Design professionals are being sought for a consulting role to provide a conditions assessment of the historic First Presbyterian Church complex in Stamford,Connecticut. As part of a multi-year campaign to repair, conserve,restore, and upgrade the complex, the selected team will be expected to complete an architecturalanalysisof the current conditions of the building and provide recommendations for its rehabilitation andrestorationas part of Phase I.
(Courtesy First Presbyterian Church)
Phase II will see the implementation of these concepts by the same selected team. The complex in question includes the magnificent Wallace K. Harrison-designed sanctuary, completed in 1958, the 56-bell carillon tower, a community/education wing, and the surrounding 10-acre grounds. Over 20,000 pieces offaceted glassdapple the hushedsanctuarywith its vaulted roof in sun-drenched color. The church itself is often likened to a fish, a symbol of early Christianity, and it, along with its sweeping complex, occupies an eminent spot on theConnecticut State Register of Historic Places.
(Courtesy First Presbyterian Church)The conditions assessment in Phase I will help anticipate capital needs and outside grant funding needs in 2016 from theState Historic Preservation Officeof the Connecticut Department of Economic and Community Development, as well as private foundations. Specifically, the chosen architect should earmark and document comprehensive repair needs for the envelopes, structure and MEP systems, and the interior finishes, and then also provide recommendations and a phasing framework for the restoration.
(Courtesy First Presbyterian Church)Thefacadeitself is notoriously water-permeable and lacks weatherproofing, made from béton glass secured to side wall concrete panels with caulking. As such, high on the checklist for the chosen architect is to examine the extent ofmoisture infiltrationof the sanctuary Dalle de verre and improveclimate controlin the sanctuary to facilitate summer use. The architect should also observe the structural movement of the Carillon Tower, with the end objective of establishing a preliminary project scope and expected cost of repairs in compliance with SOIS, budget, and schedule.
TheHighland Green FoundationandFish Church Conservancywill oversee the entire multi-year restoration campaign, and will provide the architect with digital files of the original construction drawings of the complex. Leaders of the proposed teams must attend a mandatory walk-through at the church on July 9, 2015, at 10:00 a.m. RFQs must be received at the church office (1101 Bedford St) by 3:00 p.m. on July 24, 2015. For more information about entry requirements and the judging panel, clickhere.
