Over ten years ago, Willett, Hofmann & Associates added an Architectural
Department to compliment our engineering services. The head of our
Architectural Department, Tom Houck, is uniquely qualified as both a licensed
architect, a licensed professional engineer, and a LEED Accredited Professional
through the United States Green Building Council. Under his guidance, the
Architectural Department is able to offer architectural projects with a blend of
aesthetically appealing design, efficient integration with engineering
disciplines and effective application of sustainable design principles.
Summaries of some of our recent municipal
building and building renovation projects are below.
Dixon Historic
Center
Building
Renovations - 2001 to Present
WHA provided architectural, structural and civil engineering / site design
services for the renovation and restoration of a 100 year old former elementary
school into a Smithsonian caliber museum and educational center housing a
research library, reading room, numerous exhibit rooms, an art gallery, a museum
store, a surround sound theater and a large auditorium.
Lee County
Council on Aging
Post House
Ballroom Renovation - 1996
The non-profit Lee County Council on Aging obtained the 100 year old post office
building with the plan to use the lower floor for the day-to-day operations of
the organization and the upper floor as a banquet hall, with the intent that
funds from the banquet hall rental would supplement the organization’s
operational expenses and the building’s upkeep. WHA designed the renovations of
the banquet hall, transforming the original large mail sorting area into a
large ballroom, a serving kitchen, and handicapped accessible restrooms. The
original marble wainscot, terrazzo floors and ornate plaster detailing, woodwork
and stenciling were saved and restored to their original grandeur. Today the
Post House Ballroom is a premier venue for a variety of events.
Village of Ashton, Illinois
Mills and Petrie Memorial Building
- 2007 to Present
The Mills and Petrie Memorial Building was built in 1935 as a gymnasium, library
and community center. WHA was hired to evaluate the facility for structural,
architectural, electrical, plumbing, HVAC and other issues in order to provide
data to help Building Trustees prioritize present needs and plan future building
improvements. WHA created floor plans of the building’s current use, then
designed alternative options for meeting the goals established by the Building
Trustees. A seven phase Long Range Plan was created, using WHA’s professional
recommendations for improvements. WHA provided probable costs for each
assessment item to aid the Building Trustees in their future budget and funding
planning. Phase 1 of the Long Range Plan has been completed and Phase 2 of the
Plan – a roof replacement project – is currently underway.
City of Dixon
City Hall Improvements Plan - 2006
The Dixon City Hall was originally constructed in 1906 and housed various City
Offices, City Council Chambers and the City Fire Department. WHA was hired to
create a proposed improvements plan and to prepare a budgetary project cost
report for the renovation of the entire facility following the relocation of the
Fire Department to another building. WHA worked with City Staff to identify
present and future space needs and studied the facilities infrastructure and
maintenance needs, then developed a comprehensive five phase renovation and
improvements plan that allows the entire facility - both interior and exterior
- to be renovated and upgraded without requiring the temporary relocation of
City staff or City services from the building. Phase I of the improvements plan
has been completed and Phase II planning is currently underway.
City of Savanna
City Hall
Accessibility Improvements - 1997
City Hall
Addition – 2001 to Present
Initially, WHA was
hired to design accessibility improvements to bring the existing City Hall
building into compliance with the Illinois Accessibility Code. Later the City
considered building a new building, and hired WHA to provide a design
feasibility study including design sketches for a new City Hall building. The
new building design provided more storage and meeting spaces and new offices
that were designed to be more modern and energy efficient than the current
building. The design study also gave the City the information and options to
plan a timeline for phasing the construction of the new facility over time. The
preliminary design sketches also are effective tools for possible exhibits to
grant applications, offering grant reviewers a visual concept of what awarded
funds would be used for.
Village of Mount Morris
Village Hall Accessibility Improvements - 2001
WHA was hired to
design accessibility improvements to bring the existing Village Hall into
compliance with the Illinois Accessibility Code. WHA designed renovations and
new construction for this DCCA Grant funded project, and also served as the
grant administrator for the project. The project included the renovation of
existing public toilet rooms and existing door improvements, along with the
construction of a new building entrance and covered entrance canopy which
provided a new image to the Village Hall.
City of Dixon
Dixon Memorial Pool Study - 2003
WHA served as the technical advisor to the City of Dixon’s Pool Partners
Commission and provided technical assistance in determining the required scope
of work and associated costs of restoring the historic Memorial Pool to current
health code and accessibility code requirements. WHA conducted structural and
architectural evaluations and coordinated extensive destructive and
non-destructive material testing of the pool’s reinforced concrete structure to
determine its structural integrity. WHA also participated in the interviewing
of pool design consultant specialists and historic preservation specialists.
City of Dixon
Veterans Memorial Park - 2001 to Present
The City of Dixon’s Veteran’s Memorial Park Commission was established to bring
into reality the vision of a Memorial Park dedicated to all Veterans of Military
Service. Working with the Veteran's Memorial Park Commission and local veterans
and representative veteran agencies, WHA created an overall park concept that
respectfully and patriotically displays military artifacts representing each
military service branch while also creating quiet contemplative areas for
personal reflection. WHA also wrote the park purpose statement from which the
design was developed. The Park was dedicated in 2004 and plans for a Phase II
expansion are presently underway. WHA provided land surveying, civil
engineering / site design services, structural engineering services
and architectural design services to assist in the creation of this memorial.
