Flood Building

Project

The Historic James Flood Building façade was demolished in the 1950s to “modernize” the appearance of the building. In 1996 the building owners decided to restore it to its original 1902 appearance. A variety of materials, from the original Colusa sandstone to precast concrete and GFRC, were considered. Ultimately Kreysler & Associates was selected to reproduce the arches, balconies, and frieze using FRP with a polymer concrete face to match the original Colusa sandstone. In addition to the ability of FRP to accurately reproduce the original design, the FRP was light enough to meet current seismic codes with the original structure, saving time and cost as well as maximizing interior space.

Details

• Location: San Francisco, California

• Client Name: James Flood Partners

• Expertise: FRP arches, balustrades, cornices, scrolls, parapet balustrade, composite veneer shells at parapet

• Partners:

  • Plant Construction Company, Contractor

  • HOK Architects, Architect

  • Weiss Janny Elsner, Engineer

Awards

• 1994 Annual Design Award For outstanding achievement in the design of the Flood Building Restoration Project, California Preservation Federation