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WILLETT, HOFMANN & ASSOCIATES, INC.
Consulting Engineers

Land Surveying - Transportation - Structural - Environmental - Architecture

 

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Home
Project List
Dixon Historic Ctr.
Fulton Windmill
Post House
Savanna City Hall

 

 

ARCHITECTURAL DEPARTMENT SERVICES

 

 

First State Bank of Shannon-Polo
New Lake Carroll Facility

Dixon Historic Center Gymnasium

 

 

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.

 

City of Prophetstown

City Hall Renovation Project - 2001

Faced with the decision of renovating the existing City Hall building or constructing a new building, the City decided to maintain their downtown main street presence and stay in their existing facility.  WHA was hired to design the renovation of the existing city hall.  The interior of the existing city hall was completely gutted and redesigned to incorporate public spaces for the operation of city services, the mayor’s office and City Council Chambers, while also incorporating the private and secure spaces required to house the City police department offices within the same facility.   Improvements included a new reception area, new mayors office, new toilet facilities, new Council Chambers, new police department offices and support spaces as well as new electrical, heating, ventilation, air conditioning and plumbing systems.

 

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.

 

Architectural Department Services include:

  • New Construction & Additions

  • Renovation, Remodeling, Restoration

  • Accessibility Improvements

  • Adaptive Reuse

  • Feasibility Analysis & Planning Services

  • Commercial Facilities

  • Industrial Facilities

  • Public Facilities

  • Religious Facilities

  • Special Structures


 

 

Last Updated:  06/18/2009
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