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2. 2021-05-18 Roundhouse Architectual AssessmentNorthampton Community & Resilience HUB Page 1 of 5 Roundhouse Assessment December 2020 1.0 Architectural Assessment Summary Background The Roundhouse Building at 244 Main Street is a historic building and city landmark currently under private ownership, but vacant. Built in 1856 in the Victorian Eclectic style, the former gas works was remediated and renovated in the 1980s and has been used as an office building since by a variety of tenants. The existing building is constructed of brick masonry, heavy timber and steel. It is partitioned into two halves- round and rectangular. The building is three stories high and includes both a mezzanine above the third level and a basement below on the roundhouse side. It is three stories of slab on grade construction on the rectangular side. While the building is listed in commercial real estate listings as 15,000 gsf, JWA measures the overall gross square footage as 18,546 gsf and the net square footage at 17,459 nsf in review of available plans. Rectantagular Section 6,330 gsf 5,619 nsf Roundhouse Section 11,840 gsf 7,490 nsf Entry Points and Accessibility The Roundhouse is an iconic building and a contributor to the City’s historic district. It is in very good condition for building of this age. The rectangular portion consists of three roughly equivalent floor plates that can be flexibly organized into offices and can be made available to tenants or could be purchased separately. The Roundhouse section has an entry 63” below grade into the ground level (potential Day Center), an entry a few steps above grade into the first level and an accessible entry via the bridge to Pulaski Park. Access to a Day Center on the ground level without access through Pulaski or the office area at the first floor can be arranged by installing a ramp from the parking level to the doorway below grade that faces towards the bus station. Visitors seeking to access the offices at the level of the lower parking area can do so at grade directly into the rectangular side. An elevator provides accessible connection to all three floors of the Round side of the building and the first floor of the rectangular. 1.0 | Architectural Assessment Summary Northampton Community and Resilience HUB Page 2 of 5 Roundhouse Architectural Assessment May 2021 The second and third floor of the rectangular side and the sublevel of the round side are not accessible because they require stair access. This limits these floors to non-public use. Elevator The lift and elevator were not tested to confirm that they are in working order. The lift from the third floor to the balcony (upper mezzanine level) is marked “danger” as is assumed to be inoperable. 1.0 | Architectural Assessment Summary Northampton Community and Resilience HUB Page 3 of 5 Roundhouse Architectural Assessment May 2021 Storage The Roundhouse has a full, dry basement of 1,500 sf accessed through a stairwell from the Ground Floor. This level ground level could support storage of crisis related emergency resources for the City or overflow storage for the Day Center. The basement also contains the building’s mechanical, water, and elevator system supports. The first floor of the Roundhouse has a recently constructed subfloor, exposed masonry walls, updated electrical and plumbing and easily modified partition walls. Restrooms/Kitchenettes While the building has adequate restrooms, the locations and numbers of fixtures do not meet the proposed program needs and would require additional fixtures depending on Level of Alteration and Occupancy. The Roundhouse section has four bathrooms; three at the ground floor and one at the second floor. It has a small kitchenette at the First Floor level. (See Code Report_JWA) If the City anticipates any use of the building as an emergency overnight shelter it is recommended that additional shower facilities also be installed. To meet the needs of a Day Center at the Ground floor, we recommend installation of a kitchenette to support a small food pantry at the Ground floor. Existing Finishes Finishes are of mixed age and varying from good to excellent condition. The lower levels of the two buildings and bathroom spaces include durable and attractive local slate tiles. Ceilings in the rectangular building are exposed steel and concrete deck supporting hardwood floors. The upper floor of the roundhouse is currently covered in dated carpet that would ideally be replaced during a renovation. Doors are unoriginal, of modest quality but serviceable. Restroom fixtures are vitreous china and in good condition and can be retained. The open stairs and exposed wood and steel structural elements give the building unusual character and value to public space. 1.0 | Architectural Assessment Summary Northampton Community and Resilience HUB Page 4 of 5 Roundhouse Architectural Assessment May 2021 Daylighting/Lighting Daylighting in the building is not ideal. Existing windows are double paned replacement windows that are generally in good shape and not in need of replacement. While the rectangular portion has operable and generous double pane windows at two levels, the Roundhouse side has fewer windows than would be desired for natural lighting. The existing interior light fixtures should be replaced with new LED fixtures to lower energy use and improve illumination. The Ground Floor of the Round has no windows. The First Floor has adequate windows arranged in each office space. The top floor and mezzanine are daylight only by a narrow band of roof lights towards the south and by the cupola. 1.0 | Architectural Assessment Summary Northampton Community and Resilience HUB Page 5 of 5 Roundhouse Architectural Assessment May 2021 While this top floor is dramatic and architecturally intriguing, the current design of the mezzanine takes away from the potential grandeur and beauty of the space and makes the third floor dark and less inviting. JWA recommends eventually reducing the size of the 3rd floor mezzanine to make a larger assembly space more successful and recommends replacing the walls of the mezzanine with a lighter glass or rail system to improve daylighting. We also recommend adding more roof skylights and better artificial fixtures to improve lighting conditions. Sustainability & Resiliency The site includes well-designed and well-maintained outdoor flower beds and walking areas that encircle the building. The exterior space to the north includes a utility easement that prohibits building expansion but could allow for installation of a backup generator to provide stable power during outages. The building is immediately adjacent to a large public parking and includes 12 dedicated parking spaces which could be used as flexible outdoor staging in the event of an emergency. The basement and the entry vestibule connecting the two halves of the building providing opportunities for installation of a gray water filtration and recirculation system to reduce water use. In the long term it would be possible to install photovoltaic panels to the south face of the rectangular building or to replace the existing slate tiles of the round roof with PV solar collecting tiles. Both roof systems are 20 – 30 years from the end of their life expectancy, according to the accompanying report provided by Manhan Roofing. As a masonry building, the extremely thick exterior masonry walls are an effective thermal mass regulating temperature changes and providing natural cooling in the summer. Unfortunately, the insulation levels of the building are low and variable throughout with a high percentage of exposed brick interior and unknown levels of insulation present in built out conditions. The building does not meet current stretch code and is not required to unless a Level 3 Alteration is conducted. Improving insulation levels would require more interior coverage of existing masonry walls which would detract from the character of the building.