Document Competition 2016 – Third Place, Report Writing

Richard Koziol, AIA, NCARB | Wiss, Janney, Elstner Associates, Inc. | Ewing Cultural Center, Illinois State University | Normal, Illinois

The Ewing Cultural Center was built as the private residence of the Davis Ewing family and completed in 1929 in Normal, Illinois. Hazle Buck Ewing occupied the residence until her death in 1969, when she willed the manor to the Illinois State University Foundation. It is used as a conference center and gathering space for social events. The building is a three-story structure with multi-wythe masonry- bearing walls, half-timber wood-framed walls with masonry infill, reinforced concrete floors, and a masonry foundation system. The roof has graduated slate shingles supported on timber framing. The exterior cladding is a combination of brick and limestone masonry with a mixture of cypress “half-timbers,” stucco, and brick masonry.

Wiss, Janney, Elstner’s (WJE’s) assessment included visual inspection and exploratory openings or removals in the exterior walls, windows, roof system, site walls, and terraces to determine the current condition of these elements and to develop prioritized repair recommendations. Later, WJE collaborated with ISU facilities personnel and a contractor specializing in exterior renovation work to develop sensitive repairs that were in keeping with the historical design and character of the building. The repairs were completed over a three-year period.