NEWS ARTICLE
May 26, 2010
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Clarke Caton Hintz is the proud recipient of a 2010 Historic Preservation Award for its new offices in the Trenton Masonic Temple. The award was presented by the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (DEP), Historic Preservation Office and NJ Historic Sites Council, recognizing the efforts of individuals, organizations and government agencies to preserve the State's valuable resources.
The Trenton Masonic Temple, built in 1927, is perhaps the only “grand” Masonic structure still in use in New Jersey. It is a beautiful and imposing Neo-Classical structure with impressive public rooms on the first floor and three extraordinary meeting rooms on the second. Each room represents a different architectural order: Doric, Ionic and Corinthian. The third floor was designed to be three additional meeting rooms, but was never finished. With 25 to 30 foot high ceilings, large exposed concrete columns and beautiful views, this space stood empty for almost eighty years.
Clarke Caton Hintz worked with the Masons to assist with the long term stabilization and renovation of the Temple. CCH prepared two New Jersey Historic Trust Grant applications. The first funded a Preservation Plan for the building; the second provided significant funding for renovations to the building, including masonry restoration, exterior window and door restoration, handicapped accessibility upgrades, etc. As part of this work, CCH became aware of the impressive space on the third floor and realized that this would be ideal for our expanded offices.
The design for Clarke Caton Hintz’s main offices takes advantages of the extraordinary spatial and material qualities of the third floor of the Masonic Temple. The steel trusses supporting the roof are exposed with new skylight openings added. Most of the large, open spaces remain unobstructed, providing the drafting and work areas for the architects, planners and landscape architects. Offices and meeting rooms are located along the perimeter, enclosed with a glass partition system that continues to allow light into the center. The mezzanine is expanded housing the library, additional drafting space and a staff meeting area. The concrete columns remain exposed, along with some of the brick exterior walls, providing a satisfying contrast with the new, modern materials and systems.
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