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Greater Park Place Neighborhood AssociationRegent Square Civic AssociationHome Improvement Workshop 2014

Exterior Restoration and Renovation: Maintaining Your Home’s Architectural Style


The purpose of this workshop is to:

• Acquaint you with the various historical/architectural home styles typically found in the East End of Pittsburgh (focusing on the Greater Park Place and Regent Square neighborhoods), and allow you to understand the defining architectural features of your home.

• Develop your ability to envision a practical solution – whether it’s renovation or restoration – appropriate to the style and character of your home, respectful of your budget, and your ability to realistically execute the project successfully (by yourself or with the help of an architect and/or contractor).

• Understand how existing conditions affect the design approach (and what to re-think when matching or replicating construction and detailing is cost-prohibitive).

• Envision exterior additions or modifications to the home that are appropriate to the massing, style and character of the original building.


• Provide and overview of traditional materials and their modern replacements.

• Briefly touch upon principles of site planning and landscape design.


Historic Architectural StylesHistoricArchitectural Styles


Historic Architectural Styles• Most homes in the East End, from the turn of the century through the 40’s, were

designed based on historic/traditional styles.

• There are very few “pure” examples of historical styles. Most homes constructed were builder/developer homes, and the various historic styles popular at the time were adapted and modified by the builder in response to the demands of the homeowners’ of the time, and expedient methods of construction.

• Styles found in the neighborhood include: Queen Anne (Victorian), American foursquare, Georgian revival, Tudor revival, Craftsman/Bungalow style, along with a few examples of Beaux Arts and Spanish Colonial. Many homes/apartments can’t be categorized easily, and are probably best defined as “traditional”, having a blend of many historical characteristics.

• The neighborhood also has a number of unique homes and apartments by Fredrick G. Scheibler (who evolved an idiosyncratic personal style based on English Arts and Crafts and Viennese Secessionist influences), and Craftsman-influenced homes by the developer E. B. Hulley (the popular and distinctive Hulley houses).


Eccentric Style - Old Heidelberg

• Derived from several different styles.

• Here the influence of the Arts and Crafts movement can be seen in the exposed timber.

• Nature themed details and use of decorative arts on the façade (see inserts) make reference to the Viennese Secessionist movement.


Eccentric Style - ScheiblerApartments

• Exterior material choice is stucco, signaling a nod towards the Viennese Secessionist movement.

• Details and some material choices show influences of the Arts and Crafts Movement.


Hulley Houses

• Similar homes built by a single developer along Craftsman lines, but adopted for Pittsburgh’s weather.

• These homes were well built and affordable allowing many to realize the “American Dream”.

• While they demonstrated cutting edge building technology at the time, most have been updated in unique ways to meet modern needs.


Victorian

• Inspired by the houses built in England during the reign of Queen Victoria.

• Typically 2 - 2½ Stories.

• Articulation of the façade is usually achieved in the form of bay windows and a accentuation of the roof. Color is also used as a design feature, but not as important as with the later Queen Anne style.


Queen Anne (Victorian)

• Derived from the French style “Second Empire”.

• Known for polychrome, often vibrant color schemes.

• Repetitive and intricate details often mass produced (see insert).

• Often 2½ stories tall, usually very large, especially when compared to the Craftsman style that was soon to come.


American Foursquare

• Simple, clean and elegant, with wide and sweeping eaves.

• Boxy, often square design in both floor plan, and elevations.

• Dormers are often an important element of the overall composition.

• Modest or limited use of extraneous details.


Georgian Revival

• Symmetrical composition of plan and elevation with evenly spaced windows. Roof peak is often runs parallel to the street.

• Highly accented entry, usually by an accent color or by an entry form, or both.

• Dormers are atypical but can occur.

• Also called Colonial Revival, this was seen as an “All American” architectural form.


Dutch Colonial

• Double pitched roof (gambrel).

• Roof pitch is often perpendicular to street.

• Chimney is an important part of the house’s composition.


Historic Architectural Styles

Craftsman/Bungalow

• Modestly sized, clean lines, sturdy structure, often only 1 - 1 ½ stories.

• Exposed structure and roof rafters add to composition

• Emphasis on natural materials and locally handcrafted wood, glass and metal work.

• Incorporated elements of the English Arts and Crafts Movement.


Typical East End Street

• Generally an eclectic mix of styles.

• Most homes were builder adaptations of popular styles.

• Most homes built from the 1920’s on were adaptations of Four Squares, many with Craftsman influences (and substitution of gable roof for hip roof).

