140 New Montgomery Street, also known as the PacBell Building, is a terra cotta and brick clad Art Deco office tower designed by Timothy Pfluger. The 26-floor building was originally called the Pacific Telephone Building when it was completed in 1925, and it was San Francisco's first significant skyscraper development when construction began in 1924. The building was the first high-rise south of Market Street, and the tallest in San Francisco until the Russ Building matched its height two years later in 1927. 

Called a “Monument to Talk,” The Pacific Telephone and Telegraph Company opened 140 New Montgomery in 1925 as an icon of design and a statement of the power of the latest technology. Six acres of terra cotta constructed by the Gladding McBean Company adorned San Francisco’s tallest building, with eight terra cotta eagles perched at the top to protect the building and watch the bustling city below.

Known nationally and internationally in the business and design communities, visiting dignitaries included Winston Churchill, who during his visit in 1929 made one of the first trans-Atlantic phone calls.

Garnett Bridge in Calistoga, Napa County, is a stone arch bridge built in 1904 by O.H. Buckman and John C. Maloney. It is on the Nation Register of Historic Places. 

In the summer of 2010, a truck collided with the bridge, causing extensive damage to its western parapet. A Caltrans architectural historian performed research to locate pre-damage photos and historic blueprints, and determined that the bridge’s integrity before the accident was quite high. Caltrans selected contractor Giampolini-Courtney to perform the repair work based on the firm’s experience with historic masonry.

Giampolini / Courtney was recognized with an Award of Merit in 2011 by the Napa County Landmarks Commission for the quality of work performed on this highly sensitive historic restoration project.

http://www.napacountylandmarks.org/wordpress/?page_id=1846

The Chronicle Building, the first skyscraper in the west, and still standing, was designed by famed Chicago Architects Burnham & Root. Originally constructed in 1890 it survived the 1906 earthquake and fire although damaged portions were rebuilt immediately thereafter under the guidance of famous San Francisco architect Willis Polk. The richly carved sandstone, brick and terra cotta belted Romanesque structure originally served as headquarters for the Chronicle Newspaper.

In the 1960's, when a very different view of Historic Preservation existed than does today, the building went through a modernization. Much of the most beautiful architectural elements were destroyed to make room for a new stark metal and glass modern facade cladding. The building was covered with this wrap in 1963.

In 2006 the The Ritz-Carlton Residences conversion began. The plan required an authentic Historic Restoration to return the facade to its original appearance. The hidden treasure was unwrapped and the Restoration Team went to work.

The lower floors of The Chronicle Building are clad in Sandstone. Wholesale areas were removed or damaged in the 1960's facade modernization. Missing sections needed to be replaced, and damaged and deteriorated stone needed restoration. GFRC, and a stone from China, a good match, were being considered for the replacements. 

The stone was uncommon, and there were issues tracking down where it origionally came from. We went to work on the matter and uncovered the long closed Sespe Quarry in a canyon on a private ranch in southern California. We forged a relationship with the land owner and he sold us boulders from which we had carved a thousand replacement blocks to replicate missing originals. Our craftsmen and women assembled the new stones as they rebuilt the lower Market Street Facade.  

Deteriorated stone was repaired using a combination of techniques including retooling and installation of dutch patches. The art of retooling is a restoration option when damage is confined to the outer inch of the stone allowing craftsmen opportunity to put a new fresh finish on the stone in place.

Many blocks were replaced in whole with hand carved pieces mined from the original closed quarry site. 

The newly renovated LEED-certified building retains its exterior but has a fully modernized interior—with some preserved touches of the past. For example, the lobby features two beautiful dark wood staircases that were refurbished to their original state, and on the third floor, an exposed brick wall still displays an originalstenciled sign that declares: “Maximum Occupancy Five Men.” Throughout, there’s a color palette of blue, grey, black and white, and dozens of black-and- white photos from the late 1800s through early 1900s.

The hotel’s 42 rooms, while nodding to their former lives, are thoroughly modern,with Samsung smart TVs, minibars and Cuisinart coffee makers, free wifi, high- quality EO bath products, custom-made pillow-top mattresses, air conditioning and (a rare perk I personally love) windows you can actually open. My room, a King View room had nearly 400 square feet of space, a view of the Golden Gate Bridge (covered in fog), a King Bed .and a beautiful marble and tile bathroom the size of some San Francisco apartment living rooms. I especially appreciated thelittle design nods to the hotel’s former life: the headboard reminiscent of a canvastent, or the small ottoman at the end of the bed that resembled a soldier’s cot.

Outside of the room, I loved the hotel’s modern-but-classic style and casual elegance, with leather sofas, wood rocking chairs on the porch, and an inviting fire pit in the back with another bridge view. Each morning, the hotel offers a lightcontinental breakfast and every evening, there’s wine, cheese, and charcuterie.

Across the Main Post lawn, the Inn at the Presidio offers a historic look at life at Pershing Hall, formerly a home for unmarried officers when the Presidio was a U.S. Army post. The 22-room inn is spread over two buildings (the Main Building, which contains the lobby and reception, and the four-room Funston House) and includes 17 suites with gas fireplaces. Like its sister hotel, it offers complimentary breakfastand evening wine hour served in the communal “mess hall.” The Inn also has anoutdoor fire pit, this time with views of the surrounding forest.

