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Valentine Boathouse

Skidmore College

Saratoga Springs, NY

  • Capabilities

    Structural Engineering

  • Markets

    College and University

Ryan Biggs | Clark Davis provided the design of the structure and foundations of two new buildings to expand the Valentine Boathouse to a three-building complex to accommodate the rowing program. 

The new buildings included a 2,100-square-foot team building (housing locker rooms, offices, and multi-purpose training room) and a 1,300-square-foot storage building. 

Poor soil conditions, a tight site bounded by wetlands and a road, and high design flood elevations led to different design strategies for each building. 

Both buildings are one-story, wood-framed structures supported by wood piles and concrete foundations. 

The training room roof structure is exposed and includes unique glulam-wood-and-steel trusses. 

Valentine Boathouse
Valentine Boathouse
Valentine Boathouse

The team building required dry flood proofing, which Ryan Biggs | Clark Davis provided by designing a structural concrete slab and exterior walls that consisted of concrete up to the design flood elevation and wood framing above. 

The storage building was designed using wet flood proofing techniques, including a crawl space with flood vents in the exterior foundation walls and preservative-treated wood floor framing.