Hygema House Movers Selected for Foundation Portion of Buckland House Restoration

RAP is honored to announce the bid for the foundation component of the restoration work, after an arduous selection process, has been awarded to Hygema House Movers.

RAP assembled a committee comprised of: Executive Director, Carmen Godwin; Preservation and Education Coordinator, Laura Lavernia; Project Architect, Greg Thomas; and Contractor, Bill Smart owner of River City Restoration. A request for bids was issued and bids were evaluated based on--in order of importance-- experience and staff qualifications, thoroughness of scope, schedule, and cost. Based on careful evaluation of criteria and extensive interviews, RAP has awarded the foundation portion of the project to Hygema House Movers. 

Pictured: beloved RAP member Jerry Spinks (1938 - 2011)

Established in 1930, Hygema has a long-standing history and reputation for excellence providing specialized services for historic structures in the areas of: structural moving (historical, masonry, brick, block, frame), foundation repairs, house leveling, termite damage repairs, and structural repairs.  They have been involved in previous projects with RAP, specifically during the early years of the organization's history when the organization was moving historic structures as a last resort in able to save them from imminent demolition. 

Hygema House Movers is also a proud sponsor of the Buckland House Restoration project.  Their main project contribution consists of materials and other costs associated with construction.  Their proposal consisted in rebuilding the foundation salvaging the existing exterior rusticated blocks, leveling the house and the front porch, re-pouring cracked front concrete steps, and plumbing (straightening) the porch, particularly re-setting the columns that are currently leaning as a result of the settlement.

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This project has been financed in part with historic preservation grant assistance provided by the National Parks Service, U.S. Department of the Interior, administered through the Bureau of Historic Preservation, Division of Historical Resources, Florida Department of State, assisted by the Florida Historical Commission.

From PreservationNation Blog: Q&A with NPS on New Sustainability Guidelines

The National Trust's Sustainability Director, Patrice Frey, and Program Assistant Rachel Bowdon recently asked the National Park Service to share some assessments about the new Illustrated Guidelines on Sustainability for Rehabilitating Historic Buildings --including the most common misconceptions about greening historic buildings and the appropriate use of renewables on historic buildings and sites.

The guidelines help clear misconceptions that historic buildings are not inherently green, and tackle others such as the long-standing debate over new versus original windows. They also provide helpful "how-to" advice for the integration of energy saving measures while still meeting the Secretary of the Interior Standards for Rehabilitation.

Read Q&A blog article>>>

NPS releases new Guidelines on Sustainability and Rehabilitation for Historic Buildings

This past Earth Day (April 22, 2011) Technical Preservation Services (TPS) released, “The Secretary of the Interior’s Standards for Rehabilitation & Illustrated Guidelines on Sustainability for Rehabilitating Historic Buildings.” They are the latest in a series of guidelines on historic features such as masonry and roofs, which are available at Guidelines for Rehabilitation, offering guidance on “recommended” and “not recommended” treatments, with illustrations, intended to assist owners plan rehabilitation projects that meet the Secretary of the Interior Standards for Rehabilitation. These new Guidelines on Sustainability replace the previous sections which dealt with energy conservation. The two work together: the Standards offer philosophical guidance, while the Guidelines offer practical advice on how to conduct the work.

National Parks Service (NPS) states, “The guidelines stress the inherent sustainability of historic buildings.” The approach of the guidelines always has been to first attempt the least invasive and gentlest alterations possible, before considering drastic approaches that may have a greater impact on historic fabric. The new sustainability guidelines offer advice on sustainability planning; energy efficiency for windows; HVAC systems; weatherization and insulation; as well as new approaches such as the addition of solar panels to roofs; wind power systems; and cool roofs and green roofs. As always, the guidelines stress the importance of maintenance.

TPS, Cultural Services, Washington DC is a division of the National Parks Service (NPS) that authored the Preservation Briefs , Preservation Tech Notes, and Technical Reports; which guide much of the Rehabilitation work in this country. As sustainable building practices develop, it is important to stay current. TPS is also in the process of re-writing Preservation Brief 3: Conserving Energy in Historic Buildings.

The Sustainability Guidelines are an important addition to an ongoing conversation about green building and historic preservation --an effort that has really picked up steam in the last five years. The National Trust, as one of the agencies at the forefront of the conversation, is working with the US Green Building Council (USGBC) and has set up a Preservation Green Lab in Seattle Washington as part of its Sustainability Program. The Whole Building Design Guide (WBDG), a program of the National Institute of Building Sciences, has set up a Historic Preservation subcommittee addressing sustainable building practices.

For our part, RAP will disseminate information to better assist our members in making decisions about sustainable upgrades to their historic structures. We will bring the conversation to a local level, discussing issues and problems pertinent to our district and climate.

GET THE GUIDELINES
The Secretary of the Interior’s Standards for Rehabilitation & Illustrated Guidelines on Sustainability for Rehabilitating Historic Buildings. (PDF – 53.49 MB!)

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