SAN JOSE, CA
THE SAN JOSE BUILDING AND LOAN ASSOCIATION BUILDING
HISTORIC PRESERVATION/
RESTORATION
The San Jose Building and Loan Association Building was built in 1927 and is listed as city landmark. Over the years the exterior terra-cotta masonry tile attached to the street façade had suffered significant damage caused by the deterioration of the mortar between the tiles; spalding of the actual masonry tile’s surface finish; and seismic damage not repaired from the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake. In addition, the removal of the building next door to create a parking lot by the city had resulted in the exposing an entire corner of the historic masonry tiles that had once overlapped the demolished building façade without any structural support.
At the time, the Redevelopment Agency of the City of San Jose had a very robust Facade Improvement Program that consisted of two components: assisting the property owner with the architectural design of the needed building facade improvements, and the implementation of the construction work. We were contracted by the agency to work with both the property owner and the tenant (Vault Ultra Lounge), and to prepare the drawings and specifications for the repair and restoration of the damaged masonry terra-cotta façade. We also performed periodic monitoring of the project to ensure that historic preservation treatments were properly followed during the course of the project’s construction process