Rooms in the Inn are a bit more modest, though still comfortable and stylish. My room, a Classic King located on the third floor of the Main Building, was quite spacious, with 530 square feet spread across a large separate sitting room with a queen pull-out sofa and a gas fireplace, plus a bedroom with sumptuous King bed(a “Heavenly Enchanted EuroTop” by Restonic). There was a flat screen television,radio docking station, mini-fridge, mini-bar, coffee maker, work desk, and a cozy tiled bathroom with shower and tub.

Both hotels offer a great location surrounded by nature but close to the bustle of the city as well as excellent perks like free breakfast and evening wine and cheese. Both invite guests to linger, whether its on the rocking chairs on the porch, in front of a fire pit, or in the stylish, cozy rooms. While the newer Lodge is, of course, a bit more modern and stylish, the Inn is equally charming and inviting. In short, travelers looking for comfort, style, location, and great service—with a bit of history thrown in—really can’t go wrong with either option.

If you go:

Both the Inn at the Presidio and the Lodge at the Presidio offer in-room massages with advance booking. Overnight parking is $9 and the hotels are pet-friendly with a $40 fee. Room rates include complimentary continental breakfast, wifi, and evening wine and cheese.

Built on 1.5 acres on Charter Hill, between Memorial Stadium and the Greek Theatre, the eight-story, Collegiate Gothic-style structure also was modeled after the architectural traditions of great English universities. With its fireplaces, Gothic arches, decorative façade, chimneys and square turret – topped with a flagpole by Mary Bowles in 1930 – the hall’s appearance has a charm compared in recent years to Hogwarts, the school in the Harry Potter book series. 

In 1929, Bowles Hall was groundbreaking. The nation’s first residential college, it opened its doors at UC Berkeley to 102 male undergraduates who would live for four years in a self-governing, live-learn community alongside graduate student and faculty mentors. 

Clark Construction is General Contractor on the project. Clark selected GIAMPOLINI COURTNEY to perform exterior restoration package that includes extensive concrete spall repair throughout original architectural board-form finish. This type of repair requires an artful approach and very skilled craftmen to achieve appropriate aesthetics so that repairs are undetectable. Wiss Janney Elstner is overseeing this work providing architectural and engineers services as owners representative.

Giampolini & Co. dry wall division is also on the project performing extensive replacement of most interior infill construction including metal framing and drywall finishes.  The combined contract for GIAMPOLINI exceeds $2,000,000.

Since the building is on the National Register of Historic Places, the renovation project will follow the U.S. Secretary of the Interior’s standards as well as guidance provided by the California State Historic Preservation Office and historical preservation architects. The goal is for Bowles Hall to retain its historic look, but to be modernized internally. 

Timothy Pfueger, a famous San Francisco architect, left his mark on the San Francisco skyline in 1928 with the opening of the 450 Sutter Building. Most San Franciscans have been to the building as it always has, and still does house mostly doctors and dentists.

The masonry cladding of the building is all terra cotta in a Mayan inspired Art Deco style. The building towers 26 stories. The building contains a substantial amount of glass, allowing bay style windows to flood offices with light. The steel frame windows had been problematic since early in the life of the building. Leaks and stresses to the terra cotta resulted.

2008 marked a change. Under the watchful eye of the San Franciscco Landmarks Board the entire building went through a major renovation and  all windows were replaced while the terra facade was carefully restored by Giampolini / Courtney. 

Owner of the property is Harsch Investment Properties. Restoration Architect is Architectural Resources Group. General Contractor is Marchetti Construction Inc. Marchetti worked together. One massive task was relocating tenants to temporary offices while their own office space was taken out of service for the window change-out. Temporary, fully equipped, medical and dental facilities were put in place for practices to continue while offices were off line.

The first step was to clean the building. Following, the facade was closely surveyed by Preservation Architect, Architectural Resources Group. Next, every tile was looked at and the needed repairs and replacements were recorded on survey drawings. The drawings were used by the Giampolini / Courtney crews to guide the work. Exterior work was performed from motorized, suspended swing stage scaffolds high above city streets over a massive custom sidewalk protection canopy. New terra cotta was manufactured by Boston Valley in upstate New York. 

The twelve-story Hotel Californian was designed by San Francisco architect Edward E. Young and built in 1923. A four-story addition, completed in 1929, was designed by architect Alfred Henry Jacobs.

The building was originally designed in the Renaissance Revival style with a Spanish Colonial Revival lobby. The 1929 addition altered the exterior to reflect the popular Art Deco style. The lobby retains its original Spanish Colonial Revival style.

Significant exterior features include decorative pressed metal panels, balconies, and elaborate cornice decoration. Significant interior features include Spanish Colonial decoration in the lobby such as twisted columns and decorative ironwork. Numerous alterations have been made to the ground floor retail spaces. The upper floors are largely intact.

The building was operated by Matthew A. Little as an upscale apartment-hotel until 1935 when the Elizabeth Glide and the Glide Foundation purchased the hotel for use as a temperance hotel.

The Serrano Hotel, operated by San Francisco based Kimpton Hotel & Restaurant Group, now occupies the building.

