James N. Anderson Hall Rehabilitation University of Florida
Client: University of Florida
Location: The UF campus in Gainesville, FL
Site: A 35,000 square foot historic building at the heart of UF’s historic district, a collection of buildings recognized on the National Register of Historic Places.
Program Challenge: Total remodeling of the building for use primarily as offices but also as classrooms by the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, as well as the Political Science and Religion History departments. The work also had to adhere to the Secretary of the Interior’s Standards and Guidelines for the Rehabilitation of Historic Buildings.
Solution: Completed in December 2000, the renovation of Anderson Hall focused primarily on upgrading the space to make it both useable as modern office and classroom space, while also restoring much of its original luster. This included complete renovation of the third floor, which had been destroyed by a 1971 fire, for office space. The building’s exterior and main corridors were renovated for historical accuracy, the windows were replaced to match the original design, the central monumental stairs were reconstructed to meet the same goal, and the interior office and classroom spaces were totally renovated.
A previously started service tower was also completed to house fire stairs, an elevator, toilet rooms, and mechanical equipment. New mechanical and electrical systems were also added.
The projected was honored with the Outstanding Achievement Award from the Florida Trust for Historic Preservation in 2002.