Author: PHW

John Chesson has graciously offered to share his story and images of his ongoing adaptive reuse project at the Samuel Noakes house, 101 West Cork Street/201 South Braddock Street with PHW. We will be releasing these stories through the PHW blog in the coming weeks, following the progress with virtual hardhat tours.

The previous entries may be found at the PHW blog at part 1, part 2, part 3, part 4, part 5, part 6, part 7, and part 8.

This time, we see some of the first coverings which will be applied to the exposed walls, a foam barrier. Insulation is one of the key ways to make an existing building more energy efficient. In general, this much stripping of wall coverings would be too much hassle, cost, and loss of historic fabric to make insulating masonry walls worthwhile. Since so much of the building has been stripped, the insulation is sensible to add at this point in the project.

If you live in an older home and are considering upgrading your HVAC and/or adding more energy-efficient insulation, you should refer to the National Park Service’s Technical Preservation Briefs #3: Improving Energy Efficiency in Historic Buildings and #24: Heating, Ventilating, and Cooling Historic Buildings. The National Trust for Historic Preservation also has links to more resources on insulation. In general, it is less invasive and less likely to cause hidden damage to upgrade and maintain existing systems, utilize the historic ventilating systems in place, insulate areas with exposed structural members like attics and basements, add storm windows, and weatherstrip and caulk openings. Improperly applied insulation techniques will do more harm than good in an older home by holding moisture and causing rot, structural damage, and exterior paint failure.

Work also continues in a location we have not seen for a while, the barbershop area at Braddock Street level. Some of the previous creative uses for the space, like plumbing, air conditioning units, and lighting, will be better addressed during the renovation to make the most of the commercial area.

The installation of the foam barrier in the apartment areas

Work moves to the former barbershop area

John Chesson has graciously offered to share his story and images of his ongoing adaptive reuse project at the Samuel Noakes house, 101 West Cork Street/201 South Braddock Street with PHW. We will be releasing these stories through the PHW blog in the coming weeks, following the progress with virtual hardhat tours.

The previous entries may be found at the PHW blog at part 1, part 2, part 3, part 4, part 5, part 6, and part 7.

Last time, we saw the work begin to shift focus from making the building structurally sound to making the building function in 2012. As is typical in a renovation project, a few plans changed along the way and some additional plaster demolition occurred around the Braddock Street fireplace. This time, a similar reveal is undertaken in the upstairs fireplace.

In addition to looking at the bones of the structure, the HVAC system as well as plumbing lines are starting to take shape throughout the building. These systems are almost always some of the most difficult to retrofit into an older building with elegance. Being able to install or upgrade the HVAC and plumbing when the building’s structure is mostly exposed is the most efficient way to work with these often cumbersome systems.

The upstairs fireplace plaster is removed, similar to the downstairs reveal

More planning and work for HVAC and plumbing

John Chesson has graciously offered to share his story and images of his ongoing adaptive reuse project at the Samuel Noakes house, 101 West Cork Street/201 South Braddock Street with PHW. We will be releasing these stories through the PHW blog in the coming weeks, following the progress with virtual hardhat tours.

The previous entries may be found at the PHW blog at part 1, part 2, part 3, part 4, part 5 and part 6.

Last time, the final framework began going into the house and defining rooms. That work continues during this update. As you can see, with the framing going in, the work is shifting focus from making the building structurally sound to making the building function in 2012. Wiring, plumbing, and lighting needs are being reconciled with stone walls. The house even yields a few more surprises during some additional demolition.

More joist replacements and salvage from the Braddock Street side kitchen area

Framing in the Braddock St. side, upstairs and downstairs

Work in the Cork St. side, and planning for modern conveniences

Additional work leads to some minor change in plans, several surprises, as well as clever solutions for accommodating lighting, plumbing, and wiring in tricky locations

John Chesson has graciously offered to share his story and images of his ongoing adaptive reuse project at the Samuel Noakes house, 101 West Cork Street/201 South Braddock Street with PHW. We will be releasing these stories through the PHW blog in the coming weeks, following the progress with virtual hardhat tours.

The previous entries may be found at the PHW blog at part 1, part 2, part 3, part 4, and part 5.

Last time, some temporary framework had been installed to help raise the sagging joists. Now the final framework is going into the house. Rooms are once again taking shape in the vast envelope that had been revealed in the demolition phase. With a bit of imagination, you can begin to envision the final layout of the apartments.

Framing begins at the Braddock Street side

More material arrives and more framing starts to define the interior spaces

Details of the large replaced joist in the Braddock Street side

We have nearly caught up to the current progress at the Noakes house. The posting schedule will be readjusted to Tuesdays only, so the next installment will be posted on July 24. We’ll see you then!

John Chesson has graciously offered to share his story and images of his ongoing adaptive reuse project at the Samuel Noakes house, 101 West Cork Street/201 South Braddock Street with PHW. We will be releasing these stories through the PHW blog in the coming weeks, following the progress with virtual hardhat tours.

The previous entries may be found at the PHW blog at part 1, part 2, part 3, and part 4.

