporarily relocated during construction.
The building was designated a Boston Landmark by the Boston Landmarks Commission in 1977 and added to the National Historic Register in 1980.
HIGHLIGHTS
A key goal of the project was to ensure that the exterior façade was restored in such a manner that the historical details were left intact/p>
The interior of the building had not undergone a major renovation in many years and the entire facility had to be brought up to code. This required both infrastructure upgrades and new building systems
Major structural steel elements were added to create a mezzanine floor area and reinforce some of the existing building structural systems
Two new elevators were required which necessitated underpinning of the existing building structure for the necessary shaft support
The health facility has 1500 lockers, state of the art equipment, steam rooms, saunas, squash courts, handball courts, a new gymnasium and exercise rooms, along with necessary attendant toilet and shower facilities required for a first-class facility. The rooms are equipped with special sports flooring, ceramic tile, wood floors and other durable finishes to minimize maintenance of the new facilities
Location: 48 Boylston Street, Boston, MA
Completion: 2002
Contract Value: $10.1 million
Size: 80,000 SF
Type: Renovation and Historical Restoration
Owner: Boston Young Men’s Christian Union
Designer: Rowe Design Group, Inc., Arlington, MA
Delivery Method: Design / Bid / Build (Private)CHALLENGES & SOLUTIONS
The project was complicated by the fact that the architect left the project when it was approximately 20% complete and the owner decided not to replace him. From that point on, W. T. Rich Company worked in partnership with the owner as a Construction Manager, assuming many design responsibilities
To ensure the historical accuracy of the exterior so when the renovation required new windows, doors, and frames, artisans were utilized to replicate the original details
In order to bring the building up to current code, the project required a major reworking of the existing exit stairways and installing new fire standpipes and sprinkler systems throughout the building. Existing steel had to be fireproofed and ceilings reconstructed to bring building components to code conformance
"In a short amount of time, you literally gutted and rebuilt the Boston Young Men’s Christian Union Building. The dedication and commitment W. T. Rich demonstrated to ensure the project schedule was met without sacrificing quality or workmanship did not go unnoticed. When an unexpected pre-existing design condition was encountered, your team was up to the task of providing prompt remediation. There is no question that W. T. Rich delivers high-value service and we were proud to have had this association.”
Monica Burke, Construction Administrator
BYMCU
Renovation Project
"In a short amount of time, you literally gutted and rebuilt the Boston Young Men’s Christian Union Building. The dedication and commitment W. T. Rich demonstrated to ensure the project schedule was met without sacrificing quality or workmanship did not go unnoticed. When an unexpected pre-existing design condition was encountered, your team was up to the task of providing prompt remediation. There is no question that W. T. Rich delivers high-value service and we were proud to have had this association.”
Monica Burke, Construction Administrator
BYMCU
Renovation Project