Rafn Company : Commercial General Contractor : Blog

Preserving Old Fire Station #23 for Byrd Barr Place

11/17/2022
2022Q4, RENO, SEISMIC

This article originally appeared in the Washington Trust for Historic Preservation's "This Place" Magazine, Fall 2022 issue. This Place’s Spring 2022 issue featured an informative Donor Focus article by SHKS Architects recounting the history of Seattle’s Fire Station #23 and describing the…

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Project Tour : Town Hall Seattle Renovation

04/05/2018
2018Q1, PROJECT TOUR, SEISMIC, RENO

Our project at Town Hall Seattle is a complete renovation of this 35,731 square foot performance arts building. The structure was originally built between 1916 and 1922 as the The Fourth Church of Christ, Scientist, church building. Our scope of work includes: seismic upgrade (structural steel /…

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Seismic : Benefits of Integrated Delivery

09/01/2015
2015Q3, SEISMIC

Seismic improvements to an existing building tend to be complicated projects. The seismic fix itself may merely be the proverbial "tip of the iceberg" for a more involving project. Implementing a fix can be a technical challenge, but what is unique to this type of work is that the access…

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Embracing Your Chimney & Leashing Your Gargoyle

05/15/2015
2015Q2, SEISMIC

Embracing Your Chimney Masonry chimneys are an endangered species. The weaker have been toppled over the years by earthquakes or have been dismantled to avoid that very hazard. Modern heating systems do not require them, and where a chimney or venting is needed there are easier solutions to…

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Renovation for Energy Savings

02/15/2015
2015Q1, SEISMIC

Seismic Retrofits often include mandated energy performance improvements and sometimes provide the opportunity for unrecognized voluntary upgrades as well. Bethany Presbyterian on Queen Anne Hill provides examples for both. This Neo- Gothic church was constructed in 1929, and was of course not…

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