Built in 1909, Firehouse 23 served Seattle until 1970. Now, the building houses Byrd Barr Place, a nonprofit that provides anti-poverty services to the city’s most vulnerable. The renovation of this unreinforced masonry historic structure revitalizes the building and extend its useful life, ensuring that it continues to support Byrd Barr Place’s mission.
To preserve the existing structure and remain true to the original design, a new pin-pile supported braced frame was integrated into the structure adjacent the old garage doors to stabilize the front façade. Likewise, an internal steel skeleton frame reinforces the old hose tower and ties it back into the existing structure without compromising the existing detailing and exterior appearance. Where additional diaphragm capacity is needed, the replacement of existing plaster ceilings with Sureboard sheathing re-created the original appearance while mitigating the need for replacement of the existing floor and roof finishes.
