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Photo Credit: Copyright 2010 Steve Whittaker

Historic rehabilitation and restoration of a 1905 horse stable designed by Arthur Brown Jr. (San Francisco City Hall, War Memorial Opera House, Coit Tower) for the coffee magnate, James A. Folger II. The timber building underwent complete repair and seismic retrofit restoring this significant property to its original grandeur.

A major part of the restoration was structural. Heavy timber trusses supporting the roof and second story hay loft had sagged and crushed existing support columns; support deflections were upwards of 10 inches caused by termite damage, water infiltration, neglect, and old age. Major structural repairs included stone foundation work, replacement columns, truss tension rods, dormer supports and roof rafter replacement. Where possible, construction methods and framing matched that of the original building. All of the original architectural details were carefully inventoried, and if full restoration was not possible, exact replicas were created. New door and window openings were rebuilt with carefully matched redwood reproductions. New features included installation of modern horse stalls, radiant heat flooring (replacing an abandoned oil-burning boiler), fire protection, security system, an ADA restroom, and exterior pervious pavers.

As the design-build lead, Gonsalves & Stronck provided thorough building condition and assessment reporting as well as extensive cost estimating and value-engineering for a tight budget funded entirely by private donations. Listed on the National Register of Historic Places, the restored building allows for continued use as a working horse stable and provides new exhibit space for future education programs.