As we saw last time, the house has been stripped to its most open state. Now some temporary framework is being installed in preparation for beefing up the sagging structural members in the house. Note the jacks in the framework, lifting up the sagging portion in increments.

As well as the framework, a number of salvaged items, bottles, and newspapers are on display, including a medicine bottle from Dr. W.J. Whitlock for kidney stones, a stamp pad patented in 1881, and Winchester Evening Star newspapers from 1901.

Temporary framework

More salvage images

Items found in the house in one final area of demolition

The next installment will be posted on Tuesday, July 17 as the PHW office will be closed Friday for an out of office interview. Come back then for more pictures of the Noakes house.

John Chesson has graciously offered to share his story and images of his ongoing adaptive reuse project at the Samuel Noakes house, 101 West Cork Street/201 South Braddock Street with PHW. We will be releasing these stories through the PHW blog in the coming weeks, following the progress with virtual hardhat tours.

The previous entries may be found at the PHW blog at part 1, part 2, and part 3.

The Noakes house has been taken down to the bones of the building, exposing the framing and along the way, some structural problems. Most notably, the columns and casework in the Braddock street side were removed for the installation of new structural members after it was found the building was unsound. Other salvaged items are laid out in the house, waiting to find a new lease on life.

These images capture the most visually intimidating but exciting portion of a house renovation. With layers of changes stripped away, the possibilities for the building’s new use seem almost endless. Enjoy this glimpse into the Samuel Noakes house at its most open. From here, the building will start to reshape into its future use.

Cork Street interiors

Braddock Street interiors

In the upcoming installments, we’ll start to see the change from demolition to construction. Join us again on Tuesday for another look at the progress at the Noakes house.

John Chesson has graciously offered to share his story and images of his ongoing adaptive reuse project at the Samuel Noakes house, 101 West Cork Street/201 South Braddock Street with PHW. We will be releasing these stories through the PHW blog in the coming weeks, following the progress with virtual hardhat tours.

As you saw in part 1, the Samuel Noakes house had been adapted to one commercial space in a sub-first floor area facing Braddock Street and two apartments. In part 2, interior demolition was started to discover what the “bones” of the house looked like under the accumulated changes.

As you read last time, the project did not mesh with the historic tax credit process, so all proposed exterior changes needed a Certificate of Appropriateness from the Board of Architectural Review before being applied. In Winchester’s Historic District, historic tax credit projects with an approved part one and two may skip this oversight portion of the BAR. The thinking is that DHR will hold you to the same or higher standards in your project as the local review. Many contractors opt to visit BAR on a voluntary basis for an extra set of eyes and the local perspective on the project.

The Samuel Noakes house came before the BAR on May 17 as BAR -12-260. The minutes from the meeting can be read here on Winchester City’s website. Much of what has been seen in the first two parts is reiterated here, but the link is included to give neophytes with the BAR a sense of how a BAR meeting works.

In a typical BAR meeting, the applicant or his representative presents the plans for the building’s exterior (interior changes are not under BAR purview, but are sometimes discussed to clarify the reasons for exterior changes, like the egress windows in the Noakes house.) Most of the time, the presentation includes current condition photographs of the exterior, measured drawings, spec sheets for replacement materials, and paint colors submitted to the City’s Planning and Zoning office prior to the meeting. After the applicant has made a verbal presentation, the board members will partake in a question and answer session with the applicant, going over any items that are not clear (like in the Noakes house, they questioned the composition of the shutters and the roof line). If the application is thorough, it is generally approved on the first trip to the BAR with no or minor modification, as we saw with the Noakes house.

Details and items found during the demolition phase

Video walkthrough of the house

Stills and fisheye views of the interior

Stay tuned for the next installment on Friday for part 4.

John Chesson has graciously offered to share his story and images of his ongoing adaptive reuse project at the Samuel Noakes house, 101 West Cork Street/201 South Braddock Street with PHW. We will be releasing these stories through the PHW blog in the coming weeks, following the progress with virtual hardhat tours.

As you saw in part 1, the Samuel Noakes house had been adapted to one commercial space in a sub-first floor area facing Braddock Street and two apartments in the main body of the house, one upstairs and one downstairs. Layers of changes had accumulated over the years, leading to blocked stairs, blind alleys, and inefficient use of space.

John had contemplated pursuing historic tax credits for this project. However, he found his goals for the property did not mesh well with the historic tax credit process. This is fine; not every property can or should be a tax credit project. He took the right approach in consulting with the Virginia Department of Historic Resources before beginning any work on the property to see if it would work for him. It did not, so after a trip to the local Board of Architectural Review for the Certificate of Appropriateness for exterior changes, he was free to then begin work. He started with some selective demolition to see what is under the layers of changes.

Selective demolition to expose a fireplace

Interior demolition on Cork Street – exploratory demolition

Interior demolition, on Braddock Street – removal of plaster, items found, and cleaning up

Stay tuned for the next installment on Tuesday for more detail photos, interior photos, and video walkthroughs.