Frederick, MD

Visitation Hotel

Scope/Solutions
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Project Summary

Scope/Solutions

Formerly a private girls school, the three-acre Visitation campus includes structures dating back to 1850. The property was purchased in 2017 and the new owners undertook a project to repurpose the site as a mixed-use development with a sixty-seven-room boutique hotel and two condominium buildings.

SGH evaluated the existing structure and designed modifications to facilitate the change in use for the load-bearing masonry building with wood-framed floors and roofs. Highlights of our work include:

Documenting the existing framing, foundations, and load paths for the three buildings
Developing structural repairs for deteriorated masonry walls and heavy timber floor and roof framing, including substantial reconstruction of the existing exterior timber-framed walkways
Designing structural alterations and strengthening to address changes in use and new mechanical equipment and distribution, including floor and wall openings in the existing construction, new floor construction to support a commercial restaurant and catering kitchen, and a new exterior elevated terrace for the ballroom
Designing new components and modifications to existing construction along with foundation underpinning to accommodate three new elevators and new stairways
Conducting a condition assessment of approximately 5,500 sq ft of the roof damaged by a fire during construction, and designing a partial replacement and repairs to the heavy timber framing and trusses