Stevens & Associates Wins Award For The Historic Brooks House
BRATTLEBORO, VT, March 2015 — Stevens & Associates, P.C. received an award in this year’s Engineering Excellence Awards Competition by the American Council of Engineering Companies (ACEC) of Vermont. The Awards recognize outstanding examples of engineering excellence in projects recently completed within Vermont. The architectural design and engineering firm received the competition’s highest honors, the Grand Prize Award, for its work in renovating and rehabilitating the historic Brooks House located in downtown Brattleboro. Stevens & Associates accepts this award and acknowledges Hardy Structural Engineering, LLC of Colchester, VT for their collaborative structural engineering effort on this project.
After a devastating fire in 2011, the Brooks House was in need of significant structural and architectural design. Bob Stevens, founder and principal of Stevens & Associates partnered with several members of the community to develop a plan which would enhance the building and the economic growth of Brattleboro. The building was reframed from the basement to the tower in order to address years of settlement and accommodate the new layout. In addition, the project required a complex financing package of historic and new market tax credits, public and private loans, and private investments.
The $24 million renovation was completed in 2014. This endeavor has rebuilt a cornerstone of downtown Brattleboro offering the community academic space for 2 colleges and a progressive K-8 independent school, 23 residential units, restaurants, retail shops, and a spacious atrium showcasing local artistic talent. Stevens & Associates has won similar awards for projects in the past, including the Dot’s Restaurant in Wilmington, Brattleboro Transportation Center, the Wilder Building renovation, and the renovation of its own offices in the Cutler Block in downtown Brattleboro.