Giampolini / Courtney was award prime contract restore the facade and replace all of the windows. Window replacement required approval from the San Francisco Preservation Commission. Work included replacement of 600 wood frame windows, rebuilding of brick cladding at corners and floor beams, upgrade of deteriorated structural steel framing at floor beams and columns,ornate plaster restoration, sheet metal repair and replacement, repointing of brick mortar joints, sealing of window perimeters, and repainting of the previously painted masonry facade in the original historic colors. McGinnes Chen served as owners representative and project architect. 

The Hayward/Kohl Building was designed by Percy & Polk (George Percy and Willis Polk for Alvinza Hayward. 

Hayward made his fortune from the Eureka Gold Mine in California and the Comstock Silver Mine in Nevada as well as investments in timber, coal, railroads, real estate, and banking. He was a director of the Bank of California and one of the original investors in the San Francisco City Gas Company which become the Pacific Gas and Electric Company. Hayward was in his late seventies when he commissioned the partners Percy and Polk to create a first-class office building that would be a testament to his wealth and position in the community. The building was completed in 1901. The footprint of the building is shaped like the letter H, perhaps a giant monogram for Hayward. The Colusa stone facade was fabricated and  installed by John McGilvray. Purchased in 1904 by C. Frederick Kohl the building was one of the first steel-frame “fireproof” buildings in San Francisco. It survived the 1906 Earthquake and Fire with damage to only the first floors which were reconstructed under Polk’s supervision. 

The lower stories have been redesigned several times, but the upper stories with their brick curtain walls clad in Colusa Sanstone remain unchanged.

The Hearst Corporation purchased the building in 2006. The building's H shape as viewed from the sky and the elaborate hand carved stone figures of longhorn cattle adorning the crown of the building must hvea contributed to making the building an attractive aquisition for the Hearst Ranch

After purchase the new owners decided to make an investment in restoring the 100 year old Colusa sandstone facade, which was showing its age, and  renew it for the next 100 years. Hearst wanted the best fix and the best quality work. GIAMPOLINI / COURTNEY was selected to do the extensive required work that incuded stone replacement in kind with actual Colusa sandstone mined from the abandoned quarry. Colusa was used for replacement stone at building corners, stone window surrounds,  sills and water-tables. All mortar joints were repointed 100%. Hearst only wanted the best and demonstrated this all along the way through the design and construction process, and with every decision. This building, its tenants that occupy it, and the craftsmen that restored it, are all extremely fortunate to have been touched by the Hearst Corporation.

KPIX BUILDING

855 Battery Street was the nineteenth-century San Francisco headquarters for the candy and cookie manufacturer American Biscuit Company, later National Biscuit Company (Nabisco). The plant was destroyed in the 1906 earthquake and fire, and shortly thereafter the current reinforced concrete building was constructed in its place. After decades of manufacturing sweets, the building now houses the local television station, KPIX.

The application of an impermeable coating in the 1980s left the concrete susceptible to water-damage. Water got in and stayed in, and the resulting concrete deterioration allowed the underlying reinforcements to corrode. Giampolini / Courtney was selected to perform the multi-million dollar concrete spall repair portion of the project by owners representative ARG Construction Services. 

The California State Building is a contributing element of the San Francisco Civic Center Historic District, which is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and is a designated National Historic Landmark. The San Francisco Civic Center is regarded by many scholars as the finest and most complete manifestation of the City Beautiful Movement in the United States. The City Beautiful Movement intended to create beauty and order in cities which had grown too fast as a result of industrialization and accelerated immigration, and as such was an aspect of the general municipal reform movement that sprang up in the 1890s and continued after the turn of the century. The development of the State Building served important practical and symbolic functions in the development of the whole Civic Center.

The original announcement to build the State Building, timed just before the bond election of 1912, was a factor in the public approval of the project. The actual construction of the building during the building depression of the 1920s served to keep the idea of a complete Civic Center alive during a difficult and slow time when prospects for a Federal Building and an Opera House seemed far away at best. The fact of the state's participation in an essentially municipal project and the complete cooperation of state officials with local planners in the competition and construction demonstrated the acceptance of City Beautiful and the Civic Center ideals by a larger, and important, public body. The building balances the Exposition Auditorium across the Plaza in occupying the full street frontage.

Despite criticism at the time of the competition that that State Building reinforced the already ill-proportioned Plaza, the masterful handling of the War Memorial complex has given new credence to the design of the State Building and its relationship to other Civic Center buildings. Equally important, it clearly indicates the inter-relationships of all the buildings, functioning as a unit rather than as individual structures in isolation. The architectural firm of Bliss and Faville was one of the most established and well respected firms in San Francisco when the State Building competition was held in 1915. Walter D. Bliss and William B. Faville were highly professional architects who kept abreast of contemporary developments on the East Coast. In the consistently high quality of their designs they were important contributors to the raising of design standards in the Bay Area, particularly in commercial architecture. Both men were schooled in the Beaux Arts tradition, Faville attending MIT, and both men apprenticing under McKim, Mead and White in New York. They came to San Francisco in 1898 as partners and worked together until 1925 when each continued to practice alone. Faville was the more prominent figure, serving on the architectural committee of the 1915 Exposition which determined the site of the Civic Center, and from 1922-1924, he served as the national president of the American Institute of Architects. In addition to the State Building, their important commissions included the St. Francis Hotel on Union Square, the Bank of California building on California Street and the Geary Theater. They also designed the Palace of Education and many lesser buildings at the Panama-Pacific International Expositions. It is a tribute to their ability as designers and planners that virtually all of their major commissions are still in active use."

