• Renovation of Jordan Hall Boston-New England Conservatory of Music , MA 1995

For the past 17 years, Ann Beha Associates has served as architects for the New England Conservatory, the oldest conservatory of music in the US. The campus comprises four buildings ranging from the 1890s through 1950, and many programmatic, technical, and public use challenges have been solved through ABA’s renovation work. Specific projects have included upgrading classrooms, practice rooms, performance areas, administrative offices, and visitor services, as well as bringing the building to ADA compliance. In October 1995, ABA completed the $8.2 million renovation of Jordan Hall, NEC’s landmark 1,000-seat concert hall, which serves as the centerpiece of the campus. The project included improved mechanical systems, performance and ambient lighting, expanded visitor services, and an overall refurbishing of the Hall’s seating and interior finishes. A new accessible entrance and wheelchair seating were provided with minimal impact on the exterior appearance and overall seating capacity. The introduction of air conditioning allowed the Conservatory to provide a full schedule of summer concerts for the first time in 100 years, without disturbing the Hall’s world-famous acoustic quality.

• Preservation Society of Newport County Newport, RI 1994

Adaptive reuse of this 1887 Newport-style mansion provided a new administrative headquarters and visitor center for the Preservation Society of Newport County, Rhode Island. The scope of work included restoration of the exterior masonry and construction of a new accessible entrance in a portico which replaced a modern stair tower, and recalled the original port cochere. The first floor was renovated to accommodate visitor orientation and services and the second floor office plan minimized impact on the building’s historic fabric while providing modern office facilities for the Society’s staff and Director. The surrounding property on the site was developed into a public memorial garden with a direct link to the building.

• Andover Town Hall Andover, MA 1989

The restoration and re-use of the 1860 Town Hall reclaimed a civic and performance space and has revitalized Andover’s historic town center. The design goal was to restore the original splendor of the public spaces while upgrading building systems to meet current code and performance standards. The 200-seat auditorium is a multi-purpose space operated as a rental facility by the town and serves a lively mix of municipal and commercial functions, including theatrical and music performances, lectures, banquets, art exhibits, and wedding receptions.

• Westminster Presbyterian Church Buffalo, NY 1992

In December 1992, Ann Beha Associates completed a new interior design for the sanctuary, narthex, chancel, and choir loft of this 1890s Victorian church. This project was inspired by the church’s historic image, and introduced new lighting, audio systems, carpets, pew cusions, wall paneling, and decorative paint schemes. The choir loft was expanded, the chancel reconfigured, and the pews made partially removable to allow large congregations and symphonic concerts to be held in the sanctuary.

• Trinity Church Boston, MA 1987 

Trinity Church, designed by H.H Richardson in 1878, is one of the most important architectural landmarks in the City of Boston and in the US. It has served a thriving and changing congregation for more than 100 years. In 1987, Ann Beha Associates completed a Master Plan for Trinity Church, which provided an extensive and comprehensive analysis of the existing conditions of the church and parish house. Repair recommendations for all building materials and elements were presented and a work program for the next 10 years was formulated, establishing priorities for work to be done and strategy recommendations for overall coordination for the different tasks. From this analysis, a preservation philosophy was formed which presently guides any changes which are necessary to ensure that the church can function and change while maintaining its architectural character.

• Portland Art Museum Portland, OR 1995

The Portland Art Museum, comprised of three buildings by Pietro Belluschi, is the heart of Oregon’s cultural heritage. Ann Beha Associates has completed the first phase of renovations to the adjacent 100,000 sf landmark Masonic Temple building. This work introduced new visitor services, gallery improvements, climate control, and other features which support building preservation and the care and exhibition of collections. Construction work included renovations to the galleries, as well as mechanical, electrical, and plumbing upgrades, and building envelope and conservation improvements. Ann Beha Associates was architect for the museum’s recent record-breaking “Imperial Tombs of China” exhibit, planning for exhibit presentation, visitor services, and special events facilities. The firm is currently engaged in planning for the museum’s expansion into the third Belluschi building, and further renovations to the adjacent Masonic Temple, which will serve as a center for museum operations and other arts organizations in Portland.

• Haffenreffer Museum of Anthropology Providence, RI 2000

Ann Beha Associates completed a feasibility study for the relocation of Brown University’s Haffenreffer Museum of Anthropology, currently located in Bristol, Rhode Island, to the Old Stone Bank complex, a cluster of historic buildings over a one-acre site in Providence, Rhode Island. The master plan assessed the existing OSB complex, as well as existing collections and programs of the Haffenreffer, established design alternatives for accommodating the museum and its variety of programs in the new facility, and presented cost options to determine the construction, exhibition, furnishings, equipment budget, and future operating costs for the preferred design approach. Ann Beha Associates has been selected as architect for the new 40,000 sf museum, projected to open in 2000.

• Harvard University Faculty Club Cambridge, MA 1990

Ann Beha Associates completed design renovations and an addition to the Harvard Faculty Club, a 1930s structure originally used as a businessman’s club. Today, the 30,000 sf building is used for faculty dining, conferences, seminars, and social functions. It now accommodates formal and informal reception areas, dining rooms, commercial kitchens, and administrative offices. This renovation addressed years of deferred maintenance through the replacement of outdated systems, finishes, and furnishings A new addition, designed to relate to the existing building, provides expanded seminar facilities and guest rooms.  Key features include complete ADA compliance, new MEP  and Fire Protection Systems, reconfiguration of interiors, extensive code upgrade, and new furnishings and  interiors, designed and selected by ABA.