Restoration
Restoring a building means modifying an existing building to ensure that it satisfies current requirements in terms of design and technical function. This can also include mitigating a lack of maintenance, or it could be a combination of all these.
Our Buildings Department has performed a number of restoration projects. Experience from this type of construction projects is essential if the client is to receive the right advice during a restoration project. One of the most important things is to be able to give the owner of the building input as to whether it will be cost-effective to perform the proposed restoration work. In some cases, the nature of the building is such that the end result will not meet the expectations of a modern construction project. Aas-Jakobsen’s Buildings Department employs engineers where the majority is highly experienced in a range of different types of restoration project. This experience is essential to be able to provide clients with the knowledge they need in order to make the right decisions.
In order to provide the client with as much information as possible for the essential decisions which they must make, it is vital to clarify which framework conditions apply to the building stock. This information can include limitations, but also opportunities. Internal ceiling heights tend to be a challenge in terms of space for the ventilation equipment and other technology which is required by a modern building. Likewise, vertical technical shafts tend not to be big enough, and have to be widened, which obviously has consequences on the existing structure.
Most structures can be strengthened to give a building the capacity required for a restoration project. However, there is a limit as to how much strengthening work can be carried out before the cost outweighs the benefit. It is important to set these limits for a restoration project, in order not to put a great deal of work into something that will not create added value for the project.
On a restoration project, every proposal for changes to the existing building stock must be studied in terms of buildability. In these situations, this tends to mean accessibility and whether or not building materials can easily be transported into the building. These are all factors which must be taken into consideration when choosing a solution. Safety is another aspect which must be carefully considered. Lack of space and changes to an existing structure often mean that specialist operations are required. It is important to identify these in advance, so that all the necessary measures can be implemented in the design work and later in the execution phase.
Aas-Jakobsen’s Buildings Department’s design work covers the full range of all the standard construction materials, and we are familiar with all the various regulations.