Giampolini Courtney won a public bid with the State of California for the major stone and terra cotta restoration project.  Damaged and deteriorated terra cotta cornice pieces were replaced in kind. Windows were refurbished and repainted. The granite and terra cotta facade was cleaned and repointed. Most notably the grand entrance granite stairway was completely disassembled to repair and waterproof the concrete structure beneath. Original stone was salvaged and reinstalled. 

The Royal Insurance Building at 201 Sansome Street was built in 1907 for the Royal Globe Insurance Company. Ninety-nine years later it was converted into Condominiums designed by New York City architects, Howell and Stokes. The building was designated a San Francisco Landmark in 1983.

Giampolini / Courtney was selected by the developer to restore and preserve the original terra cotta, marble and brick exterior of the building while general contractor Swinerton Builders upgraded interior to create 46 luxury condominium units. 

Notice in the accompanying photos the recreation a marble surround dormer  hood roof and columns at an entry on California Street. This work was to restore an exact replica of what once stood there. Historic photos were found and used for the re-created cut stonework. The original had been carelessly demolished in a long past storefront remodel. Matching stone was sourced from the original marble quarry and stone specialist Shawn Tibbs hand fabricated and assembled the new surround. 

In 1878, Central Pacific railroad founder Mark Hopkins dies before he can move in to his 40 room Gothic style mansion on Nob Hill. His widow Mary moves in shortly after. In 1906 the mansion was destroyed in the famous San Francisco earthquake and fire. A modest building was erected in its place.

In 1925, George Smith, a engineer and hotel investor, saw potential in the site and bought the building and tore it down in preparation for something much grander. A year later, in 1926, the luxurious 19 story Mark Hopkins Hotel opened its doors.

Today the Hotel is owned by InterContinental Hotels. After a recent renovation, the original details and terra cotta ornaments of the French and Spanish renaissance facade looks as dramatic now as when Smith first installed them.

Writing in 1879, Robert Louis Stevenson observed that Nob Hill was "the Hill of Palaces". Much has changed in San Francisco since then but even today Nob Hill has no shortage of palaces. 

A massive pedestrian cover was built over the main entry to protect the public. Masonry restoration and cleaning work was in progress directly over the front door daily. Hotel guest arrivals and departures went on - except for the added shade it was business as usual. 

Howard S. Wright served as general contractor and Architectural Resources Group was Preservation Architect.

Giampolini / Courtney crews started exterior facade repair work in 2001. Work spanned several years and was spread over nine phases. 

Only the columned portico of railroad tycoon Alban Towne’s mansion remained standing atop Nob Hill after the 1906 earthquake and fire.

The smoldering ruins of a shaken city could be seen framed between the white marble columns of the now freestanding portico. This sad image was captured by photographer Arnold Genthe and quickly became a symbol of the immense loss it encompassed. It portrayed the end of an era.

In 1909 the portico was placed on the edge of Lloyd Lake in Golden Gate Park as a memorial to another time. The monument was named Portals of the Past after poet Charles Kellogg Field found a quote describing the forward-looking nature of San Franciscans. The Portals now took on a more positive symbolism, that of perseverance and progress towards an optimistic future despite the tragedies of the past.

Phase one of the monument’s restoration was completed by Giampolini / Courtney working with ARGCS. Together we seismically stabilized the structure by expanding the footing and adding additional rear support. Phase two addressed the missing column and surface cleaning.

Standing silently on the north shore of Lloyd Lake in Golden Gate Park, Portals of the Past consists of the remains of the Towne mansion, a once-lavish example of Colonial Revivalism designed by the architect Arthur Page Brown for Alban Nelson Towne, then Vice President of Southern Pacific.

The mansion, which stood at 1101 California Street (now the site of the Masonic Auditorium), was destroyed in the earthquake and fire of 1906. The structure’s marble-columned portico, however, was left standing, inspiring Arnold Genthe’s iconic photograph in which the form, silhouetted by moonlight, rises from the surrounding ruin.

In 1909 the portico was donated to the city of San Francisco by Mrs. Caroline Towne in memory of her husband. That same year it was presented by Mayor James Phelan to Park Superintendent John McLaren who placed it in its current location. A full century later, Portals of the Past remains both a powerful reminder of San Francisco’s great tragedy and a testament to the city’s continuing spirit of resilience and renewal.

- See more at: http://www.sfartscommission.org/pubartcollection/collection-news/2006/11/04/first-phase-of-portals-of-the-past-restoral-complete/#sthash.HlKVptQq.dpuf

Lewis Parsons Hobart designed the Alexander Building in 1921. Hobart was born in St. Louis, Missouri on January 14, 1873. After graduating from preparatory schools in the East, he attended U.C. Berkeley for a year. While there he was influenced by Bernard Maybeck (as were many other young students, such as Julia Morgan and Arthur Brown, Jr.), participating in drawing classes that Maybeck taught in his home.

The building is a steel frame tower, built in a three part vertical composition, clad with brick and terra cotta, in a Gothic ornamentation.  

