Siegel & Strain Architects
Historic Preservation
Siegel and Strain’s historic preservation projects range from evaluation and documentation of historic resources to the rehabilitation of historic structures to conservation of historic materials and finishes. Our historic projects have won awards for design and preservation and have included restoration, adaptive re-use, and seismic upgrading. We have a great deal of experience with the specialized standards and approval processes often required for historically significant buildings.

| Washington Township Veterans Memorial Building Fremont (Niles District), CA

The historic Veterans’ Memorial Building was designed by Alameda County Architect Henry Meyers and built in 1929-30. The building was constructed utilizing hollow clay tiles for its load bearing walls as was typical for buildings of this period. The structural system was subsequently demonstrated to perform very poorly during earthquakes and, as the building sits in the “near field” of the Hayward Fault, a full seismic upgrade was required. Other building system upgrades include new kitchen, bathrooms, mechanical and electrical systems. Access has been improved to comply with ADA requirements. Minor programmatic changes were made and historic finishes were restored. All design and construction followed the Secretary of the Interior’s Standards for the Rehabilitation of Historic Structures.

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| Lone Oak Farm Altamont Pass, CA

Lone Oak Farm has a two-story wood residence, constructed in the 1870s which is now owned by the Alameda County Waste Management Authority. The Authority engaged us to investigate structural stability, develop cost estimates and make recommendations for the rehabilitation of the historic house and out buildings. We were subsequently hired as architects for the complete restoration of the house exterior and rehabilitation of its interior. We also designed a new barn, compatible with the historic context, that utilizes materials salvaged from other structures on the Farm.

| Jackson Brewery San Francisco, CA

The historic but neglected Jackson Brewery building was transformed into a mixed-use project housing seven live/work condominiums and a restaurant. An innovative seismic bracing system was designed to be virtually invisible from outside. Inside, existing brick walls, steel frames, and concrete ceilings remain exposed; new finishes were selected to set off the richer texture of the existing materials. We assisted in placing the building on the National Register of Historic Places and obtaining Federal Historic Tax Act Credits.

>1996 AIA East Bay Design Awards, Merit Award
>1995 California Preservation Foundation Award
>1994 Award for Excellence, Foundation for San Francisco’s Architectural Heritage
>1994 Merit Award, Builder's Choice Design Awards
>1994 Commendation, National Park Service

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| Holmes Building Oakland, CA

This two-story building, constructed in 1923, contains ground-floor retail shops with mezzanines, and second story offices. The unreinforced brick and terra cotta structure was seismically upgraded, and the office space was completely renovated. We restored exterior shop fronts, and remodeled the office entry and lobby. The new stair was designed to be compatible with historic elements and make a graceful, well-lit transition to the high second floor.

| Historic Resource Evaluation and Consultation University of California, Berkeley, CA

Siegel & Strain prepared Historic Structures Reports and reviewed design and construction documents for seismic retrofit, accessibility and code upgrades for various campus buildings: the 1923 California Memorial Stadium, the 1893 Beta Theta Pi Fraternity, the 1898 First Unitarian Church, and the 1915 Gymnasium for the California State School for the Blind. We also served as Historic Resource Consultant for the draft Environmental Impact Report for the seismic strengthening of the1902 Hearst Memorial Mining Building. These projects have required public presentations and coordination with state agencies, local commissions, and neighborhood and historic preservation groups.