Ryan Biggs | Clark Davis provided structural engineering services for the exterior rehabilitation of the Spencer House. Spencer House is a three-story, dormitory building with exterior brick walls, cast stone belt courses and window surrounds. There are one-story porches on the west, east, southeast and north elevations and a series of five chimneys. The building has a complex roof with a number of dormers. The original building construction dates back to 1909.
At the time of our investigation, there were a number of known deficiencies in the building envelope. There was extensive deterioration along the upper parapet walls and other localized areas. Numerous areas of cast stone were in poor condition and wood trim, balustrades, soffits, and moldings had localized areas of rot and animal infestation. Chimney repairs included the removal and replacement of deteriorated brick, cast stone ribbons, and cap stones. Ryan Biggs | Clark Davis provided the structural design for these repairs. The construction cost was approximately $1.2 million. In a subsequent project, Ryan Biggs | Clark Davis performed a structural analysis of the existing roof structure and designed reinforcing to meet current snow loading. The building houses students and contains 25 beds; 13 single rooms and 6 doubles; as well as a kitchen, two living areas, and a library.