Hobart is best known in San Francisco for his work implementing the design of Grace Episcopal Cathedral on Nob Hill. In 1903 Hobart had married socialite Mabel Reed Deming, a cousin of William H. Crocker who donated the site for the Cathedral. Inspired by 13th-century French Gothic architecture, the plans were drawn and the cornerstone laid in 1910, although the Cathedral was not considered finished until 1964. Hobart's four-story Cathedral House at 1051 Taylor was completed in 1912 (but recently demolished) and Hobart added the Diocesan House at 1055 Taylor in 1932.

The brick and terra cotta clad Bohemian Club at 624 Taylor in San Francisco was designed by Lewis Parson Hobart in 1933. This building is another of the many Hobart designed historic masonry buildings in San Francisco we have worked on - as you will see in our projects section of this website.

We partnered with Hathaway Dinwiddie in a window replacement and facade repair project that included replacement of enormous windows, replacement of terra cotta with exact replica's made by Gladding McBean, and rebuilding of window heads and lentils with stainless steel support  lentils and matching rug-face jumbo bricks specially made to match originals in size, color and texture. Mortar joints were also repointed. 

“The Bohemian Club is a private gentlemen’s club located at 624 Taylor Street, San Francisco, California. Founded in 1872 from a regular meeting of journalists, artists and musicians, it soon began to accept businessmen and entrepreneurs as permanent members, as well as offering temporary membership to university presidents and military commanders who were serving in the San Francisco Bay Area.

John Swett High School is located in Crockett, California, USA, and serves the communities of Crockett, Port Costa, Rodeo, and the Foxboro area of Hercules. It is named after John Swett, former California Superintendent of Public Instruction, elected in 1863. His most important accomplishment was making the California school system free for all students. In his report for 1866-67, he stated: "The school year ending June 30, 1867 marks the transition period of California from rate-bill common schools to an American free school system. For the first time in the history of the State, every public school was made entirely free for every child to enter.

Swett High School was established in 1927. The school remains in its original building complex, which was extensively renovated five years after original construction for seismic retrofitting at a cost of two-thirds of the original cost of the complex

In 2009 the building turned 82 years old and its age was showing. Funds were raised and a significant repair and maintenance program was undertaken. Giampolini Courtney was selected as prime contractor, after a careful vetting process by building officials. Based upon price and experience,  a multi million dollar, multi-phase, facade repair and re-roof replacement project began in 2010 and completed in 2012. Work included major rebuilding of terra cotta and brick window heads and columns and 100% repointing of several large brick buildings. RMA & Associates represented ownership as Construction Manager.

The City of Sacramento's desire to centralize all its employees scattered throughout downtown into one general location precipitated the construction of a new government complex.

And since an earlier proposal to seismically upgrade the 95-year-old City Hall was going through the budget approval process, officials decided to place all government near the historic landmark.

The plan was, in government-speak, to "create an enduring civic center that enhances the historic City Hall." Having one location, between 9th and 10th and H and I streets, would also alleviate the need for leased office space and "be more convenient for customers of the city".

Jeff Warner of Chong Partners said the whole concept of the restoration master plan was to return the building to its original state. "It's a beautiful wedding cake of a building," he said. "Through the years, there have been a lot of additions and it really didn't improve its appearance. So we took it back to its original look as well as giving it another 100 years of life."

The City Hall restoration cost about $11 million of the total $60 million dual-project price tag, GIAMPOLINI COURTNEY won a contract of approximately $1.2 million to repair and restore the brick and terra cotta facade of the historic structure. New terra cotta and glazed bircks needed for the restoration were manufactured by Gladding McBean.  

The bandshell stands on the site of the 1894 Midwinter International Exposition. It was designed by the Reid Brothers in 1899 and named for Claus Spreckels. The inaugural concert was held on California's Admission Day, 1900. It was seriously damaged in the 1906 earthquake and temporarily closed following the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake. The Music Concourse was planned with terraces for seating around the perimeter for an anticipated capacity of 20,000. Its depressed elevation was intended to provide protection from summer winds.

Giampolini Courtney won a bid in 2008 to perform extensive sandstone restoration and stone replacements . Services provided included repointing, cleaning, new sheet metal roofing elements, sandstone replacements, dutchman patches and sandstone retooling.

The original Hearst Building was destroyed by the 1906 earthquake and fire. It was rebuilt shortly after of steel, concrete and terra cotta with a beautiful marble cladding on its lower facade.

In 1937 Julia Morgan was commissioned to design a remodel and update. Her work included a new south wing clad in ornate terra cotta, and a new entry. The entry featured an elaborate very large mono- chromatic glazed terra cotta cartouche flanked by carved fluted marble pilasters. A large bronze recessed decorative grill was also incorporated. She refinished the interior lobby with ornately carved marble.

The building resides at the heart of a thriving intersection, the gateway to downtown San Francisco, at Market, 3rd, Kearny and Geary Streets. To coincide with other major happenings with neighbors at the corner (a new Ritz-Carlton Residences, Westin Hotel and others) the owners carefully timed a freshening up of the facade with a cleaning and maintenance repair program.

Hearst Properties, the distinguished owner, has held and occupied the building for over a century. As long term owners of distinctive substantial real estate, they recognize the value and economies of maintaining their properties at a high level.

