CASE STUDY | HISTORIC PRESERVATION
Center for Metal Arts
Preserving the Past. Building the Future of American Craft.
Pattern Shop Rehabilitation | Johnstown, Pennsylvania
Historic Structure
Rehabilitation
Pennsylvania
Lost-Time Injuries
PROJECT OVERVIEW
Preserving an industrial landmark while preparing it for a new generation.
The rehabilitation of the Center for Metal Arts Pattern Shop was more
than the renovation of an aging industrial building. It was an effort
to preserve a piece of American industrial history while creating a
safe, functional environment where the traditions of forging,
blacksmithing and metalworking can continue for generations.
Located within the Cambria Iron & Steel National Historic Landmark
in Johnstown, Pennsylvania, the Center for Metal Arts is a nonprofit
blacksmithing school and metalworking facility dedicated to education,
craftsmanship and the tradition of forging.
Shannon Construction’s work on the Pattern Shop required the team to
balance two objectives that became increasingly intertwined as
construction progressed: stabilize and modernize a severely
deteriorated 155-year-old structure while preserving the historic
materials and industrial character that make the building significant.
THE CHALLENGE
You Cannot See 155 Years of Deterioration on a Set of Drawings.
Historic rehabilitation always carries uncertainty. At the Pattern Shop,
that uncertainty became one of the defining characteristics of
construction.
As demolition progressed and concealed portions of the building became
accessible, the team discovered conditions substantially more severe than
anticipated. Extensive termite damage, decades of water infiltration,
mold contamination, deteriorated floor and roof framing and hidden
subfloor deterioration affected structural systems throughout the
building.
Several existing structural columns were even discovered bearing directly
on limestone boulders rather than conventional engineered foundations.
What began as a historic rehabilitation ultimately became an extensive
structural rescue.
STRUCTURAL STABILIZATION
Stabilizing the Building Before Rebuilding It
Challenge
Concealed deterioration affected columns, girders, joists and roof
framing throughout the Pattern Shop. Before damaged structural members
could be removed, the remaining historic structure first had to be
safely supported.
Solution
Shannon coordinated engineered temporary shoring systems throughout
affected areas, creating a controlled sequence in which existing
loads could be supported while deteriorated structural components
were selectively removed and reconstructed.
Result
Severely deteriorated portions of the Pattern Shop were stabilized
and reconstructed while viable portions of the original historic
structure were retained.
HISTORIC PRESERVATION
Replace Only What Could Not Be Saved
Challenge
The objective was not simply to make the building new. Historic wood
framing, masonry, windows and other character-defining elements were
essential to the identity of the Pattern Shop and needed to be
retained wherever possible.
Solution
Existing materials were evaluated and repaired wherever feasible.
Where replacement was unavoidable, new structural wood elements were
finished with a semi-transparent age stain selected to complement
adjacent original timber framing.
Result
The completed rehabilitation preserves the Pattern Shop’s authentic
industrial character while providing the structural integrity needed
for continued use.
EXTREME WINTER CONDITIONS
Reconstructing the Roof in Temperatures Below -8°F
Challenge
Major roof reconstruction took place during extreme winter
conditions. Crews were working at elevation on a partially
reconstructed historic roof while coordinating demolition, structural
framing, crane operations and temporary weather protection.
Solution
Shannon adjusted sequencing and daily operations around changing
weather conditions, maintained temporary protection for the exposed
structure and coordinated lifting activities carefully as major
structural members were maneuvered into place.
Result
Complex roof and structural reconstruction continued through severe
winter conditions while maintaining rigorous safety standards and
protecting the historic structure.
SAFETY THROUGH CHANGING CONDITIONS
Planning for a structure that changed as it was uncovered.
Safety planning extended well beyond conventional renovation
procedures. Crews worked within a historic structure containing
concealed deterioration, temporary structural conditions, active
demolition zones, extensive shoring and changing load paths.
Shannon utilized daily planning, controlled access zones, engineered
demolition and stabilization sequencing, continuous structural
monitoring, third-party safety inspections and close coordination with
the project’s structural engineer.
During roof reconstruction, workers remained 100% tied off while
temporary weather protection, fencing, signage and pedestrian controls
helped protect workers, students, educators and visitors around the
active construction area.
BUILDING THROUGH COLLABORATION
Discovering the building together.
The Pattern Shop could not be rehabilitated through a conventional
build-from-the-drawings approach.
As demolition revealed new conditions, Shannon Construction,
Pittsburgh Gateways, the Center for Metal Arts, Pfaffmann + Associates
and the structural engineer worked together to evaluate the building
and develop practical solutions.
Decisions about structural stabilization, temporary shoring, demolition
and reconstruction often had to be made in sequence as conditions
became visible. Shannon’s role extended beyond executing a predetermined
construction plan. The team became an active participant in discovering
the building, protecting it and determining how to preserve it safely.
PRESERVING AN INDUSTRIAL LANDMARK
Keeping the building’s purpose alive.
The Center for Metal Arts is not simply occupying a historic building.
Its mission continues the tradition of making things by hand in a place
built during one of the most important periods of American iron and
steel production.
Even while major rehabilitation work occurred, the Center for Metal
Arts continued its educational mission. Shannon coordinated
construction activities to maintain a safe environment around ongoing
programming while transforming the Pattern Shop around it.
The building that once supported Johnstown’s industrial economy will
now help teach the skills and craftsmanship rooted in that same history.
PROJECT HIGHLIGHTS