Awardee: Structural Renovation over $75M
INSPIR Embassy Row
TYLIN
INSPIR Embassy Row reimagines the historic Fairfax Hotel, a 1920s concrete structure with a 1980s addition, into a world-class senior living facility. This adaptive reuse required solving complex structural challenges in an early concrete building not designed for modern codes, while preserving architectural heritage and creating new spaces for a contemporary program. Extensive probes and core testing confirmed strengths and reinforcement, providing the foundation for reliable analysis using modern methods. Major interventions included the removal of the 2nd floor slab to form a grand lobby; reinforcement of the terracotta rib-slab system to meet higher occupancy demands; replacement of the 1980s second floor with a tall ground-floor amenity space; creation of a below-grade double-height pool with bypass framing to redistribute lateral pressures; addition of a lightweight steel penthouse; and integration of a three-story courtyard steel addition. The combination of bonded topping slabs with FRP reinforcement, advanced lateral modeling, and precise sequencing exemplifies solutions beyond standard practice, delivering strength, resilience, and architectural integration.
