Flowers Hall Restoration, Huntingdon College, Montgomery, Alabama
Download printable project sheet, 467KB, 2 pages.

Flowers Hall has long been a jewel in the crown of Montgomery’s Huntingdon College. So when Sherlock, Smith & Adams was given the opportunity of renovating the century-old building, the first concern was maintaining the original character of the structure, while meeting the demands and requirements of modern day life.

The building, which had not been significantly altered since it was built, had received only minor repairs over the years to keep it in working order.

Flowers Hall is the college’s center of activity. It includes classrooms and administrative offices, and houses a chapel where weekly convocations are held for students. For those reasons and others, the renovation process had to be planned and carried out in stages to allow college life to go on with the least interruption possible.

“We wanted to restore the building to its original integrity, while still being true to the period of history. The first thing we did was conduct a feasibility study to see what needed to be done, then the phasing plan came next,” said Project Director Roger Cartwright, AIA.

To adhere to current fire code standards, the two main staircases had to be enclosed, yet in a way that fit with the Gothic design of the building.

Business offices and classrooms were also renovated. “We wanted to use as much of the original material as possible,” said Cartwright. As a result of this philosophy, original seats were removed from the chapel and were reupholstered.

The chapel space needed attention in several ways. The organ pipes partially blocked the main stained glass window and compromised this focal point of the space. Relocating the pipes allowed the colorful stained glass window to be fully viewed.

The balcony space did not comply with current egress requirements and a second means of egress was created. The railing of the balcony also required updating to meet building codes.

The building exterior was addressed only to the extent that repairs were required to correct leaking roofs and deterioration of materials. Selective replacement of the slate roofing and flashing repair were performed. Existing air conditioning equipment was removed from the cloister roof to correct this unsightly condition. Accommodations for the physically challenged were made by the addition of a walkway/ramp, new public restrooms and other alterations. Mechanical and electrical systems were also updated in the building to correct deficiencies and modernize the systems.

The building restoration could have included many other existing conditions; however, funding limitations required our planning to deal with priorities. This restoration project is an excellent example of a planning process that was geared to the owner's budget and needs for making an existing facility more effective.