Four Square (with Craftsman influence)

Four Square(1920’s)

Dutch Colonial Victorian Four Square(early 1900’s)


Historic Architectural StylesDefiningArchitectural Features:Restoration or Renovation, and Design Strategies


Historic Architectural StylesThe primary defining feature of the home is the massing as expressed by the historical style. The secondary defining features are generally more detail oriented, and consist of:

• Cladding materials (types and patterns).

• Elaboration of soffits/eaves, particularly at the main roof.

• Types and locations of dormers.

• Location and types of trim.

• Window style and pattern (single or grouped), and muntin patterns.

• Entry door and surround.


Historic Architectural StylesRestoration is defined as the act or process of accurately depicting the form, features, and character of a building as it appeared at a particular period of time. Renovation is the process of improving a structure or component, and can include new materials or details. A number of important considerations go into the decision to restore or renovate:

• Vision for the home – restore to its original condition, restore the “general” character, renovate, or undertake essential preventive maintenance.

• Condition of existing home – how well it was maintained vs. altered, and the state of the existing features/state of the alterations.

• The scope of the work to be done.

• Budget available to do the work.

• Time available to do the work (all at once, or phased work over time).


Historic Architectural Styles• Design process (self designed, design professionals, or mix of both).

• Level of expertise available to do the work (self performed, contractor, or mix of both).



• Restoration – in these examples, original features have been either maintained or reconstructed (in new materials) to accurately replicate the look of the original.

• In many cases restoration and renovation coexist. Retaining certain important details while “sacrificing” less visually obvious features is a good strategy, and one that is usually driven by cost.



• Renovation – in this example the structures have been re-clad in new siding, though the general overall character of the homes have been preserved.

• Alterations to the homes are evident. Note addition of bay window, railing, newel post and dormer window on the home at the right, and shutters on the home at the left.



• Restoration vs. renovation – this example illustrates the very clear visual difference between these two strategies.

• In both cases the siding was retained, but the house on the left has the eave/soffit enclosed – a very common approach in the neighborhood.



• Alteration – this example illustrates the addition of a second floor dormer.

• The new dormer is integrated into the massing of the existing roofline.

• Detailing and trim respect the character of the home.


Exterior Materials


A brief list of the traditional materials seen in our neighborhood:

• Brick.• Stucco (cement plaster).• Stone (with slate used for roofs).• Portland cement mortar (lime based).• Concrete block (generally for foundations, garages).• Wood trim, wood cladding (typically clapboard or shingles).• Clay tile roofing.• Asphalt roofing (roll and shingle in general use by 1911).• Copper flashing and gutters/downspouts (also terne metal, galvanized steel).• Wood double hung or casement windows and doors (single glazed).


• Traditional materials were robust, dimensionally stable and aged/weathered well.

• Brick, stucco, stone, and Portland cement mortar have very low coefficients of expansion and thus experience very little movement in the exterior wall.

• Techniques of construction were executed by carpenters trained in traditional and time tested methods of construction/joinery, and there was less reliance on “sealants” at material interfaces, relying instead on overlap and flashings to absorb movement and to shed water.

• Wood for trim and cladding was typically old growth white or southern yellow pine (very stable and hard), with western red cedar (and sometimes eastern white cedar) used for shingles.

• Paints and coatings were oil-based, and the lead in the paint chemistry provided good color retention, adhesion and a durable finish.


A brief list of contemporary replacements to traditional materials:

• Aluminum cladding (clapboard siding), trim and soffits.• Vinyl cladding (clapboard and shingles), trim and soffits.• Cement composite cladding (clapboard, shingles, board & batten).• Plastic, vinyl and composite (wood substitute) trim and boards.• Vinyl, fiberglass, and aluminum and vinyl clad windows.• Masonry cement (non-Portland cement based mortar).• Cast stone and precast concrete.

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• Contemporary materials (particularly aluminum and plastic cladding systems) are generally less robust, durable and dimensionally stable. Many of the initial versions of these products introduced from the 50’s through the 70’s have proven not to age particularly well. Vinyl and plastics tend to degrade due to exposure to light (UV), and with aluminum the coatings fade and chalk.

• Techniques of construction cladding are now more akin to “assembly”. Cladding types are typically “systems”, with special installation requirements, and rely more on “sealants” at material interfaces in part due to the greater movement of lighter and less thermally stable materials.

• Cement composite cladding and trim are durable, but require very specific installation requirements (in terms of flashing and expansion criteria) in order to maintain manufacturer’s warranties. They must be kept away from earth or standing water, so careful detailing needed at grade and roof intersections with walls. Trim boards are limited in thickness and width.


• Wood for trim, if used at all, is typically pine or Douglas fir, and not as hard or stable as the old growth species since now most environmentally sourced wood is farmed (quickly grown).

