DATE: July 23, 2008

CONTACT: Alan Godfrey, 864-656-5516
galan@clemson.edu

WRITER: Peter Hull, 843-554-7226, ext. 118
phull@clemson.edu


Architect selected to renovate first buildings of Clemson University Restoration Institute campus

NORTH CHARLESTON — A Mount Pleasant-based architectural firm has been chosen to renovate the first two buildings that will become key elements of the Clemson University Restoration Institute campus at the former Navy base.

The former Navy barracks, Building 658, will become offices and research laboratories.McKellar & Associates will provide design services to transform a former Navy barracks, known as Building 658, and the historic Building 590A — the base's former U.S. Coast Guard station — into modern facilities. The two buildings were built in 1964 and 1934, respectively.

The first two floors of the three-story 31,153-square-foot barracks will be transformed into offices for the institute's faculty and staff. The building's third floor will become research laboratories.

Design work is scheduled for completion within 12 months and the building is expected to be occupied by winter 2010.

This historic building will be renovated.At the two-story, 12,000-square-foot former Coast Guard station, engineers will remove hazardous materials and repair gaping holes in the roof to make the building weathertight and structurally sound. That design and initial site work is expected to take about 12 months.

Alan Godfrey, the Restoration Institute's director of real estate and financial affairs, said the projects mark the first tangible steps in a process that will transform a brownfield site at the former Navy base into an 86-acre state-of-the-art campus.

"Historic preservation and community revitalization lie at the heart of the Restoration Institute's mission," Godfrey said. "In partnership with McKellar & Associates we will breathe new life into these abandoned buildings."

Anne Maguire, principal of McKellar & Associates, said that razing a structure is not always necessary.

Award-winning projects by her company transformed similar buildings at Charleston Air Force Base and at other locations, illustrating that redevelopment does not always come at the expense of valuable natural resources.

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The Clemson University Restoration Institute
The mission of the Clemson University Restoration Institute is to advance knowledge in integrative approaches to the restoration and sustainability of historic, ecological and urban infrastructure resources and drive economic growth. The institute's vision is to build a sustainable future through education, collaborative restoration research and strategic partnerships. Its Web site is http://www.clemson.edu/restoration/.

McKellar & Associates
Founded in 1983, McKellar & Associates offers full-service architectural design services to a diverse client base. Projects range from affordable, single-family residences to multi-story corporate headquarters and public buildings. McKellar's projects have been recognized with national, state and regional awards.