Masonry Association of Florida: 2011 Masonry Excellence Awards
DATE: September 2011
See the original article at Masonry Association of Florida (expired link)
2011 Masonry Excellence Awards – Boston Valley Recognized for Lake County Courthouse
Lake County Courthouse was built in 1922 at 315 West Main Street in Tavares, Florida. It is designed as a five story with load bearing brick walls. The brick walls are 16 inches thick at the façade level. The building was placed on the U.S. National Register of Historic Places in 1998. Several renovations to the building happened prior to 1998. One involved the fire escape stairs at the east and west elevations. A section of the terra cotta was removed at this time. When the stairs were removed, the terra cotta façade was in-filled with steel, wood and stucco. By 2008 it was determined the “temporary” façade would also have to be replaced – this time using real terra cotta to match the existing structure. Boston Valley Terra Cotta of Orchard Park, NY, provided the terra cotta.
The project involved the removal and replacement of the terra cotta façade to match existing. The project included removal of old framing, removal of all loose brick, installation and testing of stainless steel anchorage and replacement of terra cotta. With only 108 pieces, there were 8 different shapes along with steel plates, angles and rods to create a 39 inch corbel.
In the original construction the terra cotta was installed as the brick were laid. The challenge now was the anchorage would have to support the load by direct attachment. Nevertheless, the project was completed on schedule in 2010.
Architect: Vitetta – www.vitetta.com
Owner: Lake County Board of County Commissioners – www.lakecountyfl.gov
Structural Engineer: Adrien Engineering, Inc. 561-310-9902
Masonry Suppliers:
Boston Valley Terra Cotta – www.bostonvalley.com
Masonpro Masonry Specialty Materials & Supplies 407-839-4321
