Holaday-Parks 'silent star' of theater renovation


djc home \| top \| special issues index April 24, 1997

Holaday-Parks 'silent star' of theater renovation

By BONNIE LYON
Holaday-Parks

With the opening of a new home for A Contemporary Theatre (ACT), the project's architects and general contractors spent considerable time in the limelight but one of the project's biggest stars, Holaday-Parks Inc., played a silent role.

But, then silence is golden to Holaday-Parks, one of the region's largest mechanical contracting firms. The Seattle-based firm built and designed the air-handling and plumbing systems for ACT in the former Eagles building downtown at Seventh and Union. Keeping those systems quiet was the key to the project's success.

The $30.4 million Eagles renovation created 85,000 square feet of space for ACT along with 35,000 square feet for 44 moderate-income apartments for the project's partner, the Housing Resource Group. ACT's space includes three theaters: a small alternative theater, a 400-seat thrust theater and a 400-seat arena theater for performances in-the-round.

Fitting the huge ducts required today in a 1923 building was a major challenge.
Photo by Steve Keating

The Eagles renovation was really two projects in one. Each had its own architect, general contractor and subcontractors. Holaday-Parks was the only subcontractor to work on both projects.

Fitting the huge ducts required for a theater into a 1923-vintage building proved to be one of the biggest challenges in the firm's recent history.

"From a design perspective, there was a myriad of systems that needed to be incorporated into the project," said Troy Bloedel, Holaday-Parks' senior design/build project manager. "In addition to the systems for the theaters being separate from the apartments, we had to integrate other competing uses within ACT itself. For example, above the main theater, the carpentry shop needs to operate concurrent with performances."

Many of the floors were only 10 feet high, not the typical 12-foot modern office floor height. "We were dealing with 25 percent less structural space to fit a very complex mechanical system in," Bloedel said. "That problem was solved with innovative duct routing, with multiple risers and paths. We were also able to use voids created between the two new theaters."

"We had to route a lot of ductwork, a lot of systems, though acoustically sensitive spaces. The fact that we were installing it gave us a huge quality control benefit in terms of achieving the design requirements," Bloedel said.

Other design challenges faced by Holaday-Parks were numerous:

The building was never intended to be a performing arts theater;
In addition to its age, it also sat vacant for the past 20 years;
It was expanded to eight stories from five, requiring work to comply with Seattle's high-rise code;
Since the building is listed on the National Historic Registry, designs were reviewed by the National Park Service in San Francisco. Architectural features, such as the ornate ceilings, had to be retained while accommmodating code issues and new tenant requirements.

"I've never seen anything like it," said Scott Rushing, Holaday-Parks' assistant engineering manager. "I don't think anyone really understands the complexity of this project."

Rushing said Callison Architecture, ACT's designer, carved out huge holes in the building to get the open space needed for the theaters.

To create the arena stage, the former grand ballroom on the upper floor was dropped eight feet and a grid system for lights and air circulation equipment was suspended above it. The thrust theater was derived from a former billiard parlor and gymnasium.

A full compliment of theater support spaces were also built, including: catering space, lobby overflow areas, administrative offices, two rehearsal rooms and a complete shop for fabricating props and sets. All needed new mechanical systems.

Apartment units were located on the upper floors of the building, surrounding the arena theater. To reduce potential noise from the apartments, the floors were designed to float on rubber isolators. Holaday-Parks' installations kept all mechanical systems for the apartments isolated from the structure.

Bloedel said working on old buildings is "like scheduling an invention, you have to figure it out as you go through it." Just to keep the project on schedule and true to design, Rushing and project foreman Terry Kastel had to invent solutions to obstacles they encountered on a daily basis. Part of that included designing ducts and pipes for 18 different elevations in the eight-story building.

To ensure that construction closely followed the intent of the designs, Holaday-Parks developed a high-level of coordination on the job. Rushing said he practically lived at Callison's office.

During the design phase of the project, support spaces such as lobbies and green rooms (gathering places for actors and production staff) were fluid in how they fit into the scheme of the facility.

"A dressing room has to have continuity with the theater; it has to have continuity with the green room," Bloedel said. "They have to work together. Fitting that all together in the existing footprint, and keeping up with the changes in design, was really challenging.

"Every time Callison moved a dressing room, or a theater, or a green room, everything we did moved with it," Bloedel said.

But Holaday-Parks kept up with Callison's changes and finished its job on time and within budget.

"Our job didn't end with the design. It didn't end when we built it. And, it didn't end when we turned the system on and it was accepted," Bloedel said. "We're there with preventive maintenance and controls service on a continuing basis."

The result? Audible noise criteria for the arena theater tests at NC19 and the thrust theater at NC21 -- both well under the project's contractual requirement of NC25. (Typical offices are NC35 to NC40.)

Ron Williamson, project superintendent for Sellen Construction, ACT's general contractor, summed up Holaday-Parks' role as "one, if not the foremost, factor in this project's success."

Holaday-Parks is currently working on the Overlake Christian Church auditorium, and has many theaters and auditoriums to its credit.

Bonnie Lyon is a sales assistant with Holaday-Parks. The company designs, fabricates and installs mechanical systems for all types of facilities including laboratories and technical facilities; sound studios and theaters; hotels and mixed-use buildings, and commercial and industrial projects.

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