Soldiers & Sailors Memorial Hall & Museum
Soldiers & Sailors Memorial Hall & Museum is the largest memorial in the United States dedicated to honoring all branches of military veterans. Sharing the stories of those who served our country, this Beaux-Arts Museum plays an important role in preserving history and supporting the community as it hosts many city, civic, university and business events.
Since 2007, AE Works has supported projects at Soldiers & Sailors, a national historic treasure located in Pittsburgh. Over that time, AE Works has provided a full range of building design and consulting services to support energy savings and planning projects to transform this historic landmark, which is a member of Pittsburgh’s 2030 District, into a re-invigorated facility focused on the future.
Location:
Pittsburgh, PA
Size:
Various
Services:
Architecture
Building Systems Engineering
Planning + Project Services
Year / Status
2007 - Present
Built
Our Approach
Since Soldiers & Sailors began operating under the 501c3 Trust in 2000, several major capital renovations and improvements have been made to this historic structure to reduce energy consumption in line with their commitment to the 2030 Pittsburgh District. Supporting this forward-thinking vision and an improved visitor experience, AE Works provided design solutions to enhance water and lighting efficiency and improve stormwater management. This work involved supporting grant applications and coordination with funding requirements.
As Soldiers & Sailors is a historic landmark, care to preserve the facility and keep its architectural character was important to all projects. For instance, on the Terrace Roof Replacement and Green Roof project, AE Works discovered that stormwater was backing up and causing damage to ornate plaster throughout the exhibit space. Estimates to correct this issue were in the tens of thousands. To preserve aesthetics in a cost effective manner, our design solution addressed the problem from the exterior, creating new, water-tight connections and avoiding wholesale demolition of the interior plaster.
Impact
This multi-phased terrace roof project upgraded the roofing system and incorporated the latest green technologies. The result is a roof that retains 3.9 times more rain and reduces the peak run-off rate by 31%.
Preserving the longevity of this facility and integrating energy conservation strategies, other project highlights include:
- LED conversion and controls for improved lighting and also enhanced efficiency and maintenance savings.
- Water conserving infrastructure that exceeds LEED baseline by 40% and results in annual savings of thousands.
- Planning for a public memorial park that honors military branches and provides for an Honor Garden and Veterans Plaza.
These projects connect new generations with history and showcase Soldiers & Sailors as a leader in the region.
“Your team’s ability to interact effectively with our team and develop an understanding of our goals and objectives leads to a collaborative design process that achieves the vision of our projects.”
- John McCabe, President & CEO, Soldiers & Sailors