They entrusted Giampolini / Courtney with the multi-phase exterior restoration of their landmark terra cotta and stone masonry facade. 

Anyone who has traveled the Highway 80 corridor over the years couldn’t possibly help but notice the shining dome of the beautiful Placer County Courthouse which stands like a proud gatekeeper to the city of Auburn.

As it turns out, this Historical Placer County icon, which was designated a National Historic Site in 1960, has a colorful history as do most court houses and historical government buildings throughout the historic “Gold Country.”

As is the case with many early communities, the grounds on which this building was constructed attracted major activities of the early populace of Auburn due to its popularity and location next to established transportation routes. The hilltop where the present courthouse stands was once the site of bull and bear fights as well as public hangings, all of which were popular spectator sports in the early days of California.

In 1891, Placer County released a bid award to John M. Curtis to build a new 3 story masonry building similar to the ones he had designed and built for San Francisco, Santa Cruz and Sonoma County. The finished cost for the project would total a staggering $172,583, a large commitment of public funds at that time.

The new courthouse, which included a jail and hall of records, was constructed in sections. The first section was completed in 1894, with subsequent sections completed and dedicated with great fanfare on July 4, 1898. The “modern” Courthouse was now home not only to the court system but to the Sheriffs office, Agricultural Commission, Treasurer, Auditor, District Attorney, Recorder, Tax Collector and Superintendent of Schools……a truly integrated county facility of its day.

The old replacement 300 lb. steel bell, which had traveled around the Cape Horn in 1859 (the old one in the original wooden building had been cracked and put forth “mournful sounds”) was placed in the new building and served as a the community communication method, announcing important court activities, as well as a call to firefighters, and for the celebration of holidays and social events. See a story about the bell here:

http://www.auburnjournal.com/article/auburn’s-placer-county-courthouse-bell-rings-again

GIAMPOLINI COURTNEY was awarded a contract in 2008 to restore elements at the Dome including replacement of all wood windows there.  Sheet metal sections were repaired, replaced and repainted. Water tables were repaired and waterproofed. 

The lower masonry walls at the building, somewhat surprisingly, are in very good condition - especially for a building of its age and weather exposure. This no doubt a testament to the quality of the original construction methods and materials, and the dilegence of County staff in charge of keeping an eye on her.

Calvary Presbyterian Church was dedicated on January 14, 1855, in San Francisco’s Financial District. In 1869, a larger sanctuary was built for the congregation in Union Square, now the lobby of the St. Francis hotel.  This church was disassembled and rebuilt at its current location in Pacific Heights in 1904. Situated on solid bedrock, the church withstood the 1906 and 1989 earthquakes, and was eventually enlarged to include a chapel, library complex, and education building.  The church is inscribed on the list of San Francisco Designated Historic Landmarks and the National Register of Historic Places.

The sandstone exterior was painted in 1962. ARG Conservation Services was asked to assess its condition fifty years later, thick layers of lead-based paint were failing and the underlying sandstone had deteriorated.  After surveying and testing to determine the integrity of the stone beneath, ARG consulted with GIAMPOLINI / COURTNEY and engaged them as a team member, to work alongside ARG staff conservators, to explore repair / restoration options. Originally the plan had been to patch the stone with mortar patches and paint it as this was thought to be the only option.

GIAMPOLINI / COURTNEY masons led by Shawn Tibbs had proven and demonstrated  expertise at retooling stone in place on other projects. Even Shawn thought that there would be no chance of removing the paint, and exposing fresh stone without "losing the building" - his term for messing it up and losing the lines. Prompted by Mike Courtney, who had utmost confidence in Shawn's ability, a retooling mock up was installed. The result was good and there was promise this was a viable option. A larger mock-up was then installed to prove feasibility and Shawn became confident he could get a good result.

A large section of the south elevation from sidewalk to roof was completed as a first phase. No one knew what beautifully lay below - the result is spectacular. As the paint and outer layer of unstable stone were removed, and a new honed surface was applied with diamond cutting tools, the strikingly beautiful Tenino sandstone, with its swirling elegant grain, was again uncovered. Stand to the south and gaze north at the mesmerizing and beautiful stone. There is really nothing like it in the area. It is gorgeous!

ARG Conservation Services and GIAMPOLINI / COURTNEY received a 2011 Preservation Design Award from the California Preservation Foundation for its restoration of Calvary Presbyterian Church.

Hoover Tower - Stanford

HOOVER TOWER - STANFORD

The Hoover Tower is the tallest building on the Stanford University campus. Inspired by the cathedral tower at Salamanca, the 285-foot-tall steel-frame structure was constructed between 1939 and 1941 to accommodate the library of future U.S. President Herbert Hoover. The tower later became the home of the Hoover Institution on War, Revolution, and Peace; in the 1970s, it was a refuge for the exiled Soviet author Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn.

The tower is encased in concrete and features an observation deck, red-tiled roof, and a 48-bell carillon cast in Belgium.  The red tile and buff- and gold-colored cement stucco cladding complement the colored sandstone and Mission styles of the original campus architecture, re-envisioning them in the Moderne style.