• Paints and coatings are now usually water-based. At their introduction they had poor performance, but the technology of coatings has improved remarkably and now their performance equals or exceeds their predecessors (along with being less volatile chemically, and much more environmentally safe).

• Composite trim and boards get mixed reviews – while there are some good new products, some of the solid plastic or vinyl products, if painted, are limited to white or light colors (dark paint colors absorb heat and thus deform the product).


AlterationsAnd Additions


There are really only three approaches to additions or alterations:

• The addition is designed to be sensitive to the existing architecture, as if it were “something that could have been constructed shortly after the home was built”. In this option the massing, details, and materials all reference the original home.

• The addition is designed to be sensitive to the existing architecture, and the massing is sympathetic, and while materials and details may have a proportional or visual relationship to the home, they can be similar or different.

• The addition is designed to be visually distinct and separate from the existing home. In this option the massing, materials and details may be entirely different. This approach is more artistically “modern” in concept, and can be valid, though it’s usually difficult to execute convincingly.


Massing and Rooflines for Additions

• Rooflines for additions should generally reference the roof form of the existing home.

• Successful additions are visually integrated with the massing of main building. As long as the roofline/roof material is consistent, the addition itself may have different and complementary exterior materials.


Case Study: Entry Porch Addition

• Conceived to enhance the character of a plan home.

• Removed mismatched detailing at the frieze board.

• Provided additional detailing in the structure of the new porch to add character to the exterior.


Case Study: Patio Addition

• Conceived of as matching the character and detailing of the original home.

• Addition roof matches main roof.


Case Study: French Country Villa

• Neighborhood of grand scale houses.

• Situated on large parcels.

• Maintain existing character of neighborhood.


Case Study: French Country Villa

• Restore original character by modifying previous additions.

• Add new living and gathering spaces to house.

• Create new outdoor space.


Case Study: House Addition

• Requirement to maintain existing second floor bedroom windows forced different approach to roof line of addition.


Case Study: Porch Deck Addition

• Conceived of as “matching the home – something that could have been constructed in the late 1920’s and shortly after the home was built”.

• Initially studied in digital model form to understand the integration of the new porch superstructure to the existing.

• Proportions of new porch superstructure studied to blend with existing home wood trim character and detailing.



• Initial design was intended as a planted trellis “garden” structure, and wisteria was planted along the base at the side panels to grow over the structure. The planting ultimately became too invasive, and held water in the leaves which rotted the overhead trellis and side panels.

• Inset image shows rear of house prior to addition.



• Seven years later, the porch structure was reinvented after the removal of the damaged wood trellis and side panels. The balustrade was removed as well.

• The superstructure was repaired, and canvas awnings were installed for shade and privacy

• Inset image shows new porch with the installation of iron railings.


Case Study: Appropriate use of material

• Older Victorian home.

• Proper use of colors on non-traditional material.

Photo credit: Pittsburgh Post Gazette 3/22/14


Site Planning and Landscape Design


• Landscaping visually “anchors” the building to the site, whether plantings are formal or naturalistic in concept.

• Plantings should respond to the architecture of the home and reinforce important building features.


• Careful site planning considers the relationship of the interior rooms of the house to the exterior landscape, as well as the relationship of exterior spaces to one another, and the various zones of activity or repose.

• Landscape conceived of as “rooms”, with thoughtful relationships between interior and exterior, and the importance of views through and beyond.


• Landscape studies often involve rendered site plans, and sketches of the plantings, to understand their spatial relationships to one another and to the architecture.

• Division of exterior space for different uses and activities, and selection of trees and plant material for both aesthetic and practical purposes (shade, privacy, aesthetic gardening, and food production).


Presenters:

Kenneth J. Kuligowski AIAAssociate PrincipalPerkins Eastman Architects

1100 Liberty AvenuePittsburgh, PA 15222T. 412.894.8381E: [email protected]

Quintin Kittle, AIAPrincipalqkArchitecture pc

406 S. Main StreetWest End VillagePittsburgh, PA 15220t. 412.342.0995e. [email protected]


Sponsored by: • Greater Park Place Neighborhood Association• Regent Square Civic Association

With support from: • Mifflin Avenue United Methodist Church• East End Food Co-op• Nine Mile Run Watershed Association• Environmental Charter School

Vendor’s tables:• Construction Junction• Fire Water Response First Commonwealth Bank• A. J. Stone• Mike Williams Roofing• Diagnostic Energy Auditors of Western Pennsylvania• Glenn Greene’s Stained Glass

Design Consultation sessions:• The Design Center

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