J Magazine Spring 2018

hall on the first floor of the Barnett Bank
building, Suttles said. The original pendant
lights and Corinthian columns are
long gone but were preserved in old photos.
In some cases, people who worked
on the original building are still around.
Danis was able to talk to architect Taylor
Hardwick about his design of the library.
He offered a lot of insight, Suttles said,
and quashed an urban legend — that the
88 “fins” on the exterior of the building
mimicked the 88 keys of a piano. Pure
coincidence, Hardwick said.
Research also is done through “selective
demolition.”
“We are most successful when we are
involved early in the design process before
the drawings are complete,” Suttles
said. “We get in and do some selective
demolition to see what’s behind the
walls and above the ceilings.”
In the Florida Life Building, demolition
revealed the original marble wall
panels. “You assume they tore it down,
but they did the easy thing and covered
it up,” Suttles said.
The latest technology is enlisted as
well. A drone was used to inspect the
fragile exteriors of the Barnett building
and the Laura Street Trio.
“Some of the buildings have been
abandoned and have significant safety
issues,” Suttles said. “We feel like the
“We are most
successful when we
are involved early in
the design process
before the drawings
are complete.”
Tony Suttles,
VP of Preconstruction at Danis
more investigation we can do on the
front end, it helps minimize the surprises,
which can be very disruptive.”
Sometimes, what Danis is searching
for with early demolition is accurate information
about the building, like the
dimensions.
“Everything we do now on new construction
is perfectly square, straight and
level. As beautiful as they are, the old
buildings weren’t built as precisely as we
do today,” Suttles said. “Dimensions aren’t
close to what the drawings indicate.
Some aren’t square, not 90 degrees. So,
in these old buildings, you’re going to
have to make some adjustments.”
Many historic buildings were built
before the era of building codes, or before
they were enforced, and often have
elements that don’t meet current codes,
Suttles said.
“You have to figure out how to strike
a balance between preserving the historic
nature of something like a staircase
while making it safe,” Suttles said. “There
are some interpretations in the code with
historic structures that allow the city and
builders some leeway. You might retrofit
or get a variance or a combination.”
Another challenge is incorporating
modern mechanical and
electrical systems into buildings
that weren’t designed for
things like air conditioning ad
sprinkler systems.
“You can’t just hang
ductwork and cover it with acoustic
tiles,” Suttles said. “Sometimes you need
sidewall vents or floor vents. What might
work on one floor might not work on another.”
JEFF DAVIS
Jessie Ball duPont Center at Forsyth and Ocean streets.