ARG Conservation Services was retained by Stanford University to clean and repair the exterior of the Hoover Tower. As the design-build contractor, ARG Conservation Services assembled a team of conservators, architects, engineers, and construction professionals to develop a historically-sensitive conservation plan.   Access to the tower’s exterior was a logistical challenge, ultimately requiring a custom system of fixed scaffolding and swing stage rigs.  GIAMPOLINI / COURTNEY was selected by ARG Conservation Services to perform cleaning of the façade, repair of cracks in the stucco, repainting of the building’s steel windows, and restoration of the observation deck and dome. A specially designed zinc flashing was incorporated to prevent the return of organic growth.  Today, the Hoover Tower stands as an excellent example of proactive preservation leadership and a multi-disciplinary conservation approach.

National Register #96000679 
Folger Coffee Company 
101 Howard Street At Spear 
Built 1905

Architect Henry Schulze designed the Folger Coffee Company building in the Renaissance Revival architectural style. The exterior of the steel frame building is faced with red brick laid in Flemish bond.

This building was put up on landfill (in a place where San Francisco Bay used to be 15 feet(!) deep) and it got  finished in, wait for it, 1905, just in time for the Great Fire and Earthquake of 1906. But that was no problem at all ’cause of all the pilings it had driven 40 feet(!) into the mud. And the fires, well they just happened to stop right across the street.

The building still has a sign saying “The Folgers Coffee Company” on one corner. 

Overview

Filoli was built for Mr. and Mrs. William Bowers Bourn, prominent San Franciscans whose chief source of wealth was the Empire Mine, a hard-rock gold mine in Grass Valley, California. Mr. Bourn was also owner and president of the Spring Valley Water Company whose property comprised Crystal Springs Lake and the surrounding lands, areas that are now part of the San Francisco Water Department. He selected the southern end of Crystal Springs Lake as the site for his estate.

Front of House, 1921.

Mr. Bourn arrived at the unusual name Filoli by combining the first two letters from the key words of his credo: “Fight for a just cause; Love your fellow man; Live a good life.”

Mr. Bourn chose longtime friend and prominent San Francisco architect Willis Polk as principal designer for the House. An inventive architect, Polk frequently combined several styles in a single building, an eclecticism clearly evident in his design for Filoli.

Construction of Filoli began in 1915 and the Bourns moved into the House in 1917. Bruce Porter, a talented painter, sculptor, muralist, landscape designer and art critic was enlisted to help the Bourns plan the layout of the extensive formal garden that was built between 1917 and 1929. Both Mr. and Mrs. Bourn died in 1936.

The estate was purchased in 1937 by Mr. and Mrs. William P. Roth, who owned the Matson Navigation Company. Under the Roths' supervision the property was maintained and the formal garden gained worldwide recognition. Mrs. Roth made Filoli her home until 1975 when she donated 125 acres, which included the House and formal garden, to the National Trust for Historic Preservation for the enjoyment and inspiration of future generations. The remaining acreage was given to Filoli Center.

A prime example of the California eclectic style, Filoli provides an inspiring vision of a new Eden, with bountiful land, plentiful resources and an emphasis on self-sufficiency. Built more than sixty years after the California Gold Rush that inspired massive migration to Northern California, and ten years after the devastating 1906 earthquake and fire in San Francisco, Filoli represented a desire to create a magnificent and enduring country estate.

Now operated by Filoli Center, the 654-acre estate is a California State Historic Landmark and listed on the National Registry of Historic Places. This outstanding showcase of early twentieth-century architecture and garden design can be enjoyed by the public during much of the year.

Facts and Features
The Mills Building is a San Francisco landmark with singular historical, architectural and aesthetic interest. The Building was commissioned by Darius Ogden Mills, one of San Francisco's early tycoons. In 1840 Mills started the National Gold Bank of D.O. Mills & Company, the first bank west of the Rocky Mountains and helped to finance the construction of the Southern Pacific Railroad. His bank later merged with the California National Bank and upon moving to San Francisco in 1864, Mills helped form and became president of the Bank of California.

In 1864, Mills moved to San Francisco and commissioned his building in 1891 and chose what was, in its time, a revolutionary style of architecture. Burnham and Root of Chicago designed the 154-foot, steel frame skyscraper. The Mills Building is San Francisco’s only remaining example of this Chicago School of architecture, outlasting the old Chronicle Building at Market and Kearny, which has been entirely modified, and the Crocker Building at Post and Kearny, which was torn down in 1967.

The Mills Building survived the 1906 earthquake, although its interior was virtually gutted by the ensuing fire. Architect Willis Polk oversaw the building’s restoration in 1907, adhering to its original design. Additions made in 1914 and 1918 also maintained the building’s stylistic integrity. The last addition, the 22-story Mills Tower, was completed in 1932.

The first two stories of The Mills Building are constructed of white Inyo marble from Keeler, California. The Building’s most distinctive feature is its Montgomery Street entrance arch, which typifies the Richardson-Romanesque style. Its carved acanthus leaf and egg-and-dart molding frames four pairs of marble Corinthian columns.

The Mills Building is an excellent example of the Chicago School design by one of Chicago’s most important firms Burnham and Root during the heyday of the early skyscraper. The Mills Building was one of the tallest in the city at the time it was built and for many years afterwards. Seriously burned in the 1906 fire, it was rebuilt and enlarged by D.H. Burnham and Co., with Willis Polk in charge. Polk extended the building again in 1914 and 1918. In 1931, the 22-story Mills Tower by Lewis Hobart was erected at the rear of the building in an excellent adaptation of the original design.

From 1883 to 1893, Chicago architects were engaged in an architectural revolution at a frenzied pace. It was the infancy of the skyscraper. It was not merely the heights of the buildings that mark the era, for by today’s standards they were modest, the use of architectural treatments also became just as important as the skyscraper's height. Solutions generated were frequently innovative and imaginative, such as the use of the steel frame, rather than masonry for support of the structure. Steel framing was originally used only for the interior frame with exterior bearing walls of masonry.

One of the Chicago pioneers in the use of steel framing was William LeBaron Jenny, who trained as an engineer before becoming an architect. In the early 1870’s, he employed Louis Sullivan, mentor of Frank Lloyd Wright, and among others he later employed were Daniel Hudson Burnham and John W. Root, who became the original architects of the Building as Burnham and Root.

Of the first three steel frame buildings in San Francisco, only The Mills Building remains essentially indistinguishable from its original state. Its stature is heightened because of its direct tie to "The Chicago School" style of architecture.

The Mills Building consists of four parts.

The original Building square which occupies a frontage of 159.5 feet on Montgomery Street and 137.5 feet on Bush Street, was previously the site of Platt’s Music Hall, one of the more celebrated places of assembly in the City. 
 

Willis Polk oversaw the reconstruction of the Building's 1906 earthquake damage and also the full height 70 foot addition to the Building along Bush Street in 1907. The Building's exterior did not suffer damage in the earthquake, in contrast to the interiors.
 

A five story 68.5 foot addition was added in 1914 followed by the addition of the sixth through tenth floor in 1918.
 

The last addition of the structure, the Mills Tower, occurred in 1930-31. The architect for the tower was Louis Parsons Hobart who adhered to the detailing of the first three floors of the original design for the tower base, and applied modified, but compatible, façade treatment for the 19 floors above.

As part of an ongoing maintenance program GIAMPOLINI COURTNEY along with ARGCS is performing routine maintenance to terra cotta and brick elements and repainting windows on the Tower section of the building.

When renovation of 607 Front Street was completed in late 2013, the Koret Foundation moved in to a new headquarters located in the Financial District and just two blocks west of the Embarcadero waterfront. Ownership selected Aston Pereira & Associates as project architect and Nibbi Brothers as general contractor for the project. 

Nibbi’s scope of work on 607 Front Street included the renovation and seismic upgrade of a two-story brick building with basement built in 1906. Work included 100% demolition of the interior, adding new elevator, all new electrical,  all new HVAC, and a plumbing and fire sprinkler system.

GIAMPOLINI COURTNEY was the first subcontractor Nibbi brought in on the project assigned the task of repairing and restoring the interior historic brick walls that would be left exposed as final architectural finish. There were a variety of unsightly problems and issues that needed to be addressed to render an acceptable and attractive historic brick finish including: previous applied unsightly epoxy injection topical seals, miss-matching infills and patches installed in the past over 100 years, abandoned holes and openings, cracked and missing brick, shifted brick, open mortar joints, and many painted walls. The majority of this work was smartly completed just after demolition and before any other finish construction started.

The project included many high-end finishes, including exposed original historic brick, glass-walled offices, sound masking, solid-wood flooring imported from Italy, marble accent walls and fire places. The project achieved LEED Silver.

Originally designed by E.C. Hemmings in 1911, this 2 story, 29,900 square foot courthouse is an outstanding example of Beaux Arts architecture and is part of the Central Solano County Heritage Commission’s inventory of “Lasting Heritage” buildings. The restoration project began in 2013 with Hornberger + Worstell as the design architect,  Plant Construction as the general contractor, and Giampolini Courtney as the masonry restoration contractor. The the overall work includes improvements to seismic, mechanical, electrical, life safety, plumbing, telecommunications, and access. The granite stair assembly is being completely dismantled and rebuilt.

CITY HALL SEISMIC UPGRADE AND REHABILITATION PROJECT

Pasadena City Hall was built in 1927 to inspire a city with beauty, boldness and vision. It is an important part of this community’s rich architectural heritage.

In 2003, the City Council approved a plan for the seismic retrofit, historic restoration and infrastructure improvements to ensure that Pasadena City Hall will continue to stand proud and serve the community for another 100 years. 

Seismic retrofit of the building included the installation of structural base isolators that now allow the building to withstand future earthquake activity.  Restoration activities were undertaken to  preserve many of the historic architectural elements of City Hall, which is listed in the National Register of Historic Places. New building infrastructure was installed due to severe demands placed on the building over the past 79 years resulting from the piecemeal addition of heating, air conditioning, and technology systems.

GIAMPOLINI COURTNEY submitted the most competitive qualified bid for the exterior facade restoration package and was selected as subcontractor working under general contractor Clark Construction. Architectural Resources Group was preservation architect on the project.

Building construction started in March 2005 and was completed nearly two months ahead of the original project schedule.   Clark Construction Group - California LP served as the General Contractor for the project. To view project photographs showing City Hall's construction progress from beginning to end, click on Photographs.