Before
After
My role, review for any issues. There were a few, the original concept was to remove the perimeter gutter which had a few leaks, and replace the aluminum soffit panels with new. The problem: the entire gutter and the soffit panels WERE the structure holding itself up!
The old revolving sign, outriggers and structural soffit panels and perimeter gutter.
After figuring out how this and other similar aluminum canopies in Downtown Cambridge were constructed, I recommended we maintain and repair/seal-up the exposed milled aluminum gutter and soffit system.
What am I looking at.... ahhh, got it.
I recommended we evaluate the weight distribution change involved in removing the heavy revolving point-load sign carried by steel outriggers and bars and adding a boxed-in perimeter awning sign the south side being carried only by lightweight aluminum outriggers. A structural engineer was engaged, and after agreeing there was a deficiency, he designed a reinforcement for the one center aluminum outrigger as that one was carrying twice it’s capacity. He also evaluated the weathered and worn steel connections and determined they all remained structurally sound.
Page 1 of 2 11x17 sheets
Page 2. Less fun to look at but God is in the details.
Next how to light it. I suggested we maintain the interior cans at each window for display and night lighting, as well as maintain the strip lighting along the bottom outer edge of the long side of the canopy. This would light the walk nicely, while not washing out the window displays at night.
The best recommendation I had, let’s light up this art-deco Facade above the canopy too. A series of LED fixtures were added to the top to light up the beige limestone Minnesota is so famous for (Kasota Stone).
The MAGIC NOTE!
I also recommended we keep the sign below, as it’s the only sign visible from the sidewalk at half a block away where other awnings block the view of the new signs above. Also, and moreso, there were some damaged panels at and adjacent to this sign, and keeping this, with new sign panels, would conceal, or at least distract from, those panels. Also less visible hole patching to do.
Finally, I adjusted the sign panels themselves to remain 5” from the existing Facade so the window panes could be maintained and glass replaced if ever damaged.
The original sign installation plan was to anchor these perimeter box-signs to the top and bottom of the existing aluminum gutter and fascia panels above. The problem, the gutter is, well... a gutter, it carries water to the downspout, drilling into it would cause a dozen leaks. Also the vast majority of the fascia panels above were purely click-in decorative, not structural, they would have snapped right off, so I detailed the exact point where the bottom could connect, and advised that kickers be installed from the top of the sign panels down to the structural steel and aluminum outriggers above, to keep the panels all vertical in the wind and weather. And to not forget to caulk between the back of the sign and the top of the aluminum fascia trim. Drip, drip...freeze...slip...fall being the primary motive there.
The end result, a historic downtown bank, beaming with pride.
A permanent bright spot this side of the street.
Takeaway: don’t just slap up a sign. Create something that gets your current and FUTURE customers attention, encourages them to bank, or continue to bank, with your 100 year old, family owned bank. This is a fourth generation president, and they have always set the bar high for how to business in our historic downtown.
The City of Cambridge participated in supporting this project with a revolving loan fund and/or matching grants intended to encourage just this sort of re-investment in our Downtown.
Guess what, a restaurant is soon moving in immediately to the south, and a the building immediately to the north was purchased to become a Brewery/Tasting room (is in limbo now though).
