HISTORIC PORTFOLIO

FEATURED PROJECTS:Abbe Hall/Alumni Center at Union College | Schenectady, New YorkThe Parker Inn | Schenectady, New YorkSchenectady Visitor and Welcome Center | Schenectady, New YorkBond Funeral Home (Westinghouse Mansion) | Schenectady, New YorkUnion College Music School | Schenectady, New York740 Union Street | Schenectady, New York
HIST-ABBE HALL

Oak stair restoration

Front hall

Abbe Hall Exterior

Abbe Hall/ Visitor Center

at Union College

Schenectady, New York

Synthesis directed the complete interior and exterior restoration of this historic 1900 residence and carriage house located in the General Electric Realty Plot Historic District in Schenectady, New York. The residence was converted into the Alumni Center of Union College and the adjacent carriage house was transformed into office space. Exterior and interior renovations involved rehabilitating the home’s structure, repairing historic construction, incorporating new structural elements, and repairing, stabilizing, and reconstructing historic fabric. Handicap accessibility was achieved with additions and alterations that complemented the historic features of the home. Interior design and furnishing for these two buildings were part of the holistic design.

Living Room

Shingle restoration

Dining Room

Carriage House

HIST-PARKER INN

The Parker Inn

The Parker Inn

The Parker Inn

The Parker Inn

Historic Preservation & Adaptive Reuse

Schenectady, New York

Synthesis renovated this turn of the century office building into a 23 room hotel, conference center, and upscale bar and lounge. Although much of the original interior ornament had been removed, the building boasted several unique design features, including a nearly intact cast iron and brick facade, an original wrought iron elevator cage, a cast and wrought iron stairway, and a decorative plaster ceiling discovered during construction. Many of these original features were restored. Interior spaces throughout the building were also redesigned by Synthesis, including selecting finishes, furnishings, and artwork.

The Parker Inn

The Parker Inn

HIST-GILLETTE HOUSE

Schenectady Visitor Center

Schenectady Visitor Center

Gillette House/Millington House Visitor’s Center

Schenectady, New York

Schenectady Visitor Center

Synthesis was commissioned by Schenectady County to assist with the preservation of the Gillette House, through funding from a State grant. A stipulation of that grant required the project to be reviewed and approved by the NYS Historic Preservation Office (SHPO) and required adherence to SHPO guidelines. The restoration project entailed creating construction drawings for repair to the historic trim, windows, siding, porch, masonry and brick wall infill, and stabilization of the building to make an appropriate and attractive entry to the historic Stockade District. Historic trim and details were documented to allow for fabrication of replacement details of missing and highly damaged elements. Project also required the design of a new historically compatible porch to provide ADA accessibility, and to provide specifications (which entailed research) for the historical paint colors to enhance Stockade entrance. Subsequent to the restoration and stabilization of the Gillette House, Synthesis was commissioned by the Chamber of Schenectady County to study the feasibility of utilizing the Gillette House in conjunction with the adjacent Millington House, connected by a new wing at the rear of the two buildings. This new wing would house the Welcome Center functions as shown in the plan at right. Plans also included renovation of the Gillette House for a Mohawk Valley Heritage visitor’s center, alterations to the Millington House for Chamber offices and the sympathetic addition mentioned above that accommodates visitor reception and conference facilities. The proposed complex is entered via an ADA compliant walk set in a “pocket-park” in keeping with the neighborhood garden and green space fabric.
HIST-BOND FUNERAL

Bond Funeral Home

Bond Funeral Home

Bond Funeral Home

Former Westinghouse Mansion Restoration

Schenectady, New York

A major fire ripped through this prominent landmark building and severely damaged the building. This historic building has been a funeral home since 1929 and originally was the Westinghouse Mansion, built in 1887. Because the damage to the building, and in particular, the distinctive multi-faceted roof, was so extensive, and because the original blueprint drawings of the building were damaged in the fire, Synthesis had to execute this restoration from a series of photographs. The photographs were scanned and imported into our CAD program, rectified and scaled based on actual field dimensions, and then traced. We then checked our work to assure that a certain level of accuracy was maintained regarding the correlation of the rectified images with the actual field conditions. When the roof’s structural system was designed, the new work, as well as the existing structural systems, were repaired and modified to meet current codes. Restoration work included the removal of obtrusive aluminum siding and the exposing of long buried historical detailing. A historic color scheme was replicated, based upon historical photographs and postcards.

Bond Funeral Home

Bond Funeral Home

Bond Funeral Home

HIST-UNION MUSIC SCHOOL2

Union College Music School
Union College Music School
Union College Music School
Union College Music School
Union College Music School
Union College Music School

Union College Music School

Schenectady, New York

Synthesis designed the complete interior demolition and renovation and exterior preservation of Union College’s historic North Colonnade building, one of the original Ramée campus buildings from the early 19th Century, to accommodate its growing music department and broaden the range of lecture and performance spaces on campus. A Recital Hall addition was designed and added at the rear of the building and comprised of a new 120-seat multipurpose hall for lectures, rehearsals, and recitals. It is shaped and built with materials to maximize acoustic performance. Synthesis also developed a handicapped accessible connection for all floors of the adjacent Arts Building and the new Music Building.Preservation of the existing buildings with appropriate new construction and attention to acoustic performance and noise control are highlights of the project.
HIST-740 UNION

740 Union Street

740 Union Street

740 Union Street

Schenectady, New York

The building, a two-and-a half story 1850 wood frame Federal Style building, had exterior renovations that included historic trim repair, recreation of missing details, removal of obtrusive additions, restoration of windows, as well as exterior surface preparation and paint. The property was completely rehabilitated, interior and exterior, and occupancy was changed from a residence to an office building. Under the building code, a change of occupancy requires strict compliance to the new code, which might have jeopardized the financial viability of the renovation. Synthesis was able to apply for and attain a New York State code variance to alleviate some of the issues regarding updating the structure to the more stringent code. This was a significant achievement and allowed the project to proceed to the next major hurdle: pursuit of a Federal tax credit for the rehabilitation of a historic building.
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