Book Description

This paper documents the recent recladding of the historic 1930 Alaska State Capitol building and uses this project as a case study to advocate for a more rational approach to historic preservation than is often encountered. It outlines this historic building's severe structural and masonry problems, describes the recladding in detail, and summarizes the reasons why recladding was by far the most reasonable approach. It also touches on various technical building enclosure issues ranging from how buildings get wet, what factors destroy masonry materials, and how inherent movement in the cladding can be accommodated, among others. Ample photos of the damaged capitol as it was prior to the recladding as well as of the construction process, and construction drawings, help illustrate the project. This paper may prove most informative to architects, engineers, and contractors, particularly those involved in historic preservation and masonry construction.