MIDDLEBURY — Bread Loaf Corporation (BLC) of Middlebury has been awarded the 2017 Association of General Contractors of Vermont (AGC/VT) Honor Award for the University of Vermont Alumni House and Jack and Shirley Silver Pavilion Project.
BLC’s team of designers and contractors were honored for the design, interior restoration and expansion of the former Edward Wells house, a grand Queen Anne Style mansion located at the corner of Maple and Summit Streets in Burlington.
The 15,000 square foot structure was restored for use as the new headquarters of the UVM Alumni Association. Renovations included conversion of the first and second floors into public reception and meeting rooms and accommodation of 4,000 square feet of modern office space. Adjacent to the Alumni house, the new 6,000 square foot Jack and Shirley Silver Pavilion was designed and constructed by BLC to provide state-of-the-art conference and reception facilities. In addition, the entire two and a half acre site was redesigned and re-landscaped.
When it was built in 1892, the Wells home was one of the most prestigious and elegant residences in Burlington. From 1925 to 2003 the building was home to the Delta Psi fraternity and in 1979 the building was placed on the National Register of Historic Places. Largely vacant from 2003 until 2007, the former fraternity had greatly deteriorated by the time it was purchased by the University of Vermont.
After a competitive proposal process, the University of Vermont and the Alumni Association awarded BLC the project to restore the house and grounds to their former elegance, install modern, energy efficient systems, make the facilities completely accessible, create a banquet/conference facility for 200 people and achieve LEED Silver Accreditation.
The project required the complete gutting of the building interior, the installation of all new mechanical and electrical systems, and the insertion of a new four-story elevator/stair core within the building structure. The team seamlessly integrated the modern systems into the historic fabric of the elegant interiors. Carpenters and painters meticulously repaired, refinished and, where necessary, replicated the elaborate wood and plaster moldings, paneling and carved details. Many of the original light fixtures were repaired and restored by a local studio, and original doors, windows and hardware were preserved and reused.