Owner/Client:
Western Washington University/Mahlum Architects
Ongoing
- Size: 2 buildings
- Floor Area: 120,000 sq ft
- Number of Stories: 3 and 1 below-grade
- Use/Occupancy: Offices and classrooms
- The buildings feature structural masonry and masonry veneer over concrete frame. The buildings were constructed over a bog; one in the 1940s and the other in the 1960s. The basement slab of the 1940s building is known by generations of students for its uneven nature due to its lack of support from the sinking bog below.
- RDH was retained to assist in investigating the existing conditions, developing waterproofing details as part of rehabilitation, and renovation of the buildings, as well as with field review during construction.
- RDH provided consulting services related to the effect of insulating the historic mass masonry walls. RDH recommended semi-rigid mineral wool insulation and a smart vapor retarder on the interior side of the wall to maintain the walls’ ability to safely store and release moisture as environmental conditions allow.
- Investigation
- Design review
- Field review
Michael Aoki